The real value of my SB visit.

[MrCym]

It certainly took me several days to get back up to speed but I was reminded of the value in meeting fellow hybridizers face to face. Over meals I got to visit with Tats Kuramura, Joe Santy, Ha Bui, Bert Ruiter, Takehiko Mukoyama, Susumu Furuya, Bob Hamilton and John Leathers.Missed Kurtis Iwata and Michael Coker this year and of course John Rowe. Although John Rowe was not particularly known for his hybridizing knowledge, we certainly talked our way through many potential hybrid evaluations. John always had a commercial sense that is sorely lacking in many backyard hybridizers today. He knew that a hybrid had to give a high % of saleable product, ship without bruising and last, both on the plant and cut. There's a lot more to orchid hybridizing than just putting pollen onto one of your favorites and waiting five years for the first results. And a real important tip, NEVER name your first hybrids for loved ones. Many are the enthusiasts who named hybrids for family and then, 40 years later, those plants are totally dull and even embarrassing.

[Murph]

It would be great if you could encourage a few of those names to join us on the NHO forum. Or anyone that knows them.

Just thinking out loud, but it would add a little diversity.

[MrCym]

Bob and John don’t do Forums. Joe has his own website. Take wouldn’t post in English. Bert is way too busy but is a member who reads and comments to me.

[Murph]

OK, thanks.

I know you put the word out there whenever possible.

[MrCym]

Murph, Tony and I did explore opening the Forum up but it didn’t make any measurable difference.
People know l will call a spade a spade so what the hell. A few lightweights block me but anyone can read our Forum and hundreds do. I’m way too old to put up with liars or thieves so am happy to make their lives difficult. The AOS is full of orchid lightweights (some overweight!) who think they’re important whereas in fact they’re a rapidly sinking ship. Judging has become a joke.

[MrCym]

I can share a very interesting conversation some of us had. Bob Hamilton was very interested about the 6n's and whether they grew very slowly as some "experts" had pronounced. I confirmed they grew very well and pretty much at the same speed as regular tetraploids. The discussion broadened. There was an orchid called Marian Lenfestey 'Splendens' that I saw once in Aussie. It had an AM and was a stunning flower. It was bred by Dos Pueblos USA (Don Wimber made the pollination) and the crossing was Flamingo 'Nobilior' (5n) X Babylon 'Castle Hill' (4n). Wimber was able to confirm that the cross was slow growing because they were nearly all pentaploids (100 chromosome). Marian Lenfestey was fertile but a hopeless parent and none of its 7 offspring gained an award or bred a single seedling. Ever!

Now I couldn't afford Flamingo 'Nobilior' FCC/RHS as a schoolboy but I could afford Eve 'Fiction', another pentaploid. It too was trouble and bred nothing useful for me. I did however manage to self it and had about 70 seedlings in 3" plugs. I contacted the nearest NZ University Biology Department in the late 80's and suggested to the Professor that I could provide a student with a very interesting potential research project. Total lack of interest which I remember to this day. He did have the cheek to later ask me if I would take a Summer intern at Geyserland Orchids and no prize for guessing my reply.

Now, we have not yet bloomed any of our Wimber Day 6n X Cym. devonianum 'El Retiro' 2n tetraploid seedlings but I have a very interesting observation to share. I've seen people deflasking Cym. devonianum hybrids who are driven to tears. They are always difficult and must literally be torn apart. All of us familiar with the species know that and just close our eyes. But..... when I deflask the WD X d seedlings they come apart so easily it's a breeze. Obviously the hexaploid pod parent is able to override Cym. devonianum's peculiarly bad habit!

Now think about it.... can you get information on Cyms at this level on any other Cym Forum???

[MrCym]

For the smart ones following this thread, I potted up maybe 230+ various 6n X 2n deflasks yesterday. The majority were several different Don Wimber 6n X Cym. devonianum 2n progeny but there were other Mario Lanza 6n X various diploid iterations. There did appear to be some variation in root diameter as well as leaf diameter, especially in the devonianum offspring. This work is all so new and exciting! I now expect some surprises possibly in a couple of years but remain even more confident that they will be rewarding ones. Enjoy the explorative hybridizing at NHO!

[Gary S]

Well Andy, that line of breeding will open up all sorts of new possibilities for future work , let alone some eagerly anticipated flowering results. I always thought that Cym devonianum was difficult, but your work here could all of a sudden make it's immediate offspring very appealing. I suppose the next three or four years will tell.

Keep up the good work and the new breeding results should pay great dividends.

[MrCym]

Thanks Gary, I've certainly got some interesting seedlings to look forward to!

[sabredance2]

That surprised me about the growth rate of the 6n's - another myth debunked, I've had it drummed into my psyche 6n's were non growers. There was a similar thought in Australia when 4n's first came into commercial existence, many of the Merv Dunn (Valley Orchids) derived albas were terrible growers, as were some of the Sensation conversions.