Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Pleione and Orchidaceae => Topic started by: Mavers on July 09, 2008, 10:37:47 AM
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I bought, 'won' a Dactylorhiza 'Harold Esslemont' on ebay from alpinesilverdog, aka Ad Hoc Plants back in March of this year.
Much was made of the size of the flowers this form displays so I went for it.
For the past 5 weeks or so I have tried to contact Andrew Lovell as I feel he has not sent me 'Harold Esslemont', just a form with normal sized blooms. I am being totally ignored by him.
Has anyone had any experience of d.'Harold Esslemont' or of Andrew.
Ebay have not been very helpful as they have 30 day & 60 day cut off points to make any complaints, which as I explained to them is not long enough when being sent dormant bulbs & tubers.
Mike
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Have a look here and you will know more:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1864.0
http://www.pc-nijssen.com/frameset_warning.php
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Thanks for replying Thomas & the info links.............looks like I've been had too.
Mike
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Mike, for more info on this orchid, see here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1547.msg46824;topicseen#msg46824
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Hi Maggi how are you?
Thanks for the links.............do you think the flowers on my Dact' 'Harrold Esselomont' could improve in size as the plant becomes established? It is quite a small plant at the time of writing.
Andrew Lovell sent me two small pieces however one piece was rotted out where the growth point should have been & never grew at all.
Mike
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Mine have been huge from the start
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Looking at your photos Mark I'm now sure I've been sold a pup.
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Hi, Mike, if the plant /tuber is very small or has been sickly, then the flowers could be a bit on the small side and get bigger in future years.... Mark's had been a healthy tuber from the beginning 8)
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Marks says his are HUGE Maggi !!! ;D
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Marks says his are HUGE Maggi !!! ;D
They all say that , Mike.........cuts no ice with me ;D
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Not a flower from D. Harold Esslemont....just one of our garden seedlings but..... this one is ...HUGE!
[attach=1]
single flower shown with ruler in cms.
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Never mind the quality, feel the width, eh Maggi?
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;D ;D ;D
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Wow...............that is BIG Maggi.
Get yer ruler out Mark.... ;)
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My tallest plants is just over 2 feet 60cm
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That's getting up to 'Bressingham Bonus' height (unless yours really are 2 feet 60cm)? Mine are about 2' 6" - i.e. 75 cm tall.
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Yes my Harolds are 24 inches tall and today they will have their tubers removed.
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OUCH poor 'arold :'(
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Unlike us Mike, they grow new ones. :o
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What are the leaves like Mark?
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Yes my Harolds are 24 inches tall and today they will have their tubers removed.
Isn't that what's called an orchidectomy! :-X
cheers
fermi
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I'm fairly sure that Harold is here in Aus. I wonder what other Dacts have made it into this country. I've finally got my D. fuchsii to grow and start multiplying slowly (which isn't that easy to do in my climate here in Canberra) so I can start experimenting with others now. I just love em!! ;D No self-seeing though, but I have only flowered one clone as yet.
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Well, I know size matters to some people, and after reading this thread I went out to measure one of my dactilorhiza seedlings to see if it matches up to the one in this thread, and it does. It is 32inches from where it comes out of the ground to its tip, not counting its contours which would probably make it slightly taller, and it grew here all on its own, so it has no name at all. Have a couple more that are also tall, but not quite achieving this height. Thought I'd share it with you.
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Closer view
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I'm fairly sure that Harold is here in Aus.
Paul,
Don't be fairly sure - be certain. One of Lyn's imports. I've seen others that I lust after at the Gillanders.
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Maybe we need to find someone who has it/them and try some seed. Might be the easiest way of getting a range of them. Getting seed in is too picky unfortunately, as won't come through quarantine in pod, and once out of pod it is harder to keep sterile. Then again, if I can get seed I have a friend on the south coast who has an orchid laboratory who can sow them on agar with the terrestrial symbiot if that is what they're needing.
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Seed is best kept totally dry - even in a film container with drying crystals. They can then be sterilised using Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) or Potassium Metabisulphite (K2S2O4) solution when they are to be sown. They can then be sent as dry seed without the problems of quarantine?
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Paul,
Dact. seed certainly features on the seedlists. I've imported it. If you're merely after Harold Esslemont be patient. I gave one away to Essie last year and will probably be able to spare another at the end of this season.
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Rob,
I am more than happy to wait. Don't short-change yourself at all. Nice to know it definitely is here. My comments re seed were just as it might have been interesting to see what the seedlings look like. I wouldn't mind a few self-sowings around my garden if they look as nice as so many that have been posted here on the SRGC so. 8)
Re seed... have you germinated any successfully, either from damp or dry seed? I would imagine that sowing it around existing Dact plants should give it any microrhyzza (I've spelt that wrong, haven't I?) if it needs them for germination?
Anthony,
Yes, providing it is not still in green pods,and not on the banned list (some species are unfortunately) then quarantine shouldn't be a problem. My concerns were with the actual handling at this end, and whether they would germinate without an orchid laboratory. Saves somewhat on costs if you don't need one of those! ;) ;D
Dave,
Got your email. Thank you kindly!!
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Paul,
I did as you suggest and sowed it around the fuchsii I already had. No sign of seedlings, but that's the unpredictable nature of exchange seed.
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So how long ago was that? I am not sure I've heard of many people outside the native range of the plants who have had success in sowing seed like that. Has anyone reading this sown it on Sphagnum moss or anything like that, to see whether they get better germination? Anyone outside the native range/different climates had self sowings etc?