Pod and Pollen Parent Selection

[Fairorchids]

A lot of the knowledge about genetics & dominance is tribal (learned by experience, and not published). And, as some knowledge (read: experiences) is jealously guarded by the commercial breeders, others are doomed to repeat their mistakes for lack of information.

To top it off, not all the commercial breeders fully understand genetics & dominance, so they keep doing the same thing over and over- without advancing the boundaries.

I have been around orchids for a long time, both commercially (1968-1977, and 2015+), and as a hobby grower (1994-2015), so I have seen a lot. Yet, I am by no means an authority on breeding. I know a bit about Paphs, and I am feeling my way with small Vandacous.

If anyone wants to do some serious breeding, get in touch with some of the powers that be. I have found Fred Clarke (Sunset Valley Orchids) to be more than willing to comment on the genera he is working with.