Finally Figure Out How To Pollinate!

[Dihcro]

So after minutes of research, I finally figured out how to pollinate orchids!
I did some interesting combinations of hybridizing.
I'm hoping they'll turn out 1/4 decent at least...
If I pollinated correctly (which I'm pretty sure I did), will the flowers close up and slowly turn into seed pods?

What I did:
I took the pollen cap off and carefully extracted the pollinia from the pollen holder thingy. I then put the pollinia on the stigma of the flower I wanted to pollinate. Done.

Does it sound like I did it correctly?

[orchids4me]

What were your choices to cross?
What are the parents.. Father and mother
Did you choose wisely meaning like temps, lighting, watering etc. In species or types
Or are you trying to create Frankenstein ???? Lol I didn't mean that in a rude way or anything lol. I just got a visual of frenzied pollinating like in one of those old black and white horror flicks with a mad scientist lol I can't use the animated characters on my phone to add personality to this like you did up there wish I could to light heart this message better than just lol's
So if it worked what are you going to do next????
I can tell. By past texts you were really into trying this but it really is a long long long (years) process from start to finish.
I wish you luck with this project you started.
Emmaye

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Dihcro

So after minutes of research, I finally figured out how to pollinate orchids!
I did some interesting combinations of hybridizing.
I'm hoping they'll turn out 1/4 decent at least...

What I did:
I took the pollen cap off and carefully extracted the pollinia from the pollen holder thingy. I then put the pollinia on the stigma of the flower I wanted to pollinate. Done.

Does it sound like I did it correctly?

It sounds like you probably did but orchids don't have stigmas. They have what is called a stigmatic surface which is a sticky place that serves basically thesame fundtion as a stigma, namely to receive pollen.

Also what crosses did you make? Not all orchids can be hybridized wiht one another. Orchids that are of the same genus almost always can be crossed, usually (not not always) orchids in the same alliance (e.g. the Cattleya Alliance) can be interbred. Be sure to keep track of what parent is the pollen parent and what parent is the pod parent.

Originally Posted by Dihcro

If I pollinated correctly (which I'm pretty sure I did), will the flowers close up and slowly turn into seed pods?

I actually explained this to you already in another thread. Here's the answer again:

Originally Posted by kmarch

If the pollination takes your flower will die off within a couple of days but the ovary will stay.

The flower does not turn into a pod, the ovary does. The flower will die and in most instances fall off.

[Dihcro]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Or are you trying to create Frankenstein ????

I'm not trying to create Frankenstein, but I'm not trying not to... I just crossed as much as I could and then bred everything possible with itself.

Well I started with my phals, but I was doing it wrong, so then once I had figured it out I had already used the yellow ones and had a purple left. So I used the pollen from the purple phal to pollinate the yellow ones. Then I moved on to Oncidiums. I crossed a Sharry Baby with a Flying Dragon (I believe that's what it's called) which should turn out very interestingly, then I bred the Sharry Baby with itself a few times and the same with the Flying Dragon. I only have on Psychopsis, however it has two flowers... so I took the pollinia from one flower and stuck it in the other flower, then took the pollinia from that flower and stuck it in the other flower (so I basically bred it with itself). Hopefully I'll start seeing flowers close up in a few days.

[Dihcro]

Update:

This morning I checked my Psychopsis and the pollinia inside the column seemed to be leaving the column and heading down the "throat" of the orchid. I just checked the flower again and the column is closed up! Looks like I did something right!!
Can't wait for the seedies!
BTW, I pollinated this Psychopsis with itself... so I'll get more of it!

[kmarch]

Your descriptions are a bit puzzling. The pollen and tubules that cary it into the ovary are microscopic you're not going to be able ot see pollen leaving the stigmatic surface and moving towards the unfertilized seeds in the ovary. I'm not sure what it is you're seeing but unless you have a microscope it's not the moving pollen.

So have you kept track of your crosses?

[Dihcro]

(Things in bold are my main questions)

Well it looked like the pollinia had moved to the back middle of the inside of the column. It wasn't like moving down a tube or anything. It just looked like that the pollinia had moved from where I put it and was angled like it was going down a tube.
As I said, the column closed up with the pollinia inside it. Is that a good sign?

And here's what I've kept track of:

I pollinated all of my phals with pollinia from my purple phal.
I pollinated my Psychopsis with itself.
I pollinated some flowers on my Sharry Baby with itself.
I pollinated some flowers on my Flying Dragon with itself.

However, sine my Sharry Baby and Flying Dragon are both Oncidiums, I crossed them with each other, so I'm not sure which flowers on my Sharry Baby and Flying Dragon are pollinated with itself or with the other plant... so for the Oncidiums it's going to be a "surprise orchid".
Also, this morning I found the 2nd flower on my Psychopsis completely wilted and brown (because it's an old bloom) so I poked it and it fell off. I then took the pollinia from that flower and stuck it in my Sharry Baby (I know, stupid, but I had nothing else to do with it and it was about to go to waste). I'm guessing that it won't create a hybrid because they are different species, but I was 100% sure, so I thought I'd ask if that is possible.

