09/23/2008 - Orchid Detox: Update

All the plants are growing nicely.
So far they do not seem to miss all the other supplemental ingredients that I used to give them.
But it is still too early at this point to tell if the new feeding regimen is better than the previous system.

09/23/2008 - C. Hawaiian Wedding Song self pollination update

Here's a picture of the seed pod today.
This thing is growing fast.

09/18/2008 - C. Hawaiian Wedding Song self pollination update

Since the two seed pods were visibly swelling and developing well, I decided to cut away one of the seed pods to allow the plant to focus energy on the single remaining pod. I believe that this will give one seed pod a better chance of growing properly instead of having the plant divide its resources to sustain two seed pods.

I will keep you posted on the progress of the seed pod in the coming months.

09/16/2008 - New Hybrid attempt failed

I checked the ovary of the pollinated cattleya this morning and it was turning yellow.
Clear signs that the pollination did not take place.
There are a couple of reasons why it could have failed.
1. I did not properly insert the pollinia into the stigma.
2. The two hybrids are probably incompatible.

Another remote possibility is that the Caulocattleya Chantilly Lace (Diacattleya) is a sterile hybrid. I will need to research that some more.

This was the hybrid attempt between the Cattleya Hawaiian Wedding Song 'Virgin' and Caulocattleya Chantilly Lace 'Twinkle' (Syn. Diacattleya)

Attempting a new orchid hybrid

This afternoon I have decided to attempt hybridizing two orchids that I have in the greenhouse.

Pod parent: Cattleya Hawaiian Wedding Song 'Virgin'


Pollen Parent: Caulocattleya Chantilly Lace 'Twinkle' (Syn. Diacattleya)


Comparison of the plant and flower sizes of the parents:






Pollen removed from the pollen parent:


Pollen attached to the stigma of the pod parent:


So in a few months I will find out of the seed pod is viable and will then attempt to germinate the seeds.
If that process is successful, then I have between four to eight years to wait if this breeding results in any desirable flowers.

John

09/07/2007 - Diacattleya Chantilly Lace 'Twinkle' HCC/AOS

I have had a hard time trying to get this plant to bloom successfully. It had produced inflorescences in the past but the flower buds keep failing at the last moment.

This time it produced two inflorescences with only two flower buds each. The buds did not fail though, and here is a close up of one of the flowers.



This orchid is synonymous to Caulocattleya Chantilly Lace 'Twinkle' HCC/AOS.

09/07/2008 - Orchid Pollination Attempt

I attempted a self crossing of two C. Hawaiian Wedding Song 'Virgin' flowers friday afternoon.
It looks like the flowers recognized the pollination attempt and the ovaries are visibly swelling.

Since it takes several months for the seed pods to mature, it will give me time to gather all the necessary materials for seed flasking.
I will also take this time to practice making some flasks to make sure that I have the routine and techniques down before attempting on real orchid seeds.

Here's a picture of the two seed pods growing:

09/02/2008 - Greenhouse Update

The orchids are looking good. They seem to be weening away from the supplements just fine. They are now on a strict diet of balanced fertilizers.

I have a couple of orchids that have been doing poorly for the past couple of years (poor foliage growth, no blooms, etc) and I have grouped them together for closer observation. The plan is that if they still do not improve, then they will be tossed into the compost pile to free up bench space. It is cruel maybe, but I'm not fond of using my greenhouse as an orchid ICU.