Hybridizing Orchids

The orchids (more formally, Orchidacea) are a grouping of plants consisting of over than 20,000 named species, quite a few of which are highly valuable from a commercial standpoint. Many people believe them to be far and away the most interesting order of plants in the whole vegetable kingdom because of their unusual mode of growth and existence, their odd habits and the many shapes and forms of their blooms, which are quite distinct from those of all other plants -- delicate seeming in texture and with wonderful, glowing tints.

Orchids are also to be remarked on owing to their widely admired adaptability and the extent to which they will easily cross-breed or cross-fertilize. This is the case in their natural environs as well as under cultivation. This fact also accounts for the nearly endless varieties of flowers and colors that can be the outcome of the hybridizing process.

A little botany: The flower of the orchid as a rule is made up of these parts: sepals, the petals, the labellum (or pouch), and the column (or crest).

The labellum is generally the most notable part as well as the most important organ of the flower. Insects crawl or fly into it looking for the succulent juices held inside the spur or walls of the flower, pollinating the plant in the process and furthering cross-fertilization in the bargain. This is how such a large number of new varieties are produced in the wild, and these are the orchids that are termed natural hybrids.  But under cultivation this work must be performed by human caretakers using small camel's hair brushes and with a careful eye and judgment as to the right time for fertilization. It is in this manner that the most wonderful orchid hybrids are created, and these are termed garden hybrids.

One of the the things that makes growing orchids so exciting is the dream of producing our own hybrid orchids. The process takes knowledge and a good bit of patience, but even non-professionals have created breathtaking orchids through hybridizing.

If you are interested in experimenting with the hybridization of orchids, you should first gain some good experience in basic cultivation of these plants.Only after you have gained confidence in working with orchids should you try the more demanding task of hybridization. Orchids are slow growing, and slow to come to bloom, so you must be comfortable with waiting sometimes years to see if your hybridizing experiments are successful. Nontheless, when you do succeeed, it's fantastic experience.  You can produce not only some beautiful flowers in this way, but also orchid types never before seen in the world.

Naturally, you must obtain all the information that you can before attempting to hybridize orchids. Fortunately, there are good books available on all aspects of orchid growing, including step-by-step instructions on hybridizing orchids.

The most complete guidebook to contemporary orchid care, I have found, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's ebook is a complete course, useful for novices and the more experienced growers alike. As well, be sure to visit the Orchid Secretssite, which is publishing an ever-growing database of entries on a wide range of facets of orchid care.