New candidate for this month is Vanda Somsri Velvet (V. Tubtim Velvet x V. Doctor Anek).

This cross was originated and registered by S. Boonyam in 2005. This cross has several Vanda species in the background, most important are V. sanderiana 61.58%, V. coerulea 17.4% and V. dearei 9.37%.

Previous Awards:

There is no AOS awards for this cross. 

V. Tubtim Velvet has 2 AOS awards.

V. Doctor Anek received 2 AOS awards.

Description:

The candidate has 6 flowers on one upright inflorescence on a first bloom seedling.

Flower Measurements:

NS H - 8.3 cm;                   NS V - 8.3 cm;

Dorsal Sep. W - 3.8 cm;    Dorsal Sep. L - 4.0 cm;

Petal W - 3.5 cm;               Petals L - 3.8 cm;

Lat/Sepal W - 4.2 cm; Lat/Sepal L - 4.9 cm;

Lip/Pouch W - 1.3 cm;     Lip/Pouch L - 2.7 cm

Judges' Comments

Kris Mason (Accredited Judge, Cincinnati Judging Center)

I love the crisp white with clean contrasting markings and the soft picotee.  The Lip is nice and adds to the visual appeal of the flower.  Form and presentation are nice.  Low on flower count than either parent, size is small compared to either parent.  I'm on the edge with this flowering.  Scored it anyway and ended up at 73 points, so probably a low HCC.

Al Messina (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Six pretty flowers on what appears to be a small, likely first bloom, nicely grown plant. It's unfair to judge this plant at this stage because it has considerable growth before it will be 'ready' for judging. Six flowers are very under flowered by today's standards. Offspring of sanderiana and coerulea should produce at least 13/14 per inflorescence. However, this plant is so far removed from the primary hybrids that genetics is a crap shoot and breeding with denisoniana and dearei will diminish flower count somewhat.

So, some lower flower count might be expected but 6 flowers do not an award make. Form and color will get better as the plant gets to 'adult' size.

The future looks bright.

Linda Horton (Accredited Judge, Dallas Judging Center)

This first bloom seedling has pleasing color and excellent form. However, it is small and under flowered when considering its parentage. I would pass on this plant but hope to see it in the next blooming season. 

Linda Horton

Mary C. Mancini (Accredited Judge, Louisiana Judging Center)

Lovely color but under flowered. Form is also lacking. Would not award

Nary Mancini

Paul Wetter (Senior Judge, West Palm Beach Judging Center)

Thanks for arranging Virtual Judging Feb 2024 for Vanda Somsri Velvet.

The submission is a lovely Vanda hybrid with strong family lineage. This particular plant has a very nice color and pattern of markings. It appears to be a young plant with perhaps first bloom. Based on the background we would expect to see large flat flowers because of the majority of V. sanderiana in the background, so the form could be better, that is a little more flat and full. Based on the geometric means of the parents we would expect to see larger flowers as well and also also like to see more flowers per spike.

These factors could very well be due to immaturity as a first or early bloom. So, I would not nominate for judging at this time, but encourage the grower to asses the plant in subsequent blooming where there may be significant improvement in form, floriferousness and flower size.

Best Regards

Paul Wetter

Steve Gonzales (Accredited Judge, Chicago Judging Center)

This flower has plenty of quality to inherit based on the two classic sanderiana parents.  It has a very pleasant color with the more intense darker spotting and the flower seems to be fairly full and flat all around.  The natural light photos might hint that the color is really lighter in strong afternoon sun.  The lip color seems very beautiful and dark and of a good size and stance compared to the awarded plants seen in OrchidPro.  The presentation is a bit crowded even if the flowers are not as big as you would think they could be, but it seems like a younger plant.  Individually, I would think a larger plant would have a few more flowers per inflorescence and they might be slightly larger on a strong large plant.  Segments and overall size might be 10-25% smaller than the geometric mean from similar awarded parents.  Overall, a fine plant that could be a bit better in the future, possibly obtaining an HCC, right now, therefore I’ll pass on nominating it this time.

Bob Winkley (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Thank you for sending this candidate along. It is a lovely flower with decent confirmation and attractive color/patterning.

