Wednesday, December 19, 2018

First successful phalaenopsis cross germination!

Last spring I tried another phalaenopsis cross using my very fragrant Phal. Pingtung Gold. After several previous unsuccessful attempts (self, and other noid phals), this time, we had a compatible match!!

The pollen parent I used was Phal Bedford Golden Berry (Phal Taipei Gold 'Goldstar' x Phal Goldberry 'Carmela'), one of my very first orchids purchased back in 2000 (Gubler's Orchids) from our local White Rose Store. Both parents have very waxy flowers but only Pingtung Gold is fragrant, producing a most delicious and strong cinnamon/spice scent. I'm hoping that characteristic will be passed on to the offspring...but first, we have to wait at least 2-3 years before the first blooms! 

I can't take credit for the flasking...I enlisted Drew from This Side of Paradise Orchids to grow out the tiny and delicate seedlings. 


Phal. Pingtun Gold (pod parent)

Phal Bedford Golden Berry (pollen parent)

Newly fertilized flower with swelling ovary

Ripened seed pod with viable seeds
Nov 11 2018 vessels (2 months post seeding) photo courtesy This Side of Paradise Orchids

(Phal Pingtung Gold)  X  (Phal Taipei Gold 'Goldstar x Phal Goldberry 'Carmela') (3 months post seeding) photo
courtesy This Side of Paradise Orchids

Orchid Beallara Pacific Bright Star "Willy Nilly" (Oda. Remembrance x Mtssa. Royal Robe)

Well, she certainly has not disappointed me this season!! After spending years trying to revive this plant from near death, it now seems very happy. Next I will attempt to grow it to a larger specimen size which should hopefully result in many more spikes and blooms. Each spike bears 6 flowers and each bloom measures roughly 5" across! The only thing missing to make this an absolute 10 is fragrance.