A background to our Ira Butler Trophy 2015 winners...

Dendrobium. speciosum. ‘Maddison’ AM/ANOS-AOC – Bill Murdoch Trophy Winner

Background

We purchased Dendrobium. speciosum. ‘Maddison’ AM/ANOS-AOC (Dendrobium. speciosum. var. grandiflorum. ‘Mt Larcom Gold’ x Dendrobium. speciosum. var. speciosum. ‘Windermere’) as a seedling from the late Brian Gerhard in 2008, it would have been two or three years old by this stage and was potted in a 100mm pot. In 2012 it flowered for the first time winning its seedling class at the Kempsey Speciosum Spectacular, proving its future potential. At this show Ted Walmsley himself said in a few years that it would receive an AM, he was 100% correct. After being repotted and divided in late 2014 this division of the plant grew extremely well and produced four new growths that season. In 2015 it flowered extremely well displaying five racemes and was grand champion at the Newcastle Group spring show.

Culture

This plant grows in our main growing area on the speciosum bench, underneath 55% shade cloth and in full sun all day. It is potted in 50% number 4 Kiwi Bark and 50% number 3 Kiwi Bark and has always been grown in a Port Pot. We try to feed a vast array of different fertilsers every month. These include Amino-Gro, GF9, EX7, Peter’s Excel and plant starter.

Dendrobium. Lauren ‘Holly Chief’ HCC/ANOS-AOC – G. Hermon Slade Trophy Winner

Background

Dendrobium. Lauren is Dendrobium. Rosemary Jupp x Aussie Phil and was also bred by the previous owner of Down Under Native Orchids, Brian Gerhard. We purchased this division of the plant in 2010 and since then it has proved its capabilities. In 2015 however it produced more flowers than ever and the racemes individually had a higher flower count. It was reserve champion hybrid at the 2015 Kempsey Speciosum Spectacular and this is where it also received it awards from ANOS and also the AOC.

Culture

Dendrobium. Lauren ‘Holly Chief’ is grown in our tunnel house under 50% black shade cloth. It grows in our Dendrobium mix which is mad up of 75% number 3 Kiwi Bark and 25% coarse Perlite.

Dendrobium. Topaz Dream ‘Sweet’ – Ira Butler Silver Certificate Recipient

Background

Grahame and I were given a small piece of this plant in 2010 by a fellow Hunter area grower. At this time in the Hunter area it wasn’t a hybrid that was readily available to us so this gift was greatly appreciated. Last year was our first respectable flowering of Dendrobium. Topaz Dream ‘Sweet’ (D. Fantasy Land x D. bigibbum). It presented a number of lovely racemes and the flowers were very vibrant. It was grand champion at the 2015 Boolaroo Orchid Society winter show.

Culture

Dendrobium. Topaz Dream ‘Sweet’ did not grow vigorously in our conditions at first so we moved it from the enclosed growing area to the hot house where it began to improve its growth. Our hot house remains at a minimum of 18 degrees celsius during the cooler months and is grown in our warm growing Dendrobium mix which is made up of 60% number 3 Kiwi Bark, 20% coarse Perlite and 20% 10mm River Gravel.