Although each new species was greeted with enthusiasm, the first hybrids that appeared were met with both amazement and scepticism, for such an achievement was once thought impossible.
The first great heyday of orchid cultivation in Europe had been brought to an abrupt end. Following the war years, the coastal region of California from Los Angeles to San Francisco became an important orchid haven. In the warm climate, they could flourish out of doors with shade-cloth for protection from direct sun. This was a far cry from the long, cold winters in most of Europe.
Cattleyas and phalaenopsis were found to do well in this climate and could be grown with no expensive heating bills. The same was true in New Zealand and parts of Australia, whose climate favoured cymbidiums, enabling them to be grown without artificial heating.
The new awareness of how orchid hybrids could he created led to many experiments with cross-breeding, giving botanists a clearer understanding of which orchids were related and would therefore interbreed. Orchids are extremely generous at providing abundant seed, but the masses of beautiful golden seed proved to be extremely reluctant to germinate or grow.
Most of these concentrated on producing new hybrids, untapping an enormous potential and taking advantage of the latest techniques, which offered unlimited opportunities. Increasingly, orchid growers were coming from the middle classes, who lived in the spreading suburbs of the cities and grew their orchids in greenhouses no more than 10m (30k) long.
Today, hybridizing has come a long way from the tentative steps taken by John Dominy in Veitch's nursery. The Royal Horticultural Society in London is the world authority for the registration of orchid hybrids, where over 100,000 have been entered. This astounding figure continues to rise by over 3,000 per year, testimony to an insatiable appetite for better plants. The majority of these new varieties are produced for the pot-plant trade, which demands a supply of cheaply produced, easily grown orchids.
The first part of the 20th century saw an explosion of hybridizing and seed raising.
Twenty years after the First World War, the orchid industry was again flourishing when the Second World War began, dashing all hopes of further progress. There was difficulty in obtaining fuel for amateur greenhouses, while commercial nurseries had to be used for the production of food crops. The lack of skilled growers saw the demise of the last remaining large collections.
Methods of raising orchids have improved so much that it is now possible to bloom seedlings within three to four years from the flasks, whereas previously this had taken up to seven years.
The first great heyday of orchid cultivation in Europe had been brought to an abrupt end. Following the war years, the coastal region of California from Los Angeles to San Francisco became an important orchid haven. In the warm climate, they could flourish out of doors with shade-cloth for protection from direct sun. This was a far cry from the long, cold winters in most of Europe.
Cattleyas and phalaenopsis were found to do well in this climate and could be grown with no expensive heating bills. The same was true in New Zealand and parts of Australia, whose climate favoured cymbidiums, enabling them to be grown without artificial heating.
The new awareness of how orchid hybrids could he created led to many experiments with cross-breeding, giving botanists a clearer understanding of which orchids were related and would therefore interbreed. Orchids are extremely generous at providing abundant seed, but the masses of beautiful golden seed proved to be extremely reluctant to germinate or grow.
Most of these concentrated on producing new hybrids, untapping an enormous potential and taking advantage of the latest techniques, which offered unlimited opportunities. Increasingly, orchid growers were coming from the middle classes, who lived in the spreading suburbs of the cities and grew their orchids in greenhouses no more than 10m (30k) long.
Today, hybridizing has come a long way from the tentative steps taken by John Dominy in Veitch's nursery. The Royal Horticultural Society in London is the world authority for the registration of orchid hybrids, where over 100,000 have been entered. This astounding figure continues to rise by over 3,000 per year, testimony to an insatiable appetite for better plants. The majority of these new varieties are produced for the pot-plant trade, which demands a supply of cheaply produced, easily grown orchids.
The first part of the 20th century saw an explosion of hybridizing and seed raising.
Twenty years after the First World War, the orchid industry was again flourishing when the Second World War began, dashing all hopes of further progress. There was difficulty in obtaining fuel for amateur greenhouses, while commercial nurseries had to be used for the production of food crops. The lack of skilled growers saw the demise of the last remaining large collections.
Methods of raising orchids have improved so much that it is now possible to bloom seedlings within three to four years from the flasks, whereas previously this had taken up to seven years.
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