# Paph Susan Booth 'Paracombe' FCC/AOC



## emydura (Nov 24, 2018)

I have had a good growing season this year and today it got better with my first FCC award for my Susan Booth 'Paracombe'. I have posted this plant on this forum numerous times over the last 15 or so years. Until this year, I had never been able to get more than 3 flowers on a spike. This season it had 3 spikes with 4 flowers on every stem and big flowers they were too. It has taken me nearly 20 years, but I am finally growing these things well. This is the first multi-floral Paph I got (in 2001 or 2002) and it is only now that I have grown it well enough for it to reach its potential. I have been able to get the growths much bigger in size since I have been growing it in a basket. The leaves are much longer and wider. 

I am a bit stunned by the FCC. I was confident it would get a HCC, maybe even an AM if the judges were generous. But I guess you never expect an FCC. Especially as this clone has been around a long time.


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## monocotman (Nov 24, 2018)

Just wonderful. That is an exceptional plant.
Many congratulations!
David


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## Justin (Nov 24, 2018)

WOW totally FCC worthy. Incredible growing. You are now officially a legend!


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## troy (Nov 24, 2018)

Ok, this is a good one, you got lucky, where did you get it?


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## Ozpaph (Nov 24, 2018)

That is an incredible flowering for a SB. Certainly the best SB Ive 'seen'.
I'd accept their generosity with open arms. How many points?


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## ehanes7612 (Nov 24, 2018)

sweet


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## emydura (Nov 24, 2018)

troy said:


> Ok, this is a good one, you got lucky, where did you get it?



I got it off Deane Johnstone (Johnstone Orchids) as a three growth division around 2001. He flowered out a whole flask of Susan Booth's. I don't know what the cross was. I will try and find out. He kept a few of the very best clones. One got an AM award ('Highercombe' which I have) and another a HCC award. 'Paracombe' was never awarded until now. It is a very old cross as 'Highercombe was awarded in 1989. 



Ozpaph said:


> That is an incredible flowering for a SB. Certainly the best SB Ive 'seen'.
> I'd accept their generosity with open arms. How many points?



I'm not sure. I will have to sign the paper work in the next few days so I will find out then. I didn't take the plant into judging. A fellow friend and judge took it in for me. So I got a nice surprise when she brought my plants back.


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## Ozpaph (Nov 24, 2018)

I just flowered 'Highercombe', nowhere near as good as 'Paracombe'. Ill post it later.


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## emydura (Nov 25, 2018)

Ozpaph said:


> I just flowered 'Highercombe', nowhere near as good as 'Paracombe'. Ill post it later.



If you ask Deane, he will tell you 'Highercombe' is the better clone. 'Highercombe' does have a darker colour and it does get five flowers on a spike. 'Paracombe' has never gotten more than four. But the flowers on 'Paracombe' are bigger and better shape with a nicer petal stance. Here is a photo of the two clones together with 'Paracombe' on the right. I don't think 'Highercombe' is at its full potential here but the measurements when it received an AM are quite a bit smaller than the current flowers on my 'Paracombe'.


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## Ozpaph (Nov 25, 2018)

Dam it. My Highercombe doesnt look like that!!


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## Spaph (Nov 26, 2018)

First class indeed! What a blooming, congrats on the award :clap:


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## John M (Nov 27, 2018)

Wow! Wow! Wow! Congratulations David!!!!


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## emydura (Dec 6, 2018)

Ozpaph said:


> How many points?



I signed the paperwork yesterday but it didn't have the points score on it. I'm never at these judges meetings so I don't see or talk to the judges involved. The paperwork I sign never has this detail on it. It has the measurements but not the final judge's score. We will find out when the award goes up on the AOC website which could be a year away.


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## Ozpaph (Dec 6, 2018)

Ok, we will wait.


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## emydura (Feb 26, 2019)

Ozpaph said:


> T How many points?



