Which roths to choose?

[Ayreon]

I'm thinking of buying two of these. Which ones would you choose?

Mont Millais x Rex
Mont Millais x Val
Borneo Dark x Dark Chocolate

 

[nikv]

If you plan to buy two out of three, I would definitely get the third one and decide between the two Mont Millais crosses. I'm not familiar with Val. Is it a newer awarded clone? I might be tempted to go with it. Of course, if you can see the actual plants before making the purchase, I would pick the two healthiest ones available.

 

[Ayreon]

I have seen the plants and they all look good.
Yes, I am probably getting the third one.

The MM x Rex is a well known one but the MM x Val plant looks a bit bigger in the pic I have seen.

 

[Ayreon]

I went for the Borneo and the Val. Case closed!

 

[Paphman910]

Good Choice

Paphman910

 

[John M]

I went for the Borneo and the Val. Case closed!

That would've been my choice too!:clap:

 

[nikv]

I did a Google search and discovered that Val has an FCC/AOS award.

 

[emydura]

They both should be very nice.

Val is from Charles E x Borneo.

David

 

[Ross]

I'm a little late for the decision, but the MM x Val might be an interesting cross. The AOS award picture of 'Val' shows a very dark flower with thick, dark stripes and a dark pouch while the 'MM' is a stockier flower with a larger dorsal. I would have made that pick, also.

 

[JDY]

I think you made the right choice.

 

[slipperscout]

Good question! Val is named after Valerie Tonkin. Approximately 40 years ago Val and and her husband, Jack, were pioneers in the line breeding of roths in this country. At that time Terry Root was just getting the OZ up and going. If you review "Val" in the AQ awards file, you will find that the intense pigmentation of modern roth breeding dates back to this clone. The Japanese roth breeders combined Val with Mont Milas to get the great color, form, size and presentation characteristic of the best of current roth breeding. Sam Tsui likes the Rex X MM blood line; however, if you check his roth seedling list at the Orchid Inn you will see a number of Val X MM grexes that Sam will combine with his breeding. Borneo Dark X Dark Chocolate (check out Bloomfield for the best prices, Orchids Ltd if you want to spend a lot of money!) The Borneo pix at Orchids Ltd appears small. Good color, maybe, small size (NS less than 30 CM)-likely?
Sam ain't cheap, but he has several very desiraeable Val X MM crosses from Japan. Right now,I would not spend my money elsewhere, unless to buy a selected flowering clone. Good lucK!!

 

[Ayreon]

Thank you fall all information!

 

[Carol]

Paph roth

I noticed that the Paph rothschildianum('Sam's Best' FCC/AOS x 'Rex' FCC/AOS) that I purchased from Sam Tsui 2 1/2 years ago is in spike. How long is the wait now?

 

[goldenrose]

I don't think you could miss with any of them, one would think they should be rather similar. Info I have gathered indicates Dark Chocolate & Borneo Dark are sibs that have Rex/MM/Commander in the background.

 

[labskaus]

The Dark Chocolate/Borneo Dark is a recent (Orchids Ltd?) cross, the others were made in the mid/early nineties. I've seen the pics as well, the plants offered are all healthy, one growth, not quite blooming size plants. I would inquire if these plants were still from the original crosses. If yes, they're certainly not among the fastest.

 

[Ayreon]

Fast? Roths shouldn't be fast. I want a long hard struggle god damnit! And when I'm old and tired and I finally get my first roth to bloom I will celebrate with a special bottle of wine that I have in my cellar. I already have a tag on it that says "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL ROTH".

 

[paphioland]

This is an easy one

Rex x mm
val x mm

The other cross is unproven and the parents are small. The two aforementioned crosses are the standard for top roths at the moment. I would maybe add nanchou x mm. It is unlikely that the third cross will be able to match the top two-three crosses in roth breeding. I think out of all rex x mm is the best cross. Produces the most consistent great quality clones. While not as dark as the Val cross it has better shape and size on average. If I had to buy a roth I would buy one of the newer crosses using spectacular parents. The third cross did not have spectacular parents. On the other hand why not just buy all three. If you are looking purely for trying to get lucky with great quality stick with the mm crosses it is the best roth breeder to date.

 

[Paphman910]

Fast? Roths shouldn't be fast. I want a long hard struggle god damnit! And when I'm old and tired and I finally get my first roth to bloom I will celebrate with a special bottle of wine that I have in my cellar. I already have a tag on it that says "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL ROTH".

The roth crosses with 'Rex' tend to grow faster and easier flowering.

Paphman910

 

[SelectOrchids]

Those crosses are a little bit phony, I am nearly sure they are not at all Rex x MM and Val x MM... There are several photos of the plants on ebay.de that I have seen, and they looks like some unnamed crosses with a nice tag to sell more expensive.

Borneo Dark x Dark Chocolate would be much safer to buy, at least it would have the proper parents.

 

[Wendy]

I noticed that the Paph rothschildianum('Sam's Best' FCC/AOS x 'Rex' FCC/AOS) that I purchased from Sam Tsui 2 1/2 years ago is in spike. How long is the wait now?

Not long Carol. Once you notice the spike it usually develops quickly. I look forward to your pictures!