Summer blooming phal hybrids-- new spikes since Feb

[mehitabel]

Hi, all. For anyone interested in year-round phal blooms-- This is a list of some phal hybrids that respond to the increasing light in spring by seetting spikes.

These phals set spikes since Feb, either in a west window, or on my indoor-outdoor carts. I've added the largest ancestry so people can generalize a little about what heredity produces summer bloomers.

If you are interested in summer bloomers, look for waxy yellows, waxy red/purples, red/purple dots with lueddemaniana ancestry. Multifloras with a lot a equestris ancestry, and violacea hybrids also set spikes this time of year.

Spikes set since Feb in a west window with supplemental T5 lights:

Sogo Lit-Angel, white multiflora,blooming now. 32% equestris
I-Hsin New Girl, big purple, blooming now. 29% amabilis
Be Tris, multiflora, blooming now. 78% equestris.

Nobby's Amy 'Plumflower', multi-flora with pink blush. 28% equestris, 27% amabilis.

Brother Sara Gold 'Japan', "orange" with pink glow. 56% amboinensis & venosa.

Plantation Yellow, large waxy pale yellow flowers 50% ambo & venosa

Sogo Passat 'Tahiti', large flower with dense purple dots. 28% lueddemaniana, gigantea and amb0.

These were all large plants in 5 or 6" aircone pots.

[trinigirl]

Thanks for this info, it helps a lot for us wanting to have year round phal blooms.

I'm thinking you went through a lot of effort to put this list and the other one together, and I really appreciate your efforts.

[PhalPal]

Excellent information - Thank you!!
I have to ask.....how do you know the exact percentage of ancestry????

[hulaorchid]

Great list!!! Thanks!

[mehitabel]

Hi, Phalpal. I use Orchidwiz, which gives the ancestry. This isn't quite the exac t ancestry of any particular cultivar, no one can know that. But from the ancestry of parents and grandparents, the generic "input" ancestry of the cross can be determined, and Orchidwiz gives this. Any individual cultivar could have accidentally gotten more or less of the generic genes, but on average it's useful information. (I hope this is clear)

I always check an orchid with Orchidwiz before buying, since I don't have a local source, so usually have to buy sight unseen. I check the parentage because I have an idea of what kinds of parentage result in phals I like or "need" right now. eg If I wanted a waxy yellow with a white "glow" in the center, I would want venosa in the parentage. Etc

Orchidwiz also gives award descriptions, which give you an idea of what the best cultivars look like-- color, texture, substance, whether there's a "sheen" or gloss on the petals, which I love, and which often comes from gigantea. Also gives size and number of flowers on the awarded ones. Also you can see whether there are lots of award-winning beauties from the cross, another hint it might be a winner. Finally, the "AQ/AOS" award is given for an outstanding cross. The breeder submits a number of different cultivars from the cross, and the AQ is a sign that a lot of the offspring are coming up beautiful.

Not that there aren't surprises when you buy a non-awarded cultivar, but it gets me closer to what I'm looking for.

Even when a picture is given, I like to check to find out about the texture, since the waxies are very long-lasting. An individual flower on some of these can last four months. Some bloom non-stop.

[PhalPal]

Thank you so much for the explanation Mehitabel!!! and Yes, it was very clear.

I buy a lot online and would love to know what the leaves look like, as well as the overall size of an adult plant. Growers love to display the blooms, which is important, but it's only part of the story. I want a picture of the entire plant!! It's one reason why ebay has attracted me; the vendors I deal with all give a recent picture of the whole plant. It is very helpful in filling 'holes' in my collection.

I will give OrchidWiz a try!

[jerrymeola]

I like your reasoning but there are many more factors involved in blooming seasons.

Your different temperature and light levels give you summer blooms where it will not in other areas.

Phal Nobby's Amy is a good example. There were thousands available in Florida in January and February tapering off thru April.

Yellow Phals normally are available in April and May yet this year they were early in February.

Regardless they are beautiful and other plants bloom in other seasons.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

I use Orchidwiz, which gives the ancestry. This isn't quite the exac t ancestry of any particular cultivar, no one can know that.

The ancestry of any given cultivar is the same as the ancestry of the cross. For example Paph St Swithin is roth x philippinense regardless of which cultivar you're looking at.

But perhaps I am misreading your statement? Maybe you're saying that you can never be sure precisely which cultivars were used to make a cross? It is true that this info is not tracked in the hybrid registry and would not show up in things like Wildcat or OrchidWiz. This info is often preserved though in the records of breeders, especially breeders like Terry Root (Orchid Zone) who produce impeccable orchids with prestigious pedigrees.

[mehitabel]

No, obviously I'm not saying you can't know the parentage of the cross. Any cross is two particular parents *whose names identify the cross*, and which therefore are known.

I'm saying no one can be sure which particular genes any individual inherited. That's true of humans, dogs, orchids. Not a controversial or problematic statement at all.

Each individual gets a *sample* of the genes of each parent. When you're dealing with hybrids whose parents and grandparents were hybrids, one sample would not necessarily have the same percentages of a particular species as another sample.

The numbers given are averages, and meaningful only in that sense. That is what I was trying to say.