Good Information

[JLu]

Sometimes it seems the internet has brought more confusion than progress to learning about the things we care about. The following link to the University of Illinios extension service is great. It's concise and easy to understand. Don't quit until you reach the bottom where the recommendations are:


http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/pdf_pubs/614.pdf

[patticake]

Thanks, JLu- I've sent the link to my husband at his work so he can print it for me. I don't have a printer, and it looks like a great article! This way I'll have some good bed-time reading tonight.

Something I don't understand. With African Violets, there are certain blossoms that have patterns caused by a virus. These are actually desirable. If you want that trait to be passed on, you need to use that parent as the seed parent. I don't understand the difference with orchids. Are we talking apples and oranges here? Forgive my ignorance. I'm pretty new to the orchid world.

[BillC]

Hi JLu, an excellent article on virus problems. Thanks for bringing it to the attention of the forum.

Bill

[JLu]

Patticake, there are a number of different plant cultivars that depend on viruses for their flower pattern. DO NOT confuse that with a good thing. The virus is definitely harmful to the long term health of the plant. So some dingbat built a plant around a virus so he could sell something unique. That plant then can be the source of virus for any and all of your other plants. So if you want something different for a wedding reception, it will work but at what cost. Remember, that same process led to the demise of the Dutch tulip industry.

[kid a]

Thanks Jlu!

[Greenhouse Gal]

Thank you very much JLu.

[evagentry]

Thank you for posting the article,it was interesting reading.

[jbigio]

this is a keeper

[patticake]

Originally Posted by JLu

Patticake, there are a number of different plant cultivars that depend on viruses for their flower pattern. DO NOT confuse that with a good thing. The virus is definitely harmful to the long term health of the plant. So some dingbat built a plant around a virus so he could sell something unique. That plant then can be the source of virus for any and all of your other plants. So if you want something different for a wedding reception, it will work but at what cost. Remember, that same process led to the demise of the Dutch tulip industry.

I sew some Phals at the store the other day with beautiful markings, but each of them had a little different amount and the patterns weren't symetrical. It was definitely not harlequin, it looked mosaic-like. I didn't go near them. When you see broken coloring in the bloom, but it's symmetrical, is that different?