So another flowering season (2012) has passed. The presentation of plants on the show bench, if anything, has worsened. Now before I proceed, I suppose I should show why I have the required experience to make comments on the way exhibits are presented. As a young man I was for a number of years, a judge on the Sydney Morning Herald Garden competition. This taught me how to examine every facet of an exhibit. I also became a member of the Orchid Society of NSW Judging Panel, too long ago to remember. For a number of years I judged the horticultural plant exhibits at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Here I learned some of the many ways that people groomed their exhibits. I also learned that this was ok as long as at the time of judging none of the methods used were visible.
It is with this background that when I look at the way cymbidiums are presented on the show bench, I am amazed that the judges even look at many of the exhibits. Now it is perfectly ok to manipulate in any way to make it more acceptable to attain the required standards. After all, the moment we start to grow a plant in an artificial environment we have manipulated it. I believe some judging codes say that there should be no manipulation whatsoever. What is really meant is that it should not be visible at the time of judging.
“Packing out” of flowers is a common practice, but using tissue is far better than cotton wool, because it leaves no trace on the flowers. During the grooming, preparation and transport of the plant, any means of support can be used, as long as these are removed when presented for judging.
However with staking rules state: “A raceme can be tied to the bottom flower. It states that with a branching raceme the branches can be passed and the raceme staked to the bottom flower.” This obviously does not apply to cymbidiums.
The Australian Orchid Council (AOC) standards for judging Cymbidiums states clearly: “the stem shall be sufficiently strong to support the inflorescence unaided. It should be long and may be straight, arched or pendulous but not twisted. Under general rules for uniform judging”, it says, “staking and tying for support will be permitted. The judging panel has the right to remove any staking and/or tie if necessary, in order to ascertain the strength of the flower spike.”
Unfortunately over the last few years this particular rule has been ignored by most judges of shows. Surely some of the blame for this state of affairs should be directed to the Registrars of the appropriate bodies of Orchid Societies. They have either failed in their instruction of new and associate judges or are not instructing their judges on the correct procedures. This is a great pity because many potential show growers are not given clear rules and guidelines in presenting their plants.
In conclusion I would have to say (in my opinion) the overall effect of letting the flowers present normally is aesthetically far better, as the arching effect, characteristic of many clones, is very pleasing to the eye. I am sure that when the staking rule is enforced we will see many plants presented in a far more artistic way.
How did we ever get so far off the track?
Keith Wallace Nursery 