Hello from SolCal

[Merrifishytail]

Although I just started my orchid journey this past spring-- I already found myself deep into the rabbit hole. Instead of simply collecting hybrids or species, I'm more interested in breeding my own and selling one day! My goal is to crossbreed one of three by the end of the year: Paph Ho chi minh (delenatii var. dunkel x vietnamense) x Primulinum 'In charm,' Delenatii (fragrant) x Emersonii 'pink blush' x 'wild heart,' and/or my two Bellinas: Bellina f. coerulea x 'red' and Bellina var. alba. I tend to lean toward soft-colored, delicate-looking, and fragrant flowers rather than the bold, in-your-face variant. Any guidance or tips into the world of crossbreeding is very much appreciated! Nice to meet you all!

 

[big923cattleya]

Hybridizing, and you have been growing for a few months? Ambitious perhaps.

The only advice that I can give you is that the really good hybridizers of any kind of orchid generally breed from a plan. A plan that results from years of growing experience, years of knowing what traits are obtainable, improvable, and how to get there.

But it is your dream, CHASE IT!

Welcome to the group.

 

[Merrifishytail]

Hybridizing, and you have been growing for a few months? Ambitious perhaps.

The only advice that I can give you is that the really good hybridizers of any kind of orchid generally breed from a plan. A plan that results from years of growing experience, years of knowing what traits are obtainable, improvable, and how to get there.

But it is your dream, CHASE IT!

Welcome to the group.

Thank you for the warm welcome and advice!

I guess it is quite ambitious, as I want to take that leap of fate and learn as I go, learn from my mistakes rather than take those years to learn before taking that first step. The idea of taking those years to gain experience only to "fail" at a possible first attempt sounds very discouraging.

My Ho Chi Minh is compact with small and dark mottled leaves. The petals are pretty flat and round, with their dorsal petal being a little droopy, but overall fits all together. There's a subtly darker shade of purple spotted stripes on its purplish pouch; Dense purple freckles can be seen at the center that sparse out into the soft purple petals. Breeding this with my Prim 'in charm,' I hope to get a Deperle 2.0-- something more pink. Initially, I was going to crossbreed with my fragrant deleantii, but the flower was spent before I could get my hands on a Primulinum. Now I'm just hoping my Prim will bloom before my Ho Chi is spent. I am not entirely sure if you can reserve Paph's pollen caps.

 

[big923cattleya]

There are various sites and sources that you could avail yourself of. There you could check out what crosses have already been made and what various outcomes there have been.

 

[Duck Slipper]

Welcome from Kentucky!

 

[mar11]

do your breeding! study other breeders crosses and have and idea ! but in the same time u need to understand each species u are working on what they needs ( lighting culture temperature humidity and more) do ur firs crosses and in 5 to 7 years u will see ! so keep ur dreams hi ! all the best

 

[mar11]

and welcome from california

 

[Merrifishytail]

do your breeding! study other breeders crosses and have and idea ! but in the same time u need to understand each species u are working on what they needs ( lighting culture temperature humidity and more) do ur firs crosses and in 5 to 7 years u will see ! so keep ur dreams hi ! all the best

Thanks! So far, I'm only going to touch those that will thrive in California's climate. I follow Tim Culbertson's Instagram and took note of his crosses that I'm interested in doing myself.

 

[mar11]

nice he's coming to my house next saturday and he live in ur area ! have fun breeding

 

[Merrifishytail]

nice he's coming to my house next saturday and he live in ur area ! have fun breeding

Yeah, thanks! and nah-- he's like an hour drive away from me. But I do get to meet him too in September.

 

[mar11]

he can get u some realy good plants for breeding that come from orchids inn or SVO !

 

[Merrifishytail]

he can get u some realy good plants for breeding that come from orchids inn or SVO !

Yeah, he's bringing the emersonii and a delenatii that day.

 

[mar11]

nice in the future i can send some pollen!