Too damn hot outside, sitting inside with the AC on and a nice cold drink - I thought, what better than to start a thread like this to help enthuse, educate and encourage all those budding younger forum members to have a go at hybridising. Hopefully some of your answers to the following points will help them along.
I thought I would pose a list of questions as I have been thinking about for this post. Other members can chime in with their thoughts and replies - the more the merrier. Here we go:
1. When thinking about a certain cross, do you plan ahead knowing that both orchids will or should be out at the same time of the year - or do you walk into the greenhouse and see what is in flower, have a quick think about the outcome and with your knowledge make a certain cross on the spot?
2. Once the cross is decided on, how many flowers would you normally pollinate for each cross?
3. What would be the maximum number of flowers you would pollinate on the one orchid, so as not to stress the orchid too much, especially if it is a valuable breeder?
4. How do you decide which would be the pollen donor and which would be the pod plant?
5. Do you do many crosses both ways?
6. Do you use flowers at the base, middle or top of the raceme to pollinate?
7. Do you pollinate all year round - or do the weather conditions for instance play an important role, ie. too hot, too cold or too wet for instance?
8. Once a flower is pollinated, what do you use to tag or mark it on the raceme and what do you normally write on the tag?
9. What info on the cross do you then record in your Hybrids record book (the Bible) - which you would carry with you at all times I assume for quick reference?
10. Normally, how many pollen grains would you add to the stigmatic surface of the pod flower?
11. Once all of that is done, do you move the pollinated orchids to a different part of the greenhouse, to be all together in one area to keep an eye on them?
12. Would this are be more protected under cover and not open to the elements?
13. Once an orchid is pollinated, does it get any different treatment to all the other orchid in the greenhouse - ie. same watering/fertilising regime for instance?
14. Do you update your records in the hybrid record book as the pods progress on the crosses?
15. What is the 'normal' pod maturing time to harvest a green Cym pod to send to the lab, or do you monitor all pods hanging and pick them when you feel each individual pod is at it's optimum harvest point?
16. What is the max time you would hold onto a green pod before sending to the lab once picked?
17. Do you wrap the pods once picked in any special way to send out for sowing?
Hopefully some of your answers, or those from other experienced members will help and encourage other members here on the forum to get out their toothpicks or similar device and have a go. In the case of Nigel with his big flowers - he would be using those eco friendly bamboo chopsticks you get when you buy a take away sushi lunch.
Apologies for the long post Andy, feel free to take your time and answer as you like - no pressure.