[Dihcro]

Update:

I noticed that the rest of the flowers that I had pollinated has their columns closed this morning!! I must have done something right...

[Dihcro]

EDIT: Here are some much better pictures. The column has gotten fat and round and the flower has wilted, but it is not dry, just wilted. This is by far the best orchid I've ever owned (yet). It so easy to care for, so easy to get seeds, and it blooms every 2-4 weeks!
Anyways, here are the pictures...





Can't wait for babies!!

[Dihcro]

All of the phals now have droopy flowers.

[PhalNewbie89]

looks like it worked on that one

[Dihcro]

I'll post some pictures of the phals later today. I got a new Oncda (some Oncidium hybrid I'm guessing?) today, along with my first Paph, so I'll do some more pollinating and see what I can get.

[katrina]

WHOA! You went a little pollination crazy, eh? LOL!

Have you done any research into the "ripening" of these pods and how long you are to leave the pods on the plants? I have never done anything like this. I don't know that I will ever have the patience to learn all that goes into it...the patience to handle all the waiting is even more daunting. What I do know is each plant has a specific time when the pod should be removed. Man! This would confuse the H*** out of me.

Do you plan on doing the flaskings yourself or send them all off?

[Dihcro]

Is there some sort of chart of how long you're supposed to let the seed pods stay on the plant? I've never completely understood how to flask either.
I may just try with only the Psychopsis since it's my favorite orchid.

[katrina]

HA! Looks like you have a bit more research to do. I know the ripening is not a fast process even in the fastest of orchids so I'm sure you'll have time to get a handle on what you need to do.

I know we have a few Geeks who have done some of this...hopefully they'll be able to help out a bit w/some of your questions.

Again, Good Luck with it all!

BTW -- if you want an easy plant to get "pregnant"...get an Epidendrum nocturnum. My darn plant keeps pollinating itself and I never get to enjoy the flowers. It's been doing it for 2 yrs straight...I've never had a flower last more than a couple of days.

[Dihcro]

Well a Psychopsis Papilio does 90-120 days (yey... ) so I'm guessing Psychopsis Mendenhall should be somewhere around there... I'll let it "ripen" for about 3 month... so pull off the pod at the beginning on December.
Now all I need to know is how to "flask".
I wanted to do this with my Paph too, but it'll take 440 days.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Dihcro

I wanted to do this with my Paph too, but it'll take 440 days.

My paph pod didn't take anywhere near 440 days to mature. It took less than half that, I think it was about 5-6 months before it started to split. I'm not sure where you got the 440 info but I'm not sure it's right.

[Dihcro]

Oops meant to say up to 440 days. I found the info on some website. It said 180-440 days. You must have great growing conditions for it to take such little time!

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Dihcro

...Psychopsis ... I then took the pollinia from that flower and stuck it in my Sharry Baby ... I'm guessing that it won't create a hybrid because they are different species, but I was 100% sure, so I thought I'd ask if that is possible.

They're actually not species at all. They're both hybrids. But orchids do not have to be the same species or in some cases even the same genus to be crossed. For example pretty much any genus in the Cattleya Alliance can interbreed. Your oncidium and your psychopsis are both in the Oncidium Alliance but honestly I dont' know if they would cross or not. I dont' know how well psychopsis cross with oncidiums. I see in another thread you have a Paph now. Paphs won't readily breed with anything but other paphs.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Dihcro

It said 180-440 days.

Ah yes, this range makes much more sense. How long ti takes has as much (possibly even more?) to do with the individual characteristics of the paph in question as it does with culture.

[edgy]

I am trying to cross two Oncidiums. I tried several pollinations about a month ago and none of them took. I've tried again as of last week. Since they are Oncidiums, the stigmatic surface is quite small. I've been collecting the pollen on the end of a toothpick and placing it down on to the stigmatic surface. Does it need to be pushed down into the surface. I have not been applying any pressure as I'm assuming insects are not jamming pollen in there. Enough to ensure it stays but not enough to where I think I might damage the flower in any way. How soon does it become evident? Is there anything that needs to be done care wise to ensure survival or is it business as usual?

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by edgy

Does it need to be pushed down into the surface. I have not been applying any pressure as I'm assuming insects are not jamming pollen in there.

You're right, insects don't take the time to stuff the pollen as far into the stigmatic depression as they can. Some people use a toothpick to break the pollen sac open before pollination to help things along but that shouldn't be necessary either. Simply placing the pollen in the sticky goo on the stagmatic surface should be enough.

Originally Posted by edgy

How soon does it become evident?

Wuite soon. The flower should begin to fade within a couple of days.

Originally Posted by edgy

Is there anything that needs to be done care wise to ensure survival or is it business as usual?

Some folks like to fertilize a bit more when the plant is setting a pod, just to give it more nutrients. Otherwise basic, excellent culture should do it.

[edgy]

Thanks Kevin!