How many seed pods is too many?

[steam fire and ice]

I have a Phal that is doing quite well with its seed pods, my question is since there are 3 of them, is that too many? I figure this early in the stage it wouldnt be any trouble to pinch one off it is. They all three are doing good and seem to be expanding daily. They were polinated on the 8th of Feb, so its only been a month so far but all of them are looking good.

[Brooke]

Carrying pods is just like being pregnant - the more pods the more energy used by the plant.

How many flasks do you want to do from this cross?

Brooke

[digitalgate]

one question, who is going to sow your seed? or you are using trial and error method?

[steam fire and ice]

Brooke, I was experimenting with pollinating. Since I'm in japan it would take a week to get the seeds back to the states if I shipped them anyway. I was looking to try to store the seeds and possibly send them off to flask once Im back in the US for good, incase I cant take all my orchids with me when I return. It isnt a cross, its just self pollination.

[steam fire and ice]

digitalgate, I hadnt really decided who would. I have actually been looking at a lab that is just a little north of where I live here on okinawa, that actually offers a two month class on flasking and orchid germination. I was going to look into if they would have an opening for an english speaker to be able to take the class as well. Im really lucky there is a couple of really nice parks in Nago, and one in particular that houses all different kinds of flora, and another place that bosts to have several hundred different types of orchids.

[kmarch]

IMHO a plant won't hold onto more pods than it can handle. If it has too many it will abort some or they will turn out smaller. If your plant has 3 and they continue to be healthy, I'd think that it wasn't too much for the plant. Make sense?

[steam fire and ice]

makes perfect sense. I try not to pollinate more than two or three on a plant to see if they will take. I tried 4 different flowers at 3 different times on my Phal. Sogo, and it didnt take any of the times. Figured it just wasnt ready, or I didnt do something right. Kevin, you dont know by any chance what it would take for me to store the seeds after the pods open? I want to try to store some of the seeds to take back with me next time I go home, since especally seeds can go traveling without cites and all. And a 20 hour flight is a whole lot less stress with something going wrong than a week to two in a box going back to the states.

[kmarch]

I'm not sure that seeds can travel without CITES. I'd double check that. Also, even if they do not require CITES, they may require other documentation. Check into that as well. If you want to have them flasked in the US, I'd recommend contacting a flasker in the US and just sending him/her the pods. Then they can be growing in their flasks while you are in Japan and then you can take possession of the little plants when you go back to the US.

[steam fire and ice]

Originally Posted by kmarch

I'm not sure that seeds can travel without CITES. I'd double check that. Also, even if they do not require CITES, they may require other documentation. Check into that as well. If you want to have them flasked in the US, I'd recommend contacting a flasker in the US and just sending him/her the pods. Then they can be growing in their flasks while you are in Japan and then you can take possession of the little plants when you go back to the US.

As far as seeds, I have brought them through customs with no issues. USDA site states they dont need documentation. I have checked on that, and we have sent seeds back and forth through the mail (our mail gets checked a lot), and brought back seeds the last time I went home in October. The customs agent had no problem with me having them in my luggage.

You mentioned contacting the flasker. Would they be able to hold the seeds and germinate them in a couple of years for me? Especally since we will be in Okinawa for at least 2+ more years living. I know it takes a while to flask them and all, but I dont think they would be at the labs for 3 years while the army decides if and when we are going to the next duty station.

[kip]

seeds are not covered by CITES, but you do need a phytosanitary certificate to bring them into the United States. You were lucky before - customs can confiscate them and destroy them if you don't have the certificate.

Phal seeds are very short lived, so no honest flasking service will hold them for that long. if you want plants out of this batch of seeds, you should find a flasking service in Japan, and have them flasked right away.

[steam fire and ice]

Originally Posted by kip

seeds are not covered by CITES, but you do need a phytosanitary certificate to bring them into the United States. You were lucky before - customs can confiscate them and destroy them if you don't have the certificate.

Phal seeds are very short lived, so no honest flasking service will hold them for that long. if you want plants out of this batch of seeds, you should find a flasking service in Japan, and have them flasked right away.

I wonder why the agent said they were ok, they were even inspecting some pinapples that a family had brought back from japan. And if that is nessicary, I wonder why havent they been confiscated in my mail packages? Several that have been inspected (they put a slip in the box saying it was inspected as well as stamp the box, and say no prohibited items were found) They were listed on the customs forms accompaning the boxes as well.

Not so much worried about plants from this batch, this is all an experiment at this point. I dont have any idea how long I will be in japan, that is decided by the army.

What about Catt. seeds or Sedirea seeds?

[kip]

I guess your luck has held up pretty well. from the USDA website:

All articles intended for planting or propagation must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate of inspection issued by the national plant protection service of the exporting country with the exception of greenhouse-grown plants from Canada or articles accompanied by a PPQ-issued permit that specifically provides an exemption from such documentation.

I don't know how long Cattleya or Sedirea seeds last, but I would expect at least some of them to still be viable after a couple years.

[steam fire and ice]

Guess so, or maybe they consider since they are in seed packets like you would buy at amazon or your local store to be enough? Who knows, but I guess I have been rather lucky then. I will ask them about sending seed pods back to the states as well, since I had planned on doing that for flasking when it is closer to time for me to go back for good. I plan on talking to the USDA since I plan on bringing my orchids back with me when I come back, so wont hurt to ask them about sending the seed pods as well. Thanks for letting me know. I had read on the usda site

Lots of seed may be imported without a phytosanitary certificate under the following conditions:

(3) If the seed is a field/agricultural crop or vegetable, it meets the requirements of the Federal Seed Act import provisions in 7 CFR 361.

What we have been sending back and forth have been veggie seeds since I cant read japanese enough to know if I am getting the veggies I was growing in the states for us to eat. I think its kinda crazy how the USDA has confusing stuff on it.

[kip]

Veggie seeds usually get through with no problems, as long as they're properly labelled.
Orchid seed pods are no longer covered by CITES, but are still considered "articles for propagation", so you will need a phytosanitary certificate.

[orchids4me]

Interesting thread
Good luck!