# My First Seedpod— is it ready?



## Ernesto (Jan 6, 2021)

I pollinated this Paph. Payakka Kodkod (concolor x thaianum) with pollen from Paph. Chou-Yi Rookie (rothschildianum x thaianum) back in mid-July. It looks like the seedpod is beginning to change from green to yellow to slight brown. Is it ready to harvest? Do you have any tips for harvesting seedpods? I’m using Here But Not’s video series on YouTube as a general guide for this project.


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## Ray (Jan 6, 2021)

I could be wrong, as I’ve only tried a few Paph crosses, but with a capsule that narrow, I suspect there is little, if any viable seed. I hope there are more experienced folks that say I’m wrong.


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## tnyr5 (Jan 8, 2021)

If it were mine, I would harvest it.


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## Happypaphy7 (Jan 8, 2021)

If you see changes in color, you want to either harvest it now. Or watch it closely everyday with coffee filter paper or whatever else to catch any seeds in case the capsule pops open while you're not there. 
I allowed the capsule to go at least 9-10months before harvesting but one particular capsule did pop open and I learned it the hard way. The changes in color on the capsule happened so fast (in just a couple of days) and before I realized what was going on, it popped open and I lost about half the seeds. I was able to save most, though. 

Ray- Unlike some other orchids whose ovary expands to a considerably large size compared to its original size, most of the Paphiopedilums I dealt with changed very little in their capsule size. Perhaps, just a little bit of swelling but not much. One particular pod did swell up quite a bit more than others, but still it is pretty much nothing compared to things like say, Phalaenopsis capsule. Majority had high germination rate regardless.


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## Phred (Jan 9, 2021)

Harvest it now... you're at about 6 months and that’s plenty for most pods except big strap leaf Paphs. My experience is as follows... I used to leave pods on for at least 8 months. I found, with most plants, the longer I left the pod on the longer it took the mother plant to produce new growths and flower again. I have accidentally broken pods off at 3 or 4 months and still had viable seed that germinated... not always but sometimes.
Here’s s a few photos to show how I prepare a harvested pod.


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## Happypaphy7 (Jan 9, 2021)

Big strap as in multi-floral? I read that multis and brachys take the shortest at 3-5 months??
I have not made any multis. No straight brachys, but I've done brachy x parvi and brachy x sigmatopetalum. I've done section paphiopedilum, parvi x parvi as well. I harvest them all at around 9-10 months. The capsules were all intact except for one I mentioned in my previous comment. All had good to high germination except for brachy x complex hybrid (bulldog) which was expected but disappointed.


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## orchid527 (Jan 9, 2021)

My last multi took 4 months before it started turning brown and was harvested, and then almost 5 months after that to germinate. Mike


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## Ernesto (Jan 10, 2021)

Phred said:


> Harvest it now... you're at about 6 months and that’s plenty for most pods except big strap leaf Paphs. My experience is as follows... I used to leave pods on for at least 8 months. I found, with most plants, the longer I left the pod on the longer it took the mother plant to produce new growths and flower again. I have accidentally broken pods off at 3 or 4 months and still had viable seed that germinated... not always but sometimes.
> Here’s s a few photos to show how I prepare a harvested pod.View attachment 24589



Thanks for the photos! I take it I can store these seeds in a cool dry place until I’m ready to sow them? When I made the cross this summer I had no idea I’d be moving six hours away when the seedpod would be ready. Ideally I should be able to make my DIY glovebox once I’m settled into the new place.


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## Phred (Jan 10, 2021)

Ernieg96 said:


> Thanks for the photos! I take it I can store these seeds in a cool dry place until I’m ready to sow them? When I made the cross this summer I had no idea I’d be moving six hours away when the seedpod would be ready. Ideally I should be able to make my DIY glovebox once I’m settled into the new place.


Lol... I send mine to a lab. If you keep the pod it will dry and dry seed is not as easy to germinate as green seed. It costs $15 to flask a pod with the lab I use (Shane Fletcher at Orchid Origins). You could ask Troy Meyers but I'm not sure he does anything other than species.


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## My Green Pets (Jan 11, 2021)

Thanks for naming those labs Phred, good info.


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## fibre (Jan 11, 2021)

If you like to store the seed it is best to let the capsule get yellow-brown, harvest it before it splits and let the seed fall of in a piece of paper. I use the little paper bags you can get to fill tea in.
Then I store the paper with the seeds in a plastic-zip-bag at -18°C in the freezer. This way I got good germination even one year after harvesting the seed and later. For sowing it is important to blech this seed intensely.
Good luck!


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