Hello from Orchid Wise

[Orchid Wise]

Hello, I'm based in Adelaide, Australia and have been growing Cymbidium orchids for many years.

I now run the Orchid Wise website and have set myself up for Cym breeding and tissue culture as well!

I'm always looking for material for the website in order to provide new articles for everyone, so I'll be doing a lot of reading here in the weeks/months to come!

No doubt I'll have questions galore to help me improve my Cym collection which is predominately Cym species and primary hybrids. I do like the diploid flowers rather than the same same run of the mill modern hybrids.
I look forward to our interactions!

[estación seca]

Welcome!

[rbarata]

Welcome OW!

[Ray]

Welcome aboard!

May I ask what you mean by “diploid hybrids”?

Ploidy has to do with the number of sets of chromosomes in a cell. Orchids, like people, have two, so are diploid - “2N”. Sometimes, whether by a freak of nature or when lab induced to do so, we end up with a tetraploid (4N) plant, having 4 sets per cell. They tend to be hardier, with better form and color, but can grow more slowly than their 2N kin.

[Orchid Wise]

Originally Posted by Ray

Welcome aboard!

May I ask what you mean by “diploid hybrids”?

Ploidy has to do with the number of sets of chromosomes in a cell. Orchids, like people, have two, so are diploid - “2N”. Sometimes, whether by a freak of nature or when lab induced to do so, we end up with a tetraploid (4N) plant, having 4 sets per cell. They tend to be hardier, with better form and color, but can grow more slowly than their 2N kin.

By diploid hybrids, I mean crossing two diploid plants.....you still end up with another diploid as you aren't increasing the number of chromosomes.

[estación seca]

I think you're getting at liking flowers closer to the natural species rather than the polyploid ones that look like they're pumped up with silicone and lip fillers.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Orchid Wise

By diploid hybrids, I mean crossing two diploid plants.....you still end up with another diploid as you aren't increasing the number of chromosomes.

Interesting…. I have never really thought about ploidy in my plant selections, but I have not focused on a lot of breeding, either.