Showing

Cut bloom plants benefit from a 9/10 inch cardboard, circular, collar with a slot cut to the centre so that it can be slipped over the bud, just as it leaves the oyster stage, and keeps any leaves from touching and marking the flower. These collars are kept on the flowers right up to the last minute when staging. This means that the flower need not be touched by hand until removing the collar. The blooms are transported in special boxes to the show so that the stems are in water all the time and the blooms are lying flat on the collars. As far as transport is concerned this the easiest way to show these lovely flowers.

Probably the next most popular way to grow and show is single stem plants. These are usually shown with 3 blooms but occasionally some growers manage four up. The largest bloom should be just full without any sign of edging. The next three quarters and the third about half out. This method makes the plants more difficult to transport and also the blooms must be protected with cotton wool or similar material to prevent chafing during the journey.

Multistem plants are grown in two ways. Forward facing plants are usually grown with two stems from the tuber and up to three side shoots are allowed to come on each stem giving eight flowering stems. Each of these stems has the potential to produce three blooms giving a total of 24 blooms. These plants take up a lot of room in the greenhouse and can cause difficulties in getting out through the door, as well as the considerable weight as they are grown in 10/12 inch pots. The other method is to grow as an all rounder. This method requires 3/5 stems from the tuber and the first two side shoots are allowed to grow giving a tremendous flowering potential. Although the flowers are smaller, to see one well grown is really a show stopper.

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