The plant is now on the AOC website so you can see the points (85.4). 

http://orchidsaustralia.com.au/index.php/award-display?award=6008

I am still waiting to see my awarded roth on the AOC website. It was awarded two months earlier than this Susan Booth.


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## shade131 (Feb 26, 2019)

That is stunning. I’m sure it’s very gratifying to have your patience rewarded. 

It’s sounds like you attribute the plants increased performance to moving it into a basket, is that correct? Anything else? Basket culture really seems to be getting people excellent results.

Too bad I just purchased a ton of aircones and moved everything into them!


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## ehanes7612 (Feb 26, 2019)

wow, I totally missed this thread when you first posted..really nice


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## emydura (Feb 26, 2019)

shade131 said:


> That is stunning. I’m sure it’s very gratifying to have your patience rewarded.
> 
> It’s sounds like you attribute the plants increased performance to moving it into a basket, is that correct? Anything else? Basket culture really seems to be getting people excellent results.
> 
> Too bad I just purchased a ton of aircones and moved everything into them!



The leaves certainly have increased in size since I have put it in a basket. As it is in a basket I am keeping the plant wetter. I guess that is the key. More water.

I assume the aircone post are based on the same philosophy, so they should work equally as well.


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## Calvin_Tiong (Feb 26, 2019)

Very nice <3 <3 <3


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## musa (Feb 27, 2019)

Wonderful paph.!!!
How does the basket affect your watering? Have you already experience in repotting paphs in baskets? I could imagine that is quite difficult.

Michael


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## Ozpaph (Feb 27, 2019)

David, the flowers and photos are magnificent!


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## emydura (Feb 28, 2019)

musa said:


> Wonderful paph.!!!
> How does the basket affect your watering? Have you already experience in repotting paphs in baskets? I could imagine that is quite difficult.
> 
> Michael



Michael - I water more in the basket. I try and keep the pots evenly moist. A basket allows you to water more with less risk of rotting the roots. I haven't had to repot huge numbers yet, but what I have hasn't proved too difficult. Sometimes the odd root might grow outside the pot, although I don't find that a significant issue. I am now using the water lilly baskets which have smaller holes. The roots rarely grow through these holes.

David


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## musa (Mar 1, 2019)

Hello David,
I haven't considered the small holes, the pots I have here have holes of 1,5 cm x 2 cm.
The results proof you are right!
thanks
Michael


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## emydura (Mar 1, 2019)

musa said:


> Hello David,
> I haven't considered the small holes, the pots I have here have holes of 1,5 cm x 2 cm.
> The results proof you are right!
> thanks
> Michael



Those are seriously big holes. It would be hard to keep the mix in.

The baskets I use have holes that would only be a couple of mm's in size. They are used for garden ponds to grow aquatic plants in such as water lilies. They come in a range of sizes including really large ones for specimen plants.


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## Happypaphy7 (Mar 1, 2019)

Congrats on your first FCC. I like them both, but the Paracombe clone certainly looks better in my opinion. The other one has nicer colors. 

By the way, with this basket, what potting mix are you using?
I see them at an Asian super market for quite cheap. I might get some later for some of my rambling plants. haha


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## musa (Mar 2, 2019)

Thanks for the pic of the baskets. Might bee my humidity is to low for baskets, i don't have a greenhouse, but I'll try it.
Michael


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## emydura (Mar 2, 2019)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Congrats on your first FCC. I like them both, but the Paracombe clone certainly looks better in my opinion. The other one has nicer colors.
> 
> By the way, with this basket, what potting mix are you using?
> I see them at an Asian super market for quite cheap. I might get some later for some of my rambling plants. haha



Thanks.

I line the pot with Sphagnum moss and use straight Orchiata bark. For 14 cm baskets, I use 9-12 cm bark. For larger baskets I use 12-18 cm bark.


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## Happypaphy7 (Mar 3, 2019)

emydura said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I line the pot with Sphagnum moss and use straight Orchiata bark. For 14 cm baskets, I use 9-12 cm bark. For larger baskets I use 12-18 cm bark.


