Hey friends!
So I've been wondering this for a minute, but I was curious if there's any literature from Asian orchid growers about how they do their culture and how they breed plants.
All 3 of the big Asian orchids:
- Neofinetia/Vanda falcata
- Dendrobrium moniliforme
- The Asian Cymbidiums
Are really cherished over there, are unique in that fact that they're all grown for their foliage as well as flowers and have been grown for so long that there has to be something out there.
With just Neofinetia/Vanda falcata, there has to be something from Korea or Japan about how they predict types variegation, presence of 'sumi', flower form, leaf size and shape in offspring. Same with China when it comes to the Cymbidiums they grow.
It'd also be interesting on a historical note, as one example I can recall finding something about one variety of Fuukiran, 'Suruga fukurin 駿河覆輪', that, allegedly, wasn't apart of the broad list of registered varieties until 1880 (if I recall correctly), as the plant was owned by a Shinto priest who never permitted the plant to be taken outside of his greenhouse until his passing, and 13 clumps of the plant were given out to hobbyist.
God knows if any of this literature would be in English, but I still think it would be interesting and even useful.