So, I pollinated some of my orchids today. - Orchid Board

tim_r95 · #1 04-10-2013, 07:03 PM

Well today, I was kinda bored and was thinking about pollinating my orchids. I looked at some youtube videos and thought "easy enough" and then I ended up pollinating all of my orchids... Lol. So, I know I probably should have came here before I did it to ask some questions, but yeah. So i ended up pollinating my hawkinsara to itself. My oncidium to itself, and I crossed my two phals. I'm not sure if that is going to work or not, which is why I want to ask, If you pollinate a flower with incompatible pollen is it bad for the plant? I'm thinking That I'm going to check out some orchid flasking service websites. because the whole process of doing it yourself seems like a lot of work. and costly.

---------- Post added at 03:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:56 PM ----------

I think I recall reading somewhere, that you should cut the other flowers off that aren't going to be producing a seed pod, to save the energy for seed production, but does that mean to cut the flowers off individually or to cut the spike off after where the flower producing seeds is?

PaphMadMan · #2 04-10-2013, 08:02 PM

No possible harm can come from incompatible pollen, except a small chance of passing a virus from plant to plant. Compatible pollen has the same risk. And with the pollinatiing you did everything was compatible... self pollinations and phal x phal.

Unless your plants are weak or very small, in which case you shouldn't let them carry a seed pod anyway, I wouldn't worry about removing other flowers before they fade. A healthy mature plant is not particularly stressed by carrying a single pod.

tim_r95 · #3 04-10-2013, 08:24 PM

okay, they're all healthy, and should be able to handle a seed pod then. I was also wondering? would my oncidium be compatible to make a seed pod with one of my phals? I was looking online and couldn't really find much, I did find a couple people who said that there was a cross and it was just called oncidium phalaenopsis. Do you know if this is true or not? I think it would be a pretty cool hybrid, if it is possible.

orchidsarefun · #4 04-10-2013, 11:19 PM

this is a listing of what has been done ( I am sure there is an updated list somewhere ).

http://www.iosoc.com/MAOC/MAINTER200...nuary12009.pdf

Generally speaking you can cross orchids within the same Alliance, but if you are prepared for disappointment, then there is no harm in trying out a couple of different crosses.
I have an intergeneric cross currently with a seed pod - going on for 8 months ! - that according to every resource is impossible. I am waiting anxiously for the pod to ripen so that I can take it to the lab !

tim_r95 · #5 04-10-2013, 11:22 PM

Nice. Haha. That sounds cool

tim_r95 · #6 04-11-2013, 03:09 AM

So I pollinated my oncidium with one of my phals. So I'm assuming that won't do anything then, But I also pollinated my oncidium to itself on 2 flowers I think. You say a healthy mature plant isn't too stressed by carrying one seed pod but what about multiples?

orchidsarefun · #7 04-11-2013, 10:28 AM

I have a zygo that had 5 at one time - all to dehiscence. It currently has 4. Plant not harmed at all. Just make sure that you water and fertilise properly.
I have a phal currently with 2, each on separate spikes. The spikes have stopped growing and the other buds have all blasted.
I think that Nature intervenes and doesn't allow too many pods to develop/mature, depending on the orchid alliance.