 
Thank you. By the way, you mean mm instead of cm, right?


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## emydura (Mar 3, 2019)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Thank you. By the way, you mean mm instead of cm, right?



DOH. Yes.


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## Ozpaph (Mar 4, 2019)

hope you kept some pollen.................


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## emydura (Mar 5, 2019)

Ozpaph said:


> hope you kept some pollen.................



No. If flowers every year. If you want any pollen let me know.


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## Ozpaph (Mar 5, 2019)

I wish I had a great JB to put its pollen on..


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## emydura (Mar 7, 2019)

Ozpaph said:


> I wish I had a great JB to put its pollen on..



Well, we both know someone that has one or two good clones of JB.


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## Ozpaph (Mar 7, 2019)

next flowering............................ill take 4 flasks


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## emydura (Jul 8, 2019)

A big thrill with my Susan Booth 'Paracombe' winning Australian hybrid of 2018. It was a good year for slipper orchids with three of the four big awards going to Paphs. A micranthum won species of the year and a Paph Berenice won culture award of the year.

http://orchidsaustralia.com.au/index.php/awards-ooy


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## Ozpaph (Jul 8, 2019)

David, it is a very worthy winner. Stunning flower. Wish I had seen it in person.
..................just needs some WBW pollen....................


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## emydura (Dec 14, 2019)

It actually flowered even better this year. Five flowers for the first time.


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## Ozpaph (Dec 15, 2019)

Put it up again!!! 
Keep the pollen, please!!!
I so want this on a good WBW etc


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## DrLeslieEe (Dec 15, 2019)

Holy mackeral!!! Gorgeous! Kudos!


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## emydura (Dec 15, 2019)

Ozpaph said:


> Put it up again!!!
> Keep the pollen, please!!!
> I so want this on a good WBW etc



It already has an FCC and Australian hybrid of the year. Not much else to achieve. Anyway, too late as the flowers are all finished. So no pollen this year sorry. I should have a couple of WBW's seedlings ready to flower in a couple of years. Good breeding too (Sam and TON) from Brad. So I may be able to do that cross then.


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## Ozpaph (Dec 15, 2019)

Id gladly accept some pollen if I flower something nice.


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## emydura (Dec 16, 2019)

Ozpaph said:


> Id gladly accept some pollen if I flower something nice.



OK. Next time. This plant often flowers quite late (Nov - Dec) after most things have finished but it has also flowered in Sept.


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## Guldal (Dec 17, 2019)

What f..... - oh, sorry, pardon my french: what _really_ amazing flowers and plant!

David, you really are _the_ mastergrower of the southern hemisphere - or at least, down under. Congrats on that spectacular result. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Floriferous New Year - from up North!
Jens


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## Guldal (Dec 17, 2019)

Ooooops, I might have put my foot in, as I just checked the AOC awards list, that you are linking to - and realized, that there is hefty competition for the place of being Australias first and foremost Paph.grower: Tay S. is certainly hard to beat - and Goostrey B. isn't too bad off, either. Although the latter must certainly feel you snapping his heels, if not already taking quite a bite of the back of his foot!  And the former, on closer inspection, seems to have specialized in non-multi-florals!


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## emydura (Dec 18, 2019)

LOL. Thanks Jens. You only see my successes, not my failures and there are plenty of those.

I think those guys (S Tay and Brad) are ahead of me, as well as legendary Paph growers like Jim McCubbin (he use to post on this forum) and a few others. I wish I had their growing conditions though. I could have a much bigger collection to start with. Canberra would have to be the toughest city to grow multi-floral Paphs. So cold in winter and extremely hot in summer with zero humidity. Today is 37oC, tomorrow 40, then 41 and 42. And the hottest months are still to come.

And a merry Christmas and a happy new year to you to Jens.


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## mSummers (Jan 5, 2020)

Congrats! Beautiful plant and flowers.


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## chrismende (Mar 16, 2020)

Fantastic result! The plant is clearly very very happy! What a stunner!


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