# Anyone for a cigar?



## Rick (Oct 22, 2007)

My first full life cycle paph blooming!!

I pollinated the parents in 12/2003, sent the seed to TM 10/2004, got the seedlings out of flask 11/2005, and the bud's a week or so away from fully open.

So far it looks like it has all of its parts and its got extra red pigment from the pollen parent, so I'm expecting a pink cast over much of the dorsal sepal. Notice the red stem and ovary, the pod parent has no pigment to these parts, and the pigment at the base of the leaves is sparse.

Been out of town allot, and will probably be out again when the bloom fully opens, so I couldn't wait. I'll update the next time I'm in town.


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## kentuckiense (Oct 22, 2007)

Congrats and good growing! 2 years from flask to blooming is respectable! It looks like a spicer... is it?


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## Rick (Oct 22, 2007)

kentuckiense said:


> Congrats and good growing! 2 years from flask to blooming is respectable! It looks like a spicer... is it?



Thanks, and yes it is spicerianum


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## TheLorax (Oct 22, 2007)

Bravo, well done!

I'll take one of those bubble gum cigars please!


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## Hien (Oct 22, 2007)

who is TM?


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## Rick (Oct 22, 2007)

Hien said:


> who is TM?



Troy Meyers at Meyers Conservatory. Free flasking for species seed.


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## goldenrose (Oct 22, 2007)

BRAVO, BRAVO! Nice going!


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## paphreek (Oct 23, 2007)

Congratulations, Rick. :clap: 

I'm in the same position with my first original cross. I've been holding my breath as the spike grows and the bud swells.


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## paphjoint (Oct 23, 2007)

Congrats - and well done - I know how it feels!


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## NYEric (Oct 23, 2007)

Very encouraging.


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## practicallyostensible (Oct 23, 2007)

That's really impressive, I know it gives me a some hope.


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## Corbin (Oct 23, 2007)

Very good!


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## DukeBoxer (Oct 23, 2007)

Rick, how many plants does he send you back from the flasking? I would guess not all that germinated right.


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## Rick (Oct 23, 2007)

DukeBoxer said:


> Rick, how many plants does he send you back from the flasking? I would guess not all that germinated right.



About 25 seedlings, and the rest go into the coop for sale. His website is very imformative, so check it out.


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## tocarmar (Oct 23, 2007)

Congrats Rick!!!!

I also use Meyers Conservatory for my flasking. He is very good & prices are really good (for hybrids). I have received, 1 hybrid about 25 seedlings about 6 weeks ago, & 1/2 of another hybrid,2 flasks worth around 50+ seedlings about 2 weeks ago. He sent me e-mails last week that 3 more have germinated. I also have 2 more that are in the process of beign reflasked, & several that are awaiting germination.

Tom


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## fundulopanchax (Oct 23, 2007)

Congrats, Rick!

I am hoping to be in the same position next season with some Cyp's.

Ron


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## Rick (Oct 23, 2007)

fundulopanchax said:


> Congrats, Rick!
> 
> I am hoping to be in the same position next season with some Cyp's.
> 
> Ron



You probably did your own flasking too Ron, so you will have been involved with every phase of the process. That will be very impressive.:clap:

BTW how are those sukhakulii doing?


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## Heather (Oct 23, 2007)

Congratulations Daddy!


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## Park Bear (Oct 24, 2007)

when you get to Ohio, I'll supply the cigars Rick.


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## TheLorax (Oct 24, 2007)

> Troy Meyers at Meyers Conservatory. Free flasking for species seed.


 Please help me sort something out, this man does free flasking of straight species orchids for a cut of what germinates and survives? Would this mean that if I wanted to harvest some seeds from a few natural stands of orchids (from my own properties) to send to him that he would flask them and forward them to conservationists and field biologists of my choice who need the plant material for restoration projects and in exchange for this invaluable service, he keeps a percentage of the seedlings? 

If my understanding is correct, I know a handful of people who may be very interested in this arrangement, myself included.


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## goldenrose (Oct 24, 2007)

Go to his website, you'll have a better understanding & it's all explained.You have part of it right. He would flask & you recieve some back. The portion he keeps is for sale on his website. Individuals interested can be put on a wait list & notified of the progress & when they're ready purchase thru him.


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## TheLorax (Oct 24, 2007)

Got it-
http://www.troymeyers.com/


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## Rick (Oct 25, 2007)

TheLorax said:


> Please help me sort something out, this man does free flasking of straight species orchids for a cut of what germinates and survives? Would this mean that if I wanted to harvest some seeds from a few natural stands of orchids (from my own properties) to send to him that he would flask them and forward them to conservationists and field biologists of my choice who need the plant material for restoration projects and in exchange for this invaluable service, he keeps a percentage of the seedlings?
> 
> If my understanding is correct, I know a handful of people who may be very interested in this arrangement, myself included.



I have looked up some of the native orchid flaskings on his site and noticed that some of the seed is being sent from wild plants from "consortium's" of some sort. So your plan sounds viable.


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## TheLorax (Oct 25, 2007)

To be quite blunt, I'd prefer to see native orchids with location data available for sale from a legitimate source. Keeps all the collectors from trampling the fragile ecosystems where these plants occur and I gotta tell you it gets real old real fast seeing spade marks dotting a site when you know darn well that the chances of the poached plants being able to survive in someone's garden is like next to 0. 

For just that reason alone, I will try my best to collect from two stands of Cyps on my personal property next spring and will forward the seed to your guy as well as photos of the parents in the stands. Theoretically, I'll get back enough plants to better ensure the survival of my stands while allowing him to sell off the rest to people who lust for these species. I'm pretty sure I've got C. acaule and my gut tells me I've also got a stand of C. parviflorum and I know for sure I've got other orchids on the property but they aren't slippers. This coming spring I plan on driving up there when they are in bloom to get a better idea of exactly which species I do have. 

On an aside, I have 4 personal friends who came to mind when I read your comments. They are also volunteering in natural areas. They remove invasive species that encroach the habitat in which native orchids exist. The existence of the invasives impaired... no crippled... reproduction of the orchids. In one particular situation, they all but choked out orchids on state land and there are only 5 plants scattered about that are left at a site hanging on by a wing and a prayer right about now because so many companion plants were lost to the Phragmites australis and Phalaris arundinacea as well as several other choking exotics that invaded that ecosystem. That's the site I was thinking about specifically. Even though the invasives have been removed and the site is being monitored, it's still in trouble because of the loss of diversity. There is only one person attempting to flask seed from that site and he's learning as he goes. He stated he was losing plants when deflasking them. I will be discussing this opportunity with him because preservation of that particular genotype is a major concern to him and if there are two people out there trying to flask with one of them having considerable experience in the process (the Meyers guy) ... all the better for the site. I'm going to be propagating some of the companion species for reintroduction to the site. If all goes well, balance may be able to be restored. The site was pretty degraded by the time it was found though.

Thanks ever so much for your comments Rick. The one man I am thinking about pours his heart out at that one site and he was sick over losing orchids when he deflasked them.


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## Rick (Nov 4, 2007)

Back from the field for a weekend so took pictures of the open bloom alongside the bloom of the pod parent (flower on left).


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## goldenrose (Nov 4, 2007)

Nice spicetime!


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## Corbin (Nov 5, 2007)

Looks like mamma and daddy


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## biothanasis (Nov 6, 2007)

Ok, that's rewarding...  Beautiful...


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