# Cattleya Bob Betts in full bloom



## monocotman (Dec 4, 2021)

So finally we have the main show. The second two leads produced flowers that were slightly smaller (17 cm across) but maybe better shaped than the initial lead.
Still it’s an impressive display from this classic clone.
It smells wonderful in the morning sun.






it’s not so apparent from the photos but the yellow in the throat deepens in colour quite a bit as the flowers age.
David


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## SouthPark (Dec 4, 2021)

Excellent photo shots David. A most beautiful orchid and beautiful flower display. Captured with very nice settings and scenery too.


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## GuRu (Dec 4, 2021)

David, these white flowers with yellow inside the lip are very impressive.  I like this kind of flowers as well as semialba ones. With regard to the scent I can't say nothing (I put my nose close to the screen but didn't smell anything  ) but I can imagine this wonderfull scent.


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## monocotman (Dec 4, 2021)

Thanks! For me, primarily a species grower, there are a few must have hybrids. This is one of them.


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## Ozpaph (Dec 4, 2021)

great display


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## Greenpaph (Dec 4, 2021)

Wow !
Love  them


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## southernbelle (Dec 4, 2021)

Absolutely beautiful. And I know the diligence it took to keep the flowers separated!! Good work!!


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## monocotman (Dec 4, 2021)

Thanks. I did remove two buds to give the others more room!


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## NEslipper (Dec 4, 2021)

Spectacular!! Especially amazing for a windowsill-grown plant, congratulations!


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## LO69 (Dec 4, 2021)

Indeed a very good windowsill grower! 
Bravissimo!


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## terryros (Dec 4, 2021)

David, as a fellow species predominant Cattleya grower with minimal room to expand, I have been thinking about plants like this (I have one). We really like it but are we confident enough in our growing conditions to just keep one? I would really like to stop having one and a spare (just in case) for plants like this. Have you been brave enough to keep just one of almost everything? I could free up space if I followed a "one and done" rule.


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## monocotman (Dec 4, 2021)

I do generally just have a single plant of most things. thats because most of them are fairly new, in the last two or three years. I probably have spares, ie small back bulb divisions of just four or five clones


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## My Green Pets (Dec 4, 2021)

I can understand what you mean, Terry. Having only one of 'the one' is pretty stressful when there are issues. I can think of a plant or two that I have, that I'd like to have a copy of somewhere for hedging.

Actually I had the largest Paph Prime Child ever awarded, but when I moved, it clearly didn't like living in a grow tent with a bunch of Cattleyas. So I divided it in two, sent one division to the Huntington, and sent the other to a very successful grower. Both have told me that they would send me a division in the future if I ever wanted to grow it again.


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## PeteM (Dec 4, 2021)

It’s gorgeous! I went back through your threads and last time it was in full bloom was Oct. 28th 2020. Seems to have added a month this time around. My plant bloomed this year in the middle of August .

Interested in timing because I have been collecting white cattleyas to target December blooming for future tree trimming. This plant has the bloom count, I just need you to send me some of that magical Cambridge rain water


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## terryros (Dec 4, 2021)

I think if I had a unique and particularly valuable plant like some of you have I would want an insurance plant growing either with me or with a good grower somewhere else. Logically I know that if my Bob Betts 'White Lightening' rotted away I could find a Bob Betts somewhere to buy so I might as well optimize the number of different plants I have instead of using space for insurance plants. Fear and uncertainty push back, but I will fight them.


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## abax (Dec 4, 2021)

Is a reflexed dorsal a characteristic of this particular Catt.? The total picture is fantastic!


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## monocotman (Dec 5, 2021)

Angela, some flowers have more reflexing than others. None are totally straight. The tip folds over in all of them.
Terry, agreed, white lightning is easily available in the USA, I see Hausermanns and Odoms offer it regularly. Mine came from the Fishers at Orchids limited when they had a batch of mature plants available a couple of years ago. For me it’s more of an issue in the UK.
These clones are not generally available anywhere this side of the pond.
With Brexit all imports now whether from the USA ot Europe need at least a phyto, so I won’t be adding to this list of alba hybrids anytime soon.


