Orchids (more formally, Orchidacea) are a group of plants comprising over than 20,000 identified species, quite many of which are very valuable from a commercial standpoint. Many people believe them to be by far the most intriguing order of plants in the whole vegetable kingdom because of their curious mode of growth and existence, their bizarre habits and the multitudinous shapes and forms of their flowers, which are different from those of all the other plants — delicate seeming in texture and with exquisite and glowing hues.

Orchids are also to be remarked upon owing to their well-known adaptability and the degree to which they will easily cross-breed or cross-fertilize. This is the case in their natural habitats as well as under cultivation. This fact also accounts for the practically endless varieties of flowers and colors that can result from the hybridizing process.

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

On most orchids the labellum is generally the most notable part as well as the most important organ of the flower. Insects enter it in search of the succulent juices contained within the spur or walls of the flower, pollinating the plant in the process and bringing about cross-fertilization in the bargain. This is how so many new varieties are produced in the wild, and these are the orchids that are termed natural hybrids.  But under cultivation this task must be achieved by human caretakers using tiny camel’s hair brushes and with a careful eye and judgment as to the proper moment for fertilization. It is in this manner that the most wonderful hybrid orchids are created, and these are termed garden hybrids.

Among the the things that makes orchid growing so exciting is the possibility of producing our own orchid hybrids. The process takes knowledge and much patience, but even first-timers have created breathtaking orchids by experimenting with hybridization.

If you’re wishing to experiement with hybridizing orchids, you should first have some solid experience in basic cultivation of these plants.  Only when you feel confident in growing and caring for orchids should you venture on the more demanding experiment of hybridizing them. Orchids are slow growing, and slow to come to bloom, so you must be prepared to wait often years to learn if your hybridizing attempts are a success. Nontheless, when it succeeds, it’s fantastic experience.  You can produce not only a beautiful flower by this process, but also orchid varieties that have never before been seen in the world.

Naturally, you must amass all the knowledge that you can before trying your hand at hybridizing orchids. Fortunately, there are good books available on all aspects of orchid growing, including step-by-step instructions on hybridizing orchids.

The most up-to-date guidebook to 21st-century orchid care, in the opinion of many, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Howard’s delightful guide will provide a complete education on the subject. Additionally, be sure to visit the Orchid Secretsweb site, which contains a growing database of articles on a broad range of topics of orchid cultivation.

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