How do I pollinate a Psychopsis

[iandaniel]

I am fairly new to this hobby, but have had some great sucess. I never new I would love this hobby so much, going from being excited about not killing my first orchid to now having sucess in pollinating and a couple Phaphs. But his one has me stumped

Does any one know how to pollinate a Psychopsis The flower looks upside down to me, more intricate than other orchids I don't know where to start, and I am guessing on where the pollen even is.
Please help.

I check out Meyer's site but doesn't really help me with a Psychopsis
Any ones imput is much appreciate. Feel free to discribe from the photos I am posting.

also does any one know of a convient place to get your seeds Flask, and possibly in Mpls. St. Paul, MN area if possible?

Thanks much,

[fred]

hi and welcome to the forum

I hope you can go into your profile and update your location as we are members from all over the world and we need to know your Location to help you with the right advise.

If you are in the USA one member that may be able to help you is Orcacr in FL
pm him.

I am sure other members will help also
First Orchid "Seeds"?
can a normal person grow orchids from seed?
My Phal Seed Pot Opened
Orchid Seed Germination

[iandaniel]

thanks Fred, I am very happy to have found this forum. It is very informative and everyone seems great on here. Glad to be here, I have to photography back ground so I hope I can upload some beautiful photos for every one to view.

[iandaniel]

Update:
I figured it out and just incase any body has the same question here are some photos and what I found out.
Does any one concure with my findings?

the part on the Psychopsis that looks like a "head" I call because it has a cap and two antenna or eye-like features with a mouth.
I flip off the cap and found the anthers, I by trial and error method, placed the anther in the "mouth" and quess what.
the very next day. The mouth closed. this orchid would seem to be hungry.

I am not an expert but I think I did it. any body?

[Orcacr]

Hi iandaniel
Well that sounds like you might have done it! Great for you!!!!
when you took off the cap, those little eyes as you described them were the pollen, you then placed them in the stigmatic fluid. That is if I understand you, next you will seed the flower turn up slightly and die! When it dies gently pluck the leaves off, that's so they don't contaminate the seed pod that will develope--you can watch the stem (ovary) start to swell just behind the flower, you see the stem is the ovary, it;s all very exciting---Norm

[Orcacr]

Me again!
I tried to look up the time to pick the pod and I have not found any times on it--i will find out--until I do just watch the pod grows, don't get discouraged
it's not a guarantee, even if you did everything it may not take--next step is to find someone to flasks your seed, I can do that for you if you like--When you decide, we will go from there--I won't charge for the service--sometime I would like you to do your own--I know you will have a ball doing it--I will help you to get started if you like=--Norm

[iandaniel]

Thanks Norm,
I am very excited, and new to this I would like have this flasked, I have been doing some research on how to do it in your home. I would like to try it but I also would like to have some one coach me a little too.

One thing the ovary is turning yellow, also another bud is coming in after it. and I have three more spikes still waiting to blume on this same plant. On this spike this is the 3rd flower already, i have been waiting to repot but the thing won't stop flowering. Not that I am complaining, or anything.

[Orcacr]

Hi iandaniel
If you think you want to flask, and i recommend you try, you already said that! This is what I recommend: first: go to
html;//members.cox.net/ahicks51/osp/index.html that is a web page for flaskers then order AJ Hicks book [i]Asymbiotic Technique of Orchid Seed Germination[i] this will cost you 45.00, but trust me the book is worth every penny there are 100s of pages on the net, but none as informative as his, the great thing it's written for the home flasker as well as the expert
he even recommends using pint canning jars for flasks to save money as well as the simple way of opening them to prevent contamination with that flat lid on them--you will understand that when you begin flasking--the cheapest way of getting your media is www.phytotechlab.com and what little lab equipment you will need is best bought at www.lab-stuff.com--you will actually save money by buying the book first, because of some short cuts and recomendations he makes in the book--enough to absorb for now--Norm

[Orcacr]

Again iandaniel
If you decide to do flasking, I will send you seeds of some of my orchids, I have probably 60 kinds to choose from,so you can get started right away! You will learn that you can keep orchid seed for years in your refrigerator, trading for others that you would like to have, sounds good doesn't it--Norm

[iandaniel]

well an update, Just like Oscar said just cause I pollinated it doesn't mean it will take a couple others of phals didn't take either.
I did not sterilize my instruments last time and drop the pollen a couple of times so this time I sterilized and didn't drop the pollen.
I will wait till the Pyschopsis is ready again before I pollenate it.
Is there a time to best hand pollenate like is there signs I should watch for? the sticky substance?/