# Slippertalk Phalaenopsis Breeding Thread - Pollen Swap



## Sirius (Jun 12, 2011)

Hey everyone,

I am trying my hand at some Phalaenopsis breeding so that I can start practicing my flasking skills. I approached a couple of forum members about trading some pollen, and with their kindness, I have some seed pods forming. 

I will soon have extra pollen to trade, and I thought maybe some more people might like to get involved. This thread is for Phalaenopsis orchids only at this point. If anyone would like to post photos of their species or hybrid Phalaenopsis orchids that are blooming, maybe we can get some breeding advice from the better Phalaenopsis growers here. I know Peter from Big Leaf Orchids is on the board, and maybe he can provide some guidance.

I am willing to do some flasking for anyone who wants to breed their Phalaenopsis orchids and share the results with other Slippertalk members. There are also several commercial labs that can flask if someone desires it. It's my hope that we can start swapping pollen and breed for specific purpose, and not just random crosses.

With that said, I would like to show you my first random cross, ha ha! :rollhappy: I used Dtps. Beautiful Girl as the pod parent and crossed it with Dot's Sedirea japonica for an intergeneric hybrid. The flower accepted the pollen and started swelling almost immediately. Fingers crossed, wish me luck!









Dtps. Freed's Beautiful Girl x Sedirea japonica


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## Sirius (Jun 12, 2011)

Soon I have some Phalaenopsis violacea species blooming. I will post more details closer to bloom date, but I just wanted to start generating interest and ideas. If anyone else has some violacea species plants blooming soon, I would love to hear from you.


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## Hera (Jun 12, 2011)

I really hope your first cross takes. Its hard to find Sedirea japonica intersectional crosses, but the pictures that I have seen are very interesting. Colors are very bright. I'm crossing my fingers for you.


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## Sirius (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks for sending your good vibes my way. I have actually never seen a Doritaenopsis x Sedirea cross. There are a few Phalaenopsirea? crosses out there. Does anyone know how to check the official source to see if a Doritaenopsis x Sedirea cross has ever been registered?


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## paphioboy (Jun 12, 2011)

Interesting cross, especially with the blue one as a parent... I'm also very interested to see what comes out. Good luck!


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## s1214215 (Jun 12, 2011)

I have recently seen Sedirea japonica x Phal Abendrot for sale in Australia. 

Good luck with this line of breeding.

Brett


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## Heather (Jun 13, 2011)

Looks like a great idea. 

How are you handling the flasking exactly?


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## biothanasis (Jun 13, 2011)

Great idea indeed!!! I am very curious to see the outcome of this cross..!! Good luck!!


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## Sirius (Jun 13, 2011)

Heather said:


> How are you handling the flasking exactly?



Very carefully.





I am going to do it myself inside a homemade glove box. It's easy. At least, that is what some people online would have you believe. They have me convinced that I can do my own flasking, so I am going to give it a shot.


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## biothanasis (Jun 13, 2011)

John, I think the most difficult part is to make the glove box...hehe... everything else is just practice. I would like to make one myself too. Could you please share some instructions on how did you make yours?? TYIA


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## Sirius (Jun 13, 2011)

I am still working on mine. I am looking for a used aquarium on Craigslist. I hope to find one that is cracked or basically free. The guys I have been talking to about flasking don't even seal the box off. They just work with it on it's side. I may be a little more involved.


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## paphioboy (Jun 13, 2011)

Sirius said:


> I am still working on mine. I am looking for a used aquarium on Craigslist. I hope to find one that is cracked or basically free. The guys I have been talking to about flasking don't even seal the box off. They just work with it on it's side. I may be a little more involved.



It doesn't have to be sealed... I use laminar flow hoods for my current project a lot to culture microbes on agar plates. So rather similar to growing orchid seed on agar. You do have to disinfect the box thoroughly. Get a UV lamp if possible, and 70% ethanol to wipe down surfaces before and after work....


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## Sirius (Jun 15, 2011)

Today was orchid breeding day at my house. Phalaenopsis pollen can be very tiny! :crazy:

This is what I have crossed so far...





1. Dtps. Freed's Beautiful Girl x Sedirea japonica
2. Dtps. Hatuyuki "Nagoriyuki" x Sedirea japonica





3. Dtps. Freed's Beautiful Girl x Dtps. Hatuyuki "Nagoriyuki" (also made reverse cross)
4. Dtps. Freed's Beautiful Girl x Phal. i-lan Green Pixie (also made reverse cross)





5. Phal. i-lan Green Pixie x Phal. cornu cervi chattaladae
6. Phal. i-lan Green Pixie x Phal. manniphil (mannii flava x philippinense)

Many thanks to Dot and Susan for sharing pollen. If anyone would like some pollen from Phalaenopsis i-lan Green Pixie, Dtps. Hatuyuki "Nagoriyuki" or Dtps. Freed's Beautiful girl, the window for me to ship it is closing fast. Dtps. pollen is best used fresh.


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## Sirius (Jun 15, 2011)

While I would love for all of my crosses to take, I am pretty sure a few of them will fail to produce viable seed. I am trying not to stress out about it, but waiting for those capsules is hard...and that is just the first of many possible failure points! :sob:


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## Heather (Jun 15, 2011)

I'm voting for numbers 1 and 6.


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## Sirius (Jun 15, 2011)

Sorry Heather, I adjusted my photos and number 6 is now number 5.


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## Sirius (Jun 29, 2011)

Progress update: Capsules!!!





Dtps. Freed's Beautiful Girl x Sedirea japonica 





Phal. I-lan Green Pixie x Phal. cornu cervi forma chattaladae

As you can see, two of the crosses made with pollen exchanged here on the forum are forming seed pods. Woohoo!

Apologies for the poor photo quality of the capsules. My card reader is broken, so I am using a cell phone camera.


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## Candace (Jun 29, 2011)

Good luck with the home made glove box. I tried that a few times and failed miserably :< I know an AOS judge that said she turns on her stove to kill all the baddies and then uses it as her sterile environment. I'd probably go that route if I were to try it again. For now I just send off my pods to the lab....


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## SlipperFan (Jun 29, 2011)

Cool, John! I'm really interested in what happens with the Dtps/Sedirea cross.


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## goldenrose (Jun 29, 2011)

SlipperFan said:


> Cool, John! I'm really interested in what happens with the Dtps/Sedirea cross.


Me too!


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## Sirius (Jun 29, 2011)

SlipperFan said:


> Cool, John! I'm really interested in what happens with the Dtps/Sedirea cross.



Me too. I am working on a post with some interesting orchid history surrounding our cross, Dot. It's very neat stuff. I will post a new thread soon.


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## jtrmd (Jun 29, 2011)

I might have some pollen for you.message me a jtriegel3 at gmail dot com


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## SlipperFan (Jul 1, 2011)

I thought I'd post the cross I made, inspired by John's request for Sedirea japonica pollen. It's Darwinara Walnut Valley x Sederia japonica. The reciprocal failed.


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## Hera (Jul 1, 2011)

If any of these work out, I seriously want in on compots!!!!!!


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