My blue flowers always look more blue under florescent lights. I have never
heard of anything that you can do to or treat an orchid with that will
intensify a pigment or group of pigments in a specific, predictable way.
You mentioned the intensifying effect of pigments by manipulating light
levels and fertilizer and temperature but I don't think they can be used to
direct the color where you want it to go.

Try watering them with blue food color in the water. Hey, it works on
celery stalks. :-) But start just prior to when the buds form on the spikes
and continue until they are fully imbibed and opening. You might be
surprised. If this is going to work, it would probably be most effective on
those plants which are in a more hydroponics growing situation.



"Reka" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Aaron, that sounds like it may be promising. Liver, too, since
liverwort *is* a lovely shade of blue! ;-Þ
Is there anything Joe Schmo can do at home to enhance blue color in the
orchids
he already owns, however?
--
Reka

This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it!
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html


"Aaron Hicks" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...

Reka:

The most logical and straightforward- if not the least expensive-
manner in which to express blue coloration in flowers is through
transgenic processes. Indeed, Florigene has already pulled this off with
roses, expressing delphinidin in flowers. They're still not a good blue,
but that can be improved. There's also a new route involving liver
enzymes
that is expected to express blue once the genes have been installed.

Of course, whether it'll light the world on fire is another
matter. Until the burning, urgent need for blue flowers is expressed on
page one of the Wall Street Journal, it'll be another freak.

The e-mail address in the header is not valid. Send no mail there.


-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ


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