Some pollination questions...
 

I want to make my own crosses, but I don't know where to start or what the process is. So here are my questions:

- How do you care for a pregnant plant?
- How do you collect the seeds?
- What are some flasking labs here in the US, and how much do they charge to grow your seeds?
- How does one care for seedlings in flasks?

I know that the time between germination and bloom varies from species to species and genus to genus, so I'd just have to find that out for myself.

Some of the crosses I want to make don't even exist yet, so I'd be pioneering something. It'd also be fun to name my hybrids and watch them bloom for the first time. :)

I guess the first question is what do you want to cross? Next, you don't do anything differently with the plant once the cross has been made. The orchid "seeds" are contained within a pod which over time will mature and the seeds are plated into a flask. There are several flasking labs... do a google search. Search this site for articles on flasking, there are several.

Well, I want to cross several obscure genera within the Maxillaria/zygopetalum alliance. I want to create intergeneric hybrids with Zygopetalum, Cochleanthes, Promenaea, Bollea, Acacallis, Ixyophora, Pescatorea, Huntleya, and the like. Some of the combinations do exist, but others don't. I'll try to take into account changes in genus nomenclature when naming them, if I ever get to that point.

I'll take your advice and google those terms. Thanks for the help, doc. :)

Ive had really good results with Dr. Sean Abott @Natural Link Orchids.

Unflasked Sophronitis cernua v aurea x Sc. Beaufort last may and Ive got one in bud already.