Zygo Hybrid Breeding Success

[lotis146]

It's been a very long time I've been on here. In short, brown rot took over most of my collection as did neglect (aka life outside orchids). It was very discouraging and I wound up holding on to whomever survived. That said I knew one day I'd be back in the mix and I'm slowly but surely getting things figured out.

What brings me back are the pods I harvested back in 2016. I sent quite a few to Orchid Origins (now in Michigan) with mixed results. Most, okay all but two, failed. More than two germinated but ultimately only the two (well 3 but 2 are the same) made it all the way. They are intergeneric Zygo hybrids (is that redundant?).

Note: I am very very happy with Orchid Origins flasking services. I will most definitely use them again should I embark on more propagation adventures. I highly recommend them.

At the moment I can't post any pictures but I just wanted to get this thread started. At the end of 2017 I received 9 flasks, even split between the two crosses. He used the wide mouth jar flasks with screw tops so there's LOTS of room for growth. ALL the flasks looked great.

I had them probably a week, left them near an east facing window, before I unscrewed them and let the air in. I probably left them again for another week or two before I removed anybody. I deflasked three flasks - there was MOLD in some, one a lot more than the other two. The one with the mold I potted them up in compots. The other two I put in two separate trays. At that time all I had was coconut coir so that's what I used.

I'll finish today's post telling you that I left all the rest of the flasks as is, taking the tops completely off after a few more weeks, for at least a month probably more. ALL but one kept on keeping on. But that's not to say that that one didn't survive, oh no it's fine, there was just more die off and it dried out faster. Then I had trouble with another because from time to time I'd add water to the flasks and I kind of, ok I completely forgot about this one and it sat for over 24 hours in water. Needless to say it was said, but not everyone died. Several weeks ago I deflasked two-three more in compots and a tray. I can't wait to share photos because there are a lot - in my opinion - of lovely seedlings. I have 3 flasks left to deflask and it's been many months.

I'm not encouraging what I've done here, my process (accidental sort of) but it has turned into an exciting experiment for me to see just how they survived in those flasks and how they're doing now. Might I have had better plants had I deflasked right away, maybe I don't know because I procrastinate and neglect my plants. However of the ones I deflasked early, more than 50% survived. The moldy ones suffered the most losses but I'm feeling good about things now.

I known this is long but it's interesting. Thanks for reading! Have a good one.

[orchidsarefun]

Congrats! Keep an eye out for fungal infections - the main reason I lost the majority of my seedlings.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

Congrats! Keep an eye out for fungal infections - the main reason I lost the majority of my seedlings.

Oh no did you! What do such infections look like?

Thank you.

[Fairorchids]

I hate to put it this way, but you did just about everything wrong.

Once you open a flask, you MUST take the seedlings out and set them up in a compot. Even if they separate into individual seedlings, the best results are achieved by keeping them together in compots or small flats.

At that point, they must be given:

1. High humbidity
2. Low light (see table below)
3. Relatively high temperature (5-10 deg F warmer than mature plants).
4. and NEVER allowed to dry out.

Small seedling light conditions:
Paphs & Phals: About 80% shade
Cattleya: About 60% shade
Vanda & Cymbidium: About 40% shade

I would place mature Zygos between Cattleya & Cymbidium, so seedlings should be under abt 50% shade.

After 6-12 months, you can start to transition the now established seedlings into conditions similar to mature plants, though I recommend slightly higher temperatures till they approach blooming size.

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by lotis146

Oh no did you! What do such infections look like?

Thank you.

If your seedlings seem stalled and if you see any (dreaded) black spots, watch out. Physan 20 , neem oil didn't work. The cross itself may have been genetically weak.

[lotis146]

Thank you Fair Orchids and Orchidsarefun. I will definitely keep an eye out.

No worries on telling me I did everything wrong. If the shoe fits... I'm not saying that like I don't care, it's just, it is what it is. I do like the idea of keeping some of them together, I assume you mean without unraveling their roots. Really I'm just grateful my negligence didn't wipe them all out or so far hardly any. It's early yet in the life of an Orchid (let's hope) so we'll see but thank you both and anyone else to come for your suggestions and advice.

Oh and so my question is, I've got three flasks left. What do you think if I just take them out as is - no unraveling of roots, no separating seedlings - as one clump and pot them like that?

Thanks! I will include some pics in just a sec.

[lotis146]

These flask photos are from December.
Sorry they turned out sideways (and ignore the bad nail polish).

[lotis146]

I'm going to crop and clear up some more pics but here's a flask "potted" up. These are 11 days after the previous pics.

[lotis146]

The last picture above is of "small" seedlings. Every flask had seedlings large and small.

[orchidsarefun]

You did the right thing and a good job. Unfortunately it would be more of the same or try and place a bunch in a round shallow pot. As these grow you would still have to untangle and imho it's easier to do so when they are small. What is the cross - have you checked to see whether it's registered?