Pleiones -- Paul Cumbleton's hybrids

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Ashley,
No, I'm afraid you cannot sow Pleione sed on normal orchid compost. When I said they will germinate on "standard" orchid media, by "media" I meant the special nutrient gel that goes in flasks for sowing and raising in a flask. They still need special nutrients that in the wild they would get from a fungus, it is just that in cultivation we can supply these nutrients artificially without having to use the actual fungus. There are some orchids for which we simply do not know what exactly they are getting from a fungus, and in these cases they need to innocculate the flasks with the fungus as well as supplying basic nutrients in the gel.

Paul

[ashley]

Thanks Paul.  So no avoiding the medium then  .   Having only a single pack of seed perhaps I'll just look for a pre-mix commercially available.
As a parallel experiment it might be interesting to try fresh bark though?
http://www.orchideenvermehrung.at/cgi-local/framebreaker/reload.pl?english/seed%20germination/bark/index.htm

[mickeymuc]

Hi there,

There have been experiments with sowing Pleione seeds on bark, in this case bark from the woods which might contain some fungus. Quite a coincidence, I know, but interesting results are shown here:

http://www.orchideenvermehrung.at/english/index.htm

Please go to "seed germination" and then to "germination on bark".
Would be fantastic if it worked.....

Best regards from Munich !

Michael

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Michael,
The results of sowing on bark are interesting - I may give this a go in the future. Thanks for the information

Paul

[Paul Cumbleton]

One or two more pictures of my hybrids. These are un-named as yet. The first two are variants from the same cross, which was Callisto x Salek. The third is an unusually coloured flower from Ueli Wackernagel x Edgecombe. The final three are all Caroli x Askia variants:

[derekb]

Paul I like them all but number 2 and 4 best.

Derek

[Maggi Young]

My word, what a good pleione day this is! I was agog at the red hybrid that you showed us from Ian Butterfield, Paul, and now these colourful babies of yours ...plus others on the Pleione pages....
You have some good trong shades here, too, Paul, verging on the red, eh?
The unusually coloured flower from Ueli Wackernagel x Edgecombe is lovely.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great work Paul !  Fabulous novelties ! 
Very difficult to choose from.
If I could only get one, I'd go for the Ueli W. x edgecombe : very unusual mix of colours there !
Beautiful !
 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Hello Paul !

I'm sure you have some beauties to show us .... 

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Luc,
My season seems al ittle later than usual but my hybrids are just starting, so I will try and share some more photos soon

Paul

[Luc Gilgemyn]

cool ! 

[Guus]

Hi Paul and others, I composed a medium that needs no difficult chemicals and is made from 'supermarket materials'. Pleione forestii germinated very well on this medium. The only thing that you need to go for (here in NL) to an 'Asian Toko' is the agar. I used the liquid plant-fertiliser, sugar and fruitjuice! Everyone can do it....
Greetings, Guus

[Paul Cumbleton]

Here is a picture of the white P. Ueli Wackernagel that I recently mentioned. It arose from a sibling cross of P. Ueli Wackernagel 'Pearl' with another similar pale form of Ueli Wackernagel. It is pure, ice-white without the slightest hint of pink. In fact the petals are almost translucent in the right lighting conditions.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Looks great Paul !!
Really pristine white !

[Paul T]

Beautiful, Paul.  So pure.