Springfield Orchids

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Inevitably, all good things come to an end.

I'VE NOW OFFICIALLY RETIRED, AND SPRINGFIELD ORCHIDS HAS CLOSED ITS DOORS FOR THE LAST TIME.

It has been a wonderful ride over the past 40 years, with many great memories - both of the people that I've met, and the many thousands of orchids that I have bred, nurtured, bloomed and found new homes for.

Doing something that I was passionate about felt less of a job, and more of a lifestyle.

A sincere thank you to everyone who has been a part of my orchid experience over the last four decades.
And a special thank you to Christine- my long suffering (but never complaining) supportive wife.

Adios; arriverderci; au revoir; auf wiedersehen; dovidenja; sayonara; tam biet - and goodbye.

Nado

Here are some new seedlings that flowered this season

Some observations................of unusual events

1. The first photo is of a naturally pollinated flower (of the miniature cymbidium species, floribundum) to create a seed pod.
This is the first time that I'd seen this in over 40 years of growing cymbidium orchids.
All the other seed pods were created with human intervention!

2. The most annoying cymbidium species to grow - hookerianum (aka grandiflorum).
Regularly has swollen ovaries and flowers that never open. Compare the pedicel (i.e. stem) with a normal flower bud (pictured).

3. One of my breeding plants - Willunga Regal ' #3' 4n, has produced 3 different flowers on the one stem.
The first two images show "feathering" to varying degrees while the third is the normal blooming for this plant.
Has never done this since it first bloomed in 2017.

Leaf burn on cymbidium orchids in heatwaves.

Perth is currently going through a second heatwave in a week i.e. daily temperatures rising to 38 - 41 degrees Celsius (100 - 106 degrees Fahrenheit) with minimums overnight in their 20's (i.e. 70+ Fahrenheit) - continuously over a 4 to 5 day period.

My experience over 39 years in the same location has rarely seen any signs of leaf burn, but last week was different. Most of the burn has been on older leaves and plants with hookerianum (grandiflorum), erythrostylum, devonianum and tracyanum close-up in their genetic make-up appear to have been hit the hardest.

It suggests that 70% shadecloth and a good morning watering is no longer sufficient to fully protect cymbidium plants during these heatwave occasions.

1st time bloomers - 2023

Here is a small sample of some of my first flowering cymbidium seedlings i.e. orchids produced from seed and therefore, unique.

NEW BEGINNINGS

This week saw the biggest shipment of cymbidium seedling flasks that I've ever received at the one time.
85 flasks (each containing approximately 25 plants) - involving 20 different crossings.
That means over 2000 new babies are just starting their new journey on the outside - having spent between 16 & 18 months in the lab after my seed pods were sent to a professional laboratory for processing.

Background:
The plants in the flasks have experienced laboratory temperatures of about 25 degrees Celsius throughout their existence prior to leaving the eastern states on their trip to Perth ( by air, of course).

What Now?
After de-flasking, the babies go into a growing box (i.e. incubator) at night, where the temperature is a comfortable 20 degrees.
This is to avoid the chilly 5 & 6 degree C nights currently being experienced in Perth.
During the day they are put outdoors (under cover) to gradually get them used to our conditions.

Potting Mix:
The potting mix that I use for these babies is the Osmocote Seed & Cutting Premium Potting Mix ( readily available at Bunnings stores for a little under $13 for a 25 litre bag).

Downside:
The worst thing about the de-flasking is the sore back that comes after many hours bent over the kitchen sink.

The Future:
The seedlings are still about 3 years away from being big enough to flower.
All will be different from each other as they have been produced from seed (not cloning).
Exciting times ahead growing these babies and eventually seeing them in their full glory in 2025 and 2026.

SOME NEW SEEDLINGS OVER THE LAST SIX WEEKS

Storing Pollen

Quite often, I like to mate two cymbidiums that are not in flower at the same time or even in the same year.

How can that be done?

Quite simply - if you store pollen.

The images below show how I go about it. Specifically:
a. choose the plant that you wish to retrieve pollen from
b. remove the pollen (i.e. anther) cap
c. remove the pollen with a small piece of twisty tie. If the pollen is not bright yellow (i.e. discoloured), forget it as it won't be viable.
d. place the removed pollen in tissue showing the plant name and date that the pollen was removed
e. put the folded tissue in an envelope - again with the relevant details on the envelope
f. put the envelope in a sealed plastic container and place it in the crisper section of the fridge, ready for future use.

If you've ever wondered about it, give it a go. It works.