12/30/12 Update!

   Well, it's the Eve of New Year's Eve, and I hope all is well with you and your orchids! I know this coming New Year is going to be awesome. I'm debating on whether or not to include my New Year's excitement in this or the next post, so I'll guess we'll see by the end of this post. . . I'll most likely save it for the next.


   I'll guess I'll start with my Kuntrarti Rarashati. I mentioned in my last update that I pollinated the first flower, but I think I did too early, and the flower dropped. Unfortunately that means that some of the lindenii pollen that was donated to me went to waste, but now learnt my lesson, and I waited a few days longer to pollinate the second flower. This pod looks a lot more successful, but I'll hold out on revealing the identity of the cross for a while lest it fail, although with some searching you'd probably be able to find where I've mentioned my plans before.

Slightly shrivelled flower at the back is the pollinated one.

   And my little Kuntrarti Rarashati kieki is working hard on its own spike and buds of its own, which I am extremely proud of. If everything goes at what I think is normal, I should have another three kiekis from each of the three spikes!

   My little Gelblieber is FINALLY showing a bud!!!! I've been having some doubts whether or not this Gelblieber is of high enough quality compared to some of the newer Gelblieber I've seen running around, but Patrick has just recently posted some pictures of his stem that has bloomed, and it looks quite fine to me.

   My amboinensis 'Oriental' is getting closer to opening its first bud, and it has another two on the way. I'm having a hard time saving the fun stuff for my New Year's post. . .

   My Sogo Vivien now has an inflorescence full of buds, in a gigantea-esque type of way. I'm quite looking forward to it putting on a great show for me!

   The new spike on my Kingfisher's Princess is moving along pretty quickly, plus the tip of the old one is definitely growing. I'm still anxiously looking forward to seeing it bloom again!

   Finally, my Rarashati Princess 'Soan Rustic' has a total of 9 flowers and buds on three inflorescences, which I am really excited about. The even better thing is that the brand new inflorescence has 1 flower and 4 buds. This means a few things to me. One, this specific plant is highly vigourous and definitely worth breeding with (and maybe stemming so I have some to share, as I'm sure this is award quality). Two, I know that Kuntrarti Rarashati 'Copperstate' is a great parent for passing on floriferousness and the willingness to spike. And three, I know my plans to make hybrids with the genetic percentage of equestris at around 25% have a good chance at being great successes. Now I just need a few other equestris and some other equestris primaries to get this one of many breeding programs rolling!