That said, if this were to come to the table today. I would be not be inclined to nominate or score this plant. As pointed out on its web page, the plant is a first bloom seedling. The flowers are definitely smaller than either of the awarded parents, the flower count is low for this line of breeding, and the flowers appear somewhat crowded at the end of the inflorescence. In my opinion, the flowers and flowering are just not up to award standards. That said, it would be great to have this plant come back after a couple more good years of growth to see if any of the issues cited above are positively addressed in a subsequent flowering.

All the best - 

Bob W.

Pam Noll (Student Judge, Alamo Judging Center)

First, the flower color is clear and lovely and has a pleasing arrangement of markings.  The segments are fairly uniform creating a pleasing form.   I would have expected larger flower size overall.  Its measurements are less than the averages of its parents and don’t quite measure up to the Vanda hybrids of each parent.  Considering this is a first bloom plant, I expect it will do better in subsequent flowerings. The flowers are nicely arranged on the inflorescence without crowding.  At this time, if nominated, I may only score it in the low to mid-HCC range.

Pamela Noll

Student, Alamo JC

Emily Quinn (Accredited Judge, Dallas Judging Center)

Pretty flowers. However, flower count is less than expected and size is lacking. I would like to see it next year.

Emily Quinn, Dallas

Deb Bodei (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Vanda Somsri Velvet (Vanda Tubtim Velvet x Vanda Doctor Anek)

Nice clean plant that is also nicely displayed in the long slim teak basket. I am curious about the spike emanating from the first leaf when first bloom inflorescence usually appears after the third or even fifth leaf. Since this is an older cross, maybe it's a growth divided from another plant? To me that puts up a bit of a red flag regarding the maturity of the plant and whether this bloom is the best representation of what the flower can do.

Form is really nice with good proportion on the overall flower and between its segments. The flowers are nice and flat with consistent flowers. The color is a lovely, a unique cool pink color with great markings.  The consistency of the markings where they colalence tighter at the margins seem to create pleasant border pattern on the segments, almost like a patterned border fabric. The contrast of the white background against the pink is really nice as is the color contrast and form of the lip.

Size of the blooms is small, even considering the parent that has smaller size in the parentage. There should be a few more flowers on the inflorescence if we are considering the smaller, but more floriferous parents in the background. The bud blast at the end could have filled in the top of the inflorescence if it had matured, but this kind of blast is very common in Vandas with sanderiana in the background and is expected.

The flowers are worthy of being nominated and are awardable, however, I don't think this bloom shows the full potential of what this plant can do. I can reach an HCC on this bloom, but would likely score higher on a future bloom.

Thank you,

Deb

Martin Motes (Accredited Judge, Florida-Caribbean Judging Center)

V. Somsri Velvet

  This is an interesting hybrid, clearly an attempt to establish a new line of breeding by crossing the pale, nearly white V. Tubtim Velvet to the richly colored V. Dr. Anek. About the time that this hybrid was made, Thai breeders who had heretofore shunned spotted flowers realized they were highly desirable to Western markets. V. Somsri Velvet succeeds in this objective in part, being a lightly spotted pastel flower but lacking the vibrant spots of the highly awarded re-make of V. First and Last.

  Beyond marketability, on both aesthetic and AOS standards this V. Somsri Velvet is deficient. With an Ascocentrum section hybrid pod parent and a very advanced standard pollen parent which was likely polyploid, the windowed flowers are unacceptable.

  The erect flowers spike is excellent, but the flower count is far too short. With standard vandas such as V. Motes Indigo having been observed to carry over 50 flowers on a single inflorescence, a six flowered spike is beyond impoverished.  

   This V. Somsri Velvet is a pretty flower which would be a pleasant addition to any collection but is not of award quality.

Exhibitor - Wes and Laura Newton, FL (AOS Photographer and Accredited Judge, Florida North-Central Judging Center)

Grower's Advice

My general plan for cultivating our Vandas:

   1. Progressively watering them every day once the sun comes up. Mainly roots until they turn greenish in color. I do spritz the leaves as well. They are in our greenhouse with 50% double poly roof. On summer days I water them again after noon, but being sure the roots can dry before sunset.

   2. Once a week I apply chelated multi mineral ( Plant Potion #9 ) which is a foliar spray and fertilizer ( usually Peters 20-20-20) in recommended dosage. 

   3. Once a week I go through and trim dead or dying spikes with heat sterilized clippers.

   4. If I notice thrips or bugs are the leaves are sprayed with a solution of 409 and EtOH.

Regards,

Wes Newton