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## Guldal (Dec 5, 2021)

What a lovely sight, David!


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## terryros (Dec 5, 2021)

Difficult to obtain seems to be a criterion for an insurance division.


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## southernbelle (Dec 6, 2021)

terryros said:


> I think if I had a unique and particularly valuable plant like some of you have I would want an insurance plant growing either with me or with a good grower somewhere else. Logically I know that if my Bob Betts 'White Lightening' rotted away I could find a Bob Betts somewhere to buy so I might as well optimize the number of different plants I have instead of using space for insurance plants. Fear and uncertainty push back, but I will fight them.


We could compare lists because I know we have many of the same plants from my big purchase at Jerry's 3 years ago. That could give you insurance plants outside of your room and possibly free up some space. Being seedlings, though, they may not be exact. I know your Lc. 
'Jason's Choice' x 'Equilab' is better form than mine (at least to my eye).


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## DrLeslieEe (Dec 6, 2021)

abax said:


> Is a reflexed dorsal a characteristic of this particular Catt.? The total picture is fantastic!


Dorsal can be trained to stand in attention lol.


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## terryros (Dec 6, 2021)

I think having a fellow grower with a plant is good insurance for something important! At least you know there is a chance of a division at some point. A good reason to share.


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## southernbelle (Dec 6, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Dorsal can be trained to stand in attention lol.


Leslie, I know how to train a bud to present well, but what is your technique for training a dorsal?


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## LadySlipper (Dec 6, 2021)

Impressive, can't take my eyes off it. Thanks for sharing.


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## DrLeslieEe (Dec 6, 2021)

southernbelle said:


> Leslie, I know how to train a bud to present well, but what is your technique for training a dorsal?


The dorsal can be trained with a tag taped behind lightly with painter tape (low sticky tape) or titling flower forward for a couple days. This depends on the thickness or substance of the dorsal. A thinner floppy dorsal is best by tilting. A thicker heavier dorsal needs more encouragement with the tape lol.


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## abax (Dec 6, 2021)

Leslie, I'm far too picky about Catt. dorsals. It's an idiosyncrasy I'm trying to overcome.
Long ago I don't remember seeing so many reflexing dorsals as I see now. I'm a lot
older than you and have seen more absolutely perfect Catts in private collections.


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## DrLeslieEe (Dec 7, 2021)

abax said:


> Leslie, I'm far too picky about Catt. dorsals. It's an idiosyncrasy I'm trying to overcome.
> Long ago I don't remember seeing so many reflexing dorsals as I see now. I'm a lot
> older than you and have seen more absolutely perfect Catts in private collections.


I think that size is a wonderful trait to have in a Cattleya... BUT.... a straight dorsal gives it that regalness.


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## Tom499 (Dec 7, 2021)

Stunning!


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## terryros (Dec 7, 2021)

I know this only matters to those who are going to judging, but how much training of flowers is permissible? There must be a handful of things that an ingenious little device could help a flower improve and maybe for a beauty contest this is OK? Let’s get those petals to open wider! Whoops, not that much, I don’t want them curving backwards! Bonsai for orchids here I come. I already do some of this with how carefully I control the growths on my Cattleyas. Why not go all in on training the flowers.


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## abax (Dec 7, 2021)

terryos, I'm implying that the cloning techniques for a mass market is producing
misshapen flowers. Of course, it happens in wild populations as well, but the mass
market approach has deformed a lot of popular orchids.
*I'm not referring to David's lovely Catt.


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## terryros (Dec 10, 2021)

The mechanism of the mericloning process always carries with it genetic variability which can range from minimal to substantial. Some variants can end up even better than the plant that was cloned (rare) but a substantial number can be somewhat worse. Then, we get successive cloning of cloned plants and we get farther and farther from the original plant. When we buy a mericlone, we often don't know how many generations of cloning we are removed from the original plant. I have two different plants of Cattleya Betty Ford 'York' with excellent provenance, but the plants and the flowers are clearly different and they bloom at different times of the year. BUT, very carefully done mericloning may be able to produce virus-free plants from a parent that is virused. This can preserve an important and desirable genome.


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