Zygopetalum pollination

[orchidsarefun]

anyone pollinated a zygo ? I tried on 2 different crosses but the pollen caps appeared empty. Is this usual ? The flowers were of different ages. I am thinking that the 2 I have may be sterile ?

[Stitzelweller]

I have never succeeded on my few attempts at intergeneric crosses.

I have seen dozens of successes on my deck. The pollinators were plump bumble bees!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Try species or primary hybrids within the same genus.

Cross pollination between 2 genetically different plants (doesn't matter if they're siblings) versus a self pollination attempt increases your odds of a successful pollination. I've had difficulties with selfings as the pods can drop prematurely.

It is not usual to have empty anther caps. It is not an impossibility though.

[orchidsarefun]

...all 5 "flowers" are now plump seed pods/capsules. I think they are about 1/2 way through the cycle ( read somewhere that it takes about 200 days ). Will post photos sometime. I am hoping that its now too late for them to abort, but who knows. I read that unlike most flowers the orchid pollinia are only "activated" to fertilise when the seed in the ovaries is mature. And that may be a while after "pollination".......

[Tsuchibuta]

I have pollinated Zygos a few times, but only attempted to grow out the Max x Zygo cross I posted about earlier which is growing nicely in flask at the moment.

I have to agree, I have had little success in selfing as well, the pods always prematurely drop for me. If you go intergeneric, it is my understanding that crosses with zygo as the pod parent results in a zygo clone with very subtile difference to the parent. Whereas if the pod parent is a related genera then you get a more radical (couldn't think of a good word) cross. I have yet to flower out my cross so I don't have any personal experience to justify that claim though.

[orchidsarefun]

are these pods likely to abort at this stage ? When did yours abort ? And - did you harvest yours as green pods or wait until they "ripened", and was this about 200 days/how many days ?
......almost 20 questions....

[Tsuchibuta]

Honestly don't remember the exact time frame of the abort, i just know they turned yellow and fell off.

In terms of ripening, I don't have the data with me unfortunately. However when I pollinate I always allow the pod to dehisce on its own. When I see it's getting close I wrap the pod with a coffee filter to trap the seed.

[orchidsarefun]

well the 5 capsules ripened and started to shed seed.......more like white dust ! In fact I thought I had a mite problem on a miltoniopsis neighbour !
I have sent one off to the lab and placed the plant outdoors. I just don't have the heart to physically trash them !
If anyone has seen a zygo seed capsule you will know that there is ribbing surrounding the capsule. When mature the ribbing detaches and the seeds can billow out. Its been fascinating. I only noticed that the capsules were ripe because a footstep nearby caused the stand to shudder and I saw a puff of dust. So you can imagine me taking the plant outdoors - every footstep caused the seed "puff". The capsules did not change colour or dry out or anything.....

BTW - a bit sooner than the 200 days I had read.

[orchidsarefun]

I thought I would post an update.
I have 3 reflasks - and as you can see from the mother flask, the remainder. The germination was magnificent..........wowser !

[orchidsarefun]

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