So, I pollinated some of my orchids today.

[tim_r95]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

The spikes have stopped growing and the other buds have all blasted.

What do you mean when you say the buds have "blasted"?

[kevin1217]

Buds have dried out and died.

[tim_r95]

Oh, okay. haha. thank you.

[PaphMadMan]

Don't hold your breath waiting for that Oncidium x Phalaenopsis cross. You'd be just as likely to succeed with dandelion pollen. There is a species called Oncidium phalaenopsis. It just means someone thought the flowers looked moth-like. Same goes for Miltoniopsis phalaenopsis, Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis, Vanilla phalaenopsis and Dendrobium phalaenopsis. None of them have any chance of crossing with genus Phalaenopsis.

2 or 3 pods probably wouldn't hurt a healthy plant, but unless they are different crosses why would you want more than one? One good pod can give you many thousands of seeds.

[tim_r95]

well one is a self x self the other is crossed with the second one.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

2 or 3 pods probably wouldn't hurt a healthy plant, but unless they are different crosses why would you want more than one? One good pod can give you many thousands of seeds.

its not about quantity, its about assuring a pollination takes. There are so many variables with pollination, I always do at least 2x, together with the reverse cross 1x whenever possible.

[tim_r95]

Hmmm... It seems like none of the Phal pollinations worked, but I think that one of the Onc. x Onc. pollinations and possibly the Hknsa. x Hknsa. pollination have both worked. I think I'm gonna just leave the Phals alone, because the flowers I pollinated fell off for some reason.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

I'll kinda just echo what other people said here. In nature, flowers are produced for the sole purpose of reproduction. Now, we as humans like to enjoy these flowers, and let them naturally age and drop without being pollinated so as to lenghten the time we enjoy them. So, keeping in mind the sole purpose for flowers is reproduction, I like to think that it is rare that a healthy and growing plant (plant health is very important in this statement) would not be able to hold a seed pod. Now, when you consider plants that send out multiple blooms, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be able to hold a pod from every flower, but it increases the likelyhood that two or three out of a hundred flowers take. Also, sometimes a sick and dying plant will try to bloom for the sake of passing on its genes before it dies, so if a plant does seem to be very ill or weak, I would be hesitant to pollinate, and would be more than likely to cut of the inflorescence.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by tim_r95

Hmmm... It seems like none of the Phal pollinations worked, but I think that one of the Onc. x Onc. pollinations and possibly the Hknsa. x Hknsa. pollination have both worked. I think I'm gonna just leave the Phals alone, because the flowers I pollinated fell off for some reason.

if you give me the exact name/s of the parents I can check in OrchidWiz if that cross has been done before and probably more importantly if that parent has any progeny registered which would indicate its a "fertile" parent.

[tim_r95]

Well two were noids and the only one I know was a fengmei sweet.the two noids ate a big white one and a very small purple pinkish one.