Phalaenopsis Journal First Quarter Vol. 21(3) 2012 | Page 24

diploid seedlings to tetra-
issues and then mentor-
ploids. I then needed to
ing me on the process of
invest in the microscope
doing my own chromo-
equipment and learn
some counts. Without
how to do chromosome
that help, the potential of
counts in order to verify
my hybridizing program
which seedlings had been
would have been severely
converted to tetraploids.
limited.
What I also found was
One important point
that some of the exist-
I realized early on was
ing coeruleas had ploidy
that good record keeping
problems along with
was very important both
some of the other foun-
for my orchid collection
dational hybrids that I
and hybridizing efforts.
wanted to use to achieve
I had both a hand writ-
my goals. So not only
ten hybridizing log and
did I need to go through
a Filemaker Pro database
the process of convert-
for more detailed record
ing my coerulea breed-
keeping. As a software
ing stock from diploids
developer, creating my
to tetraploids, I was also
own custom database
Phal. equestris var. cyanochilus ‘Violet Eye’s’ CHM/AOS
constantly running into
to meet my needs came
(P. equestris ‘Sapphire’s Surprise’ × P. equestris var. cyanochilus ‘Martel’s Blue’)
issues where existing
rather naturally. I set up
crosses that I wanted to use were completely useless for my that database to be able to keep track of every cultivar,
purposes.
crosses I wanted to make and information about each stage
On Feburary 18, 2008, I confirmed the tetraploid conver- of every cross that was in the lab and greenhouse. I was
sion of my first Phal. equestris var. cyanochilus from my able to cross reference hybrids and easily track the gene-
cross of ‘Martel’s Blue’ × ‘ABC’. This was an important mile- alogy of every line of breeding that I was creating. I later
stone as it not only signi-
realized that after years
fied the beginning of new
of development and
era in coerulea breeding
improvement that my
using tetraploid lines for
little database was a
the first time; I had now
system that would be
gained the ability to suc-
useful for many orchid
cessfully convert a diploid
growers and hybridiz-
to a tetraploid in my lab
ers. What once started
and developed the ability
as a simple one lay-
to confirm that conver-
out database became
sion without having to
the now commercially
rely on an outside service.
available My Orchid
I’ve had to make some
Vault data manage-
very hard decisions re-
ment system.
lating to ploidy and we
Very close to the same
really have learned a
time that I started fo-
great deal over the last
cusing on coerulea
few years, so much that
phals several other hy-
it would take another
bridizers appeared on
article just to delve fully
the scene with some
into the details. I have to
moderate
successes
thank Dr. A.D. Stock for
with coerulea cross-
Phal. violacea ‘Laela’ HCC/AOS
educating me on ploidy
es. Several Taiwanese
(P. violacea ‘Blue July 4th’ × ‘Gaston Blue’)
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First Quarter, Vol. 21(3) 2012 - Phalaenopsis