by Gordon Giles
When the editor asked me to write an article on orchid hybridising, I was reluctant. I have no scientific background, but I was happy to relate my early experiences and observations.
Now when I look back on my early attempts at orchid hybridising, I find them very basic. At the time I did not understand many of the principles involved, but I learned by trial and error. At that stage there was very little information available to hobbyists, and certainly nothing readily available on cymbidiums.
My early attempts were crude. The colour was also of little importance then, as the main aim was simply to produce flowers. Pure colour whites, presently the most requested colour by the retail nurseries, are something that is green with red labellums. This is a colour combination that is always popular but seems to be relatively unavailable. I believe the way forward is to improve the standard parent then go back to the known immature parents, crossing intermediate to intermediate seems to increase the plant size of the progeny. This is not what it is all about.
Now there are many fields of cymbidium breeding that we have not touched. Many are interesting but do not fit in with a commercial operation. The progeny of devonianum just marvels. Sarah Jean is a lovely plant, but as an ornamental plant it is a very rewarding plant. Now I should add at this point that there is a lot of luck in orchid hybridising. Even when all the characteristics of the flower and plant are deemed worthwhile, there is still the reality that by making only 250 plants from seed pod containing 250,000 seeds, the chances of producing a champion are quite remote, and intact the odds are one in a thousand. However it is really good fun, and the interesting part of the year in the autumn is watching the new plants coming into flower for the first time.
With the absence of a retail orchid nursery in the greater Sydney basin, and with many inquiries as to where to purchase orchids, we have decided to supply the retail market with plants. This has been in operation, and we have put out a catalogue each year listing our new cymbidium seedlings and mericlones.
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The practice of mericloning had changed again — this time for the better. The colours were richer, the flowers larger, and the plants far more robust. I sent a number of the better coloured clones to the USA, where demand was strong for white and pastel colours. This put a damper on our colour balance. We started using Lunar Flame as a parent, which was an off-white flower combined with colours which were toned down to the required pastel colour. It produced free-flowering plants with a spike habit that suited the floral trade.
At this time I learnt another lesson. There was a pretty pink called Madder Rose. Sadly it had a fault. The labellum was badly pinched. I pre-warned customers of this fault, but demand was strong. An older person, whom I knew had the very same experience. However I was still at the age where I knew everything, and was sure the quality of the other parent would overcome this fault. WRONG.
Keith Wallace Nursery 