Z Advance Australia Cross - Orchid Board

orchidsarefun · #1 08-12-2014, 12:05 PM

Date pollinated : 24 Dec 2012
Date flasked : 2 July 2013
No of flasks : 1
Date deflasked : 12 August 2014
Objective: smaller plant, more flowers per spike and more spikes. Better colour and scent. Hopefully pass on resistance to black spot too.

Deflasked this cross today, using my tray method. However tried something different too. Base layer is seedling mix, then sphagnum and some seedling mix on top. I am also placing these outdoors on my North-facing balcony - to toughen up and grow on for a couple of months while weather is relatively warm. Mature plants do well outdoors, lets see how seedlings do.

WhiteRabbit · #2 08-12-2014, 07:26 PM

Cool!

lotis146 · #3 08-12-2014, 11:45 PM

That's great, I hope they do well. About how long until they blooming size? The usual 4-5 years or...?

orchidsarefun · #4 08-13-2014, 08:39 AM

4-5 years may be the ballpark ! I have seen zygo seedlings for years, with little growth from year to year, at Hausermanns. I think a good comparison will be my z triste seedlings which are about a year out of flask and are doing very well. Hope to get flowers on those within 6 months.

lotis146 · #5 08-15-2014, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

4-5 years may be the ballpark ! I have seen zygo seedlings for years, with little growth from year to year, at Hausermanns. I think a good comparison will be my z triste seedlings which are about a year out of flask and are doing very well. Hope to get flowers on those within 6 months.

For some reason when I've been to Hausermann's (only a couple times) I've tended to overlook the Zygos...and yet now I'm on a major hunt for different crosses. Maybe that's my problem, I want something different...

...Anywho, is there any characteristic in particular that makes you feel hopeful you'll get flowers that early, a year and a half after deflasking? (Very interested in doing my own crosses of Zygos too.)

My Zygonesia Cynosure was sold to me as blooming size and it has one very small growth (a seedling growth perhaps?), a larger pbulb and a small new growth coming off of it. I noticed today that there's another VERY small new growth coming off the bulb. I had to repot it immediately due to ants nesting in the media upon arrival and it hasn't done much since. Just curious about your experience, I know all hybrids are different.

Thanks.

orchidsarefun · #6 08-15-2014, 07:55 AM

I will update the z triste thread with my reasons. Be patient with your cynosure - with mine it reached a certain stage/age and now I get at least 2 spikes per pbulb.....
I don't know if you are able to have your zygos outdoors, but they love it !

orchidsarefun · #7 12-12-2014, 12:52 PM

These seedlings are doing well. I think because there is sufficient moisture/sphag in the trays.
I repotted some of the bigger ones. See photo - cute little pbulb growing.
No signs of the dreaded black spot typical to a few zygo hybrids. One of the objectives of the cross is successful so far.

This cross and the Adelaide Meadows cross were deflasked on the same day - 12 August 2014, so its interesting to compare the growth patterns side by side. They both have the same mother/pod parent. They both are free from black spot. They both are grown in the same conditions and receive water and fertiliser at the same time. I am moving both into the same mix type because the test ( less sphagnum mix ) didn't do as well as the more sphag experiment. Its also interesting that they both developed another pbulb almost at the same time - and when the foliage growth was about 2-3inches high.
One of the crosses, if successfully bloomed, would require the registration of a completely new zygo genus and the other would be a zygolum. How exciting is that ! Despite this I wouldn't be able to tell them apart if it wasn't for the tag.

lotis146 · #8 12-12-2014, 03:56 PM

Awesome!! And yes that is exciting that it will be a new genus. I look forward to following this thread and seeing your results.

So are you saying then that the sphag mix is the better one? As I'm sure I've mentioned elsewhere I know I need to water my various Zygo hybrids more often. However more than that I think they need to be in more water retentive mixes so it's okay that I don't get around to them as much! Then again while most of them came to me in bark mixtures and dry out quite often they still seem healthy, one is growing two new growths. I still believe they dry out too fast.

Anywho I'm curious which mixes work best for you since you have so many. Also have you found that your Zygonisia pods don't get very bit or seem to stop swelling after a couple of months?

Thanks for sharing!!

orchidsarefun · #9 12-12-2014, 04:06 PM

the seedlings definitely prefer more sphagnum, maybe 55/45 in seedling bark, than the adults which are roughly 30/70 and medium to small bark.
I think the zygonisia pods reach full size around 5 months. I just checked my records. I had the 2 newest dehisce at around 7 months and the other at 9+ months. Not sure what I told you previously, but keep your eyes peeled around 7 months. Mine didn't dry up or shrivel, the pod walls just started detaching to release seed.
You should start a new thread with photos of the cross/ pod so we can all monitor.

lotis146 · #10 12-12-2014, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

the seedlings definitely prefer more sphagnum, maybe 55/45 in seedling bark, than the adults which are roughly 30/70 and medium to small bark.
I think the zygonisia pods reach full size around 5 months. I just checked my records. I had the 2 newest dehisce at around 7 months and the other at 9+ months. Not sure what I told you previously, but keep your eyes peeled around 7 months. Mine didn't dry up or shrivel, the pod walls just started detaching to release seed.
You should start a new thread with photos of the cross/ pod so we can all monitor.

Thank you! Next I repot I will add some sphag to the mix, probably I may put some on top for now.

Thank you for that tip. My Zns pod is only a couple of months at this point so I've got some time but at least I won't be looking for the yellowing ends!

And thanks for the suggestion as well, I just may have to do that. I've got two different plants with one pod each at the moment, they're significantly different pods though not like a Catt versus a Zygo different. Both only a couple of months.

That said I've had far more pods fail almost immediately than I've had successes. I can't tell you the Phals I've pollinated, one made it almost three months and died. And I've already asked about the Zns. pod I had of an already registered pod that failed. So needless to say I'm keeping my fingers crossed with the two I've got (

and hoping somebody flowers with somebody else sooner than later!).

Threads like this are encouraging and educational to follow especially for a newbie like me and a newbie interested in making some crosses. It gives me something to look forward to.

My Zglm pod btw still has its flower half intact, it's quite wonderful, even if it's facing the other direction.