New to breeding

[slippertalker]

No offence taken, I was just a little thrown off with those two responses. I appreciate your input, I just didn't want another ten responses reiterating slippertalker's sentiments, especially considering the amount of careful consideration and research I have put into the matter.

I didn't realize you would take my comments negatively as they certainly weren't intended that way. My experience with my own crosses and hybridizing by others brought me to those conclusions. I have made crosses that I thought would be interesting but ended up with poor progeny partially due to the quality of the parents. Good luck with your attempts!

You definitely don't always achieve your goals, but surprises can be interesting. Also, reciprical crosses can have different results so try them both ways. Of course getting viable seed can be a problem with some crosses, but some hybridizers have attempted the same crosses over several years with variable success.

 

[kentuckiense]

Also, reciprical crosses can have different results so try them both ways.

It'd be neat to see blooms of these side by side. Anyone know any websites where that is possible?

 

[practicallyostensible]

I didn't realize you would take my comments negatively as they certainly weren't intended that way. My experience with my own crosses and hybridizing by others brought me to those conclusions. I have made crosses that I thought would be interesting but ended up with poor progeny partially due to the quality of the parents. Good luck with your attempts!

You definitely don't always achieve your goals, but surprises can be interesting. Also, reciprical crosses can have different results so try them both ways. Of course getting viable seed can be a problem with some crosses, but some hybridizers have attempted the same crosses over several years with variable success.

I appreciate the input, as I stated earlier, I just didn't want another few responses reiterating the same thing i.e. "If you haphazardly just make crosses with mediocre parents you are just wasting your time" which assumes that I was both planning to just cross haphazardly and that I have mediocre plants (Which happen to be two statements far from the truth :rollhappy: ). Don't get me wrong, you people know far more then I, and I love to hear what you have to say, I was just a little thrown off.

The majority of my plants are awarded species, so I'll be sticking with species and primary hybrids for awhile and hopefully viability and vigor won't be a problem. Littlefrog's answer was interesting because I've had Eric Young in the back of my head for awhile. We'll see how it goes, if I'm successful (and not kicking myself for taking your advice) you guys here are going to be the first ones to know (and hopefully take plants off my hands).

Cheers all!

 

[NYEric]

Agreed.
Early on, I selfed a nice wallisii because I could. I then realized I had not the patience needed for that sort of business so I eventually cut the spike/pod.

:rollhappy:

 

[Ellen]

Since I'm a fan of species, I'd like to suggest that all those "elite" hybrids you're talking about are just mutts that resulted from someone saying "hey, I wonder what would happen if...". Maybe the only orchids worth propagating are species, and we should concentrate on choosing the "best" representatives of the species to propagate. Hm... what is this starting to sound like?? Anyway, I agree that diversity and experimentation are both good things, and that it's a worthwhile experience to pollinate your favorite plant be it a rare species, super expensive elite hybrid that you had to take out a second mortgage to buy, or Paph Home Depot 'Rootless Wonder' x Paph Lowe's 'Mealybug Heaven'. There's something really rewarding about seeing your pollination succeed and watching a capsule grow. Of course you (or the parent plant) can choose to abort at any time, so there's no commitment to raising the offspring or finding homes for them.

 

[Ross]

...Anyway, I agree that diversity and experimentation are both good things, and that it's a worthwhile experience to pollinate your favorite plant be it a rare species, super expensive elite hybrid that you had to take out a second mortgage to buy,...

Actually, many times, divisions of high quality, awarded species are much more expensive than comparable hybrids.

 

[NYEric]

Awarded divisions are expensive because of the quality, which can be imparted into the plant's prodgeny [children].

 

[Mrs. Paph]

Man, some of you must have been spoiled as beginners if you had Paphs at Home Depot and Lowe's. Not the best I'm sure, but better than trying to buy your first Paph online and ending up being duped into a TINY plant that the vendor claimed was near blooming size! Around here there have Never been Paphs, plenty of over-watered Phals though! (I get them for a couple bucks and nurse them back to health to give as gifts or to sell to the first person that asks where they can buy one of their own...right here...hehehe ) Anyway, topic, breeding...I'm still in the process of collecting more of the quality parents I want for my secret breeding plans:wink:
~Miss Paph

 

[Hien]

Man, some of you must have been spoiled as beginners if you had Paphs at Home Depot and Lowe's. Not the best I'm sure, but better than trying to buy your first Paph online and ending up being duped into a TINY plant that the vendor claimed was near blooming size! Around here there have Never been Paphs, plenty of over-watered Phals though! (I get them for a couple bucks and nurse them back to health to give as gifts or to sell to the first person that asks where they can buy one of their own...right here...hehehe ) Anyway, topic, breeding...I'm still in the process of collecting more of the quality parents I want for my secret breeding plans:wink:
~Miss Paph

I am shocked to find out that there is some places in our country that orchids are still rare.

 

[slippertalker]

I am shocked to find out that there is some places in our country that orchids are still rare.

Heck, my first paphs were jungle collected imports in the 70's. You don't have to have a nursery in your back yard to buy plants these days. It does certainly help though.....