Mericlone vs Division

[cakedaddy]

Hi all! I have a choice to make tonight and would like a bit of input. I don't show my plants. They are strictly for my enjoyment and a bit of decor. I am in the process of purchasing a Laelia Santa Barbara Sunset "showtime". I have the option of a division of the original awarded plant or a mericlone from its developers. The division is twice the cost of the mericlone. Worth it?
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[Roy]

I've seen m/clones of it flower here & I would have no problems in buying one IF its a fresh clone from the original. If its a clone from a clone I would have second thoughts. I show & breed orchids & a piece of the original would be preferable, in your case, grab the clone.

[cakedaddy]

Thanks Roy! It would be a limited clone of the original. I got a bad clone of it in the past and need to replace it because I am so smitten with those blooms!
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[Orchidmorris]

It all depends on the way your mericlone has been made. If its been done through plb's, which is a bit more susceptible for mutations, or if it's done through a meristem from a new shoot and then multiplied through axillairy shoots, which means that the new plants always are derived from meristematic tissue, less susceptible for mutations. Just ask your award winning owner. Flowering time might also be considered, a division is generative, a mericlone is still vegetative the first years.

Enjoy your new buy!

Maurice
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[tucker85]

It all depends. If you don't have much experience with Laelias and cost is an important factor, I would go for the mericlone. If you've had a lot of success with Laelias and this plant is important to you and the extra money isn't beyond your budget I think I would be tempted to buy the division. I always think of it in terms of the cost of eating in a nice restaurant. I look at the price and ask myself if I would I feel comfortable spending this much for a nice dinner? It seems to make me feel better about spending that much on an orchid.

[SouthPark]

Hi all! I have a choice to make tonight and would like a bit of input. I don't show my plants. They are strictly for my enjoyment and a bit of decor. I am in the process of purchasing a Laelia Santa Barbara Sunset "showtime". I have the option of a division of the original awarded plant or a mericlone from its developers. The division is twice the cost of the mericlone. Worth it?
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If you want to minimise your chances of getting a non-mutated form - then plant division would be the best bet. But if you like Dirty Harry ---- it could be a case of - are you feeling lucky today? Although, we often read about cases of mericlones of mericlones having more chance of mutations - when compared with mericlone of the original. If price isn't an issue, I'd just go for the division - that's if you only have one option. Otherwise, I'd buy a division and a mericlone. Having spares is often good.

[Dorsetman]

Small batch mericlones , up to a mere few thousand from the first bit of tissue taken seem to be very close to the original. The poor ones are, as stated, mericlones of mericlones. The famous oncidiniae hybrid - originally called Vuylstekeara Cambria 'Plush' FCC/RHS was being mass produced at a rate of over one million plants per year inn the 70's and 80's of the last century, and ones I bought earlier this century had flowers 3 ½ inches across at best. The late Keith Andrew ( a fairly local friend of mine, now deceased. alas) who introduced that orchid to the world still had some of the original plants in his collection when he died, and they flowered with 5 inch flowers, and moreover produced them in long spikes of more than 20 flowers.
I am not aware of any cattleya which has been mass produced like that, but then of course I live in England, Europe, and we don't grow cattleyas the way that happens in USA, so I may be mistaken.
I do buy a lot of cattleya mericlones, from South America mostly, and when I flower them I compare with the awarded plant domensions quoted in Orchidwiz. I don't think there is ( or will be, with mature established plants ) any difference.
And my only eperience in buying expensive divisions has not been good.... I'd buy the meristem.