Sophronitis cernua pod: Now what?

[alecStewart1]

Hello friends!

So I posted about this Sophronitis cernua I have that I seemingly successfully pollinated.

Sophronitis cernua 'Kasei' (火星)

The pod is still green, definitely fatter and it's been about another 30 days since I posted about the pod developing, so maybe around 60 days of development.

I'll post some pictures to hopefully give a better idea of how far along it is, but if it's fully developed or nearing the end of development...what then?

I don't really have a good setup for germinating and flasking, but it was mentioned in the above linked thread that I could send the pod to a "lab" to develop and flask for me. What exactly is involved in that process?

[BON]

Congratulations on getting to this point. Sophronitis and Cattleya seeds pods are mature enough for green pod sowing at around 140 days. So, personally I would plan on harvesting a green pod at 150 days (five months). If you don't want to attempt sowing the seed yourself, the first step could be check out the websites of labs that offer this service. Most explain the submission of materials and costs right on the web. Also, look at their ability/policy on green pod vs. ripe pod sowing. There are pros and cons to each type of sowing. For me the lab's ability, integrity, and dependability are paramount. Then I would consider the minimum number of replate flasks required (usually only five or ten) and the cost of replates. I always email the lab prior to submitting material. I look at it this way, if communication is slow or poor at that time, will it be any better when they have my plant material?

[alecStewart1]

Originally Posted by BON

Congratulations on getting to this point. Sophronitis and Cattleya seeds pods are mature enough for green pod sowing at around 140 days. So, personally I would plan on harvesting a green pod at 150 days (five months). If you don't want to attempt sowing the seed yourself, the first step could be check out the websites of labs that offer this service. Most explain the submission of materials and costs right on the web. Also, look at their ability/policy on green pod vs. ripe pod sowing. There are pros and cons to each type of sowing. For me the lab's ability, integrity, and dependability are paramount. Then I would consider the minimum number of replate flasks required (usually only five or ten) and the cost of replates. I always email the lab prior to submitting material. I look at it this way, if communication is slow or poor at that time, will it be any better when they have my plant material?

Thanks, friend! I attached some images of the pod now.

I guess my main issue is what exactly should I search for when looking for a lab? "Lab" is pretty broad, but I guess "horticultural lab" would be a start in the right direction?

[BON]

The pod is looking good. Go to orchidwire.com click on categories and then labs. There are a few listed that are in the U.S. Then you can check on those individual labs.