Orchid Hybrids
Orchid hybrids are plants that combine the characteristics from both parent plants.
A grower will first consider what type of flower he wants to generate.
It may be based on certain coloring, stripes or spots.
Growers may be seeking flowers to combine these type of features with plants of different sizes.
Fragrance is another element of hybridization.
With this in mind, a grower will select orchid varieties that will endow the offspring with the desired characteristics.
As an example, an orchid developer may choose to use a golden slipper orchid as one of the base species.
This orchid, discovered in 1979in china, is a popular choice.
It often passes on the rich yellow-gold color to the hybrid offspring, which often end up as beautiful varieties in the hybrid orchid family.
Once a grower has the parent plants, he proceeds by removing all the existing pollen from the parent plants pod.
This is the flower that receives pollen from the other parent plant.
The orchid supplying pollen is referred to as the pollen parent.
The grower will remove pollen with a small toothpick from the pollen parent, and smear it as the base of the column on the pod parent.
This plant will be labeled with the cross pollinated orchids names as well as the pollination date.
Once fertilization occurs, an amazing thing happens in the pod parents blossom.
Thread like tubes extend from the plants column to part of the blossom referred to as the ovary.
The ovary will then swell and it forms a seedpod.
Inside this pod, hundreds of tiny seed are being formed, with each one connected to a singular pollen tube.
This may take several months up to over a year before the seedpod ripens.
Once this happens, the grower will gather the seeds and place them in a sterilized container with a agar solution.
If the seeds successfully germinate, tiny orchids appear like a grass carpet.
After several months, the grower will remove the seedling orchids from this container and puts them in a "community pot".
he will keep an eye on the seedlings, watering them frequently to avoid them drying out.
Eventually, the grower transplants these orchids to individual pots.
This is where patience begins, since orchids can take anywhere from a few years up to a decade or more to bloom! Imagine the joy that comes when a grower finally sees the orchid he or she has worked so hard on to produce.
If the hybrid is a new variety, the grower can choose to register is under a name of his choice.
Any other hybrids that are developed after that using that species blend will be referred to by the name it was registered under.
Sometimes, a grower will find an ideal combination that creates quite the sensation among orchid hobbyists.
This may receive awards, with plants the demand high prices.
Whatever the monetary outcome, the joy of seeing an orchid's blossom that has been created by the grower is a delight.
Now you know the time and patience that creates the beautiful orchids you see.
A grower will first consider what type of flower he wants to generate.
It may be based on certain coloring, stripes or spots.
Growers may be seeking flowers to combine these type of features with plants of different sizes.
Fragrance is another element of hybridization.
With this in mind, a grower will select orchid varieties that will endow the offspring with the desired characteristics.
As an example, an orchid developer may choose to use a golden slipper orchid as one of the base species.
This orchid, discovered in 1979in china, is a popular choice.
It often passes on the rich yellow-gold color to the hybrid offspring, which often end up as beautiful varieties in the hybrid orchid family.
Once a grower has the parent plants, he proceeds by removing all the existing pollen from the parent plants pod.
This is the flower that receives pollen from the other parent plant.
The orchid supplying pollen is referred to as the pollen parent.
The grower will remove pollen with a small toothpick from the pollen parent, and smear it as the base of the column on the pod parent.
This plant will be labeled with the cross pollinated orchids names as well as the pollination date.
Once fertilization occurs, an amazing thing happens in the pod parents blossom.
Thread like tubes extend from the plants column to part of the blossom referred to as the ovary.
The ovary will then swell and it forms a seedpod.
Inside this pod, hundreds of tiny seed are being formed, with each one connected to a singular pollen tube.
This may take several months up to over a year before the seedpod ripens.
Once this happens, the grower will gather the seeds and place them in a sterilized container with a agar solution.
If the seeds successfully germinate, tiny orchids appear like a grass carpet.
After several months, the grower will remove the seedling orchids from this container and puts them in a "community pot".
he will keep an eye on the seedlings, watering them frequently to avoid them drying out.
Eventually, the grower transplants these orchids to individual pots.
This is where patience begins, since orchids can take anywhere from a few years up to a decade or more to bloom! Imagine the joy that comes when a grower finally sees the orchid he or she has worked so hard on to produce.
If the hybrid is a new variety, the grower can choose to register is under a name of his choice.
Any other hybrids that are developed after that using that species blend will be referred to by the name it was registered under.
Sometimes, a grower will find an ideal combination that creates quite the sensation among orchid hobbyists.
This may receive awards, with plants the demand high prices.
Whatever the monetary outcome, the joy of seeing an orchid's blossom that has been created by the grower is a delight.
Now you know the time and patience that creates the beautiful orchids you see.
