"Christopher J Barown" skrev i meddelandet
...
r.g.o,

I am looking for recommendations for books on
Orchids, as well as periodicals. I have only
had a small amount of experience with orchids
(2 phals, and 2 phrags). Recently, I have become
very interested in the hybridization process,
as well the science behind it. I would very
much like to find a book on this topic, even if
it is not specific to orchids.

I suspect I will at some point try my hand at
crossing orchids, but I doubt that will be anytime
soon. I am going to conitue to increase the number
and types of orchids I for now, so that I can
increase my experience with their care.

If I am interested in crossing orchids, would I be
better off starting at the end and working backwards
to get the experience? for example: buy compots and
raise those, then buy flasks, then buy seeds (can
you even buy seeds?), then ultimatelly try to cross
my own orchids and produce my own seeds?

Thank you for your time and advice,
Chris

First: what Rob wrote. =)

Secondly: if you need a good (albeit not aimed att professionals) book with
sections with a little about everything I recommend the british book
"Orchids for Everyone" by Brian Williams (ISBN 0861010353). I bought it at
Kew gardens -96 when I had just started growing orchids. It is certainly not
complete in all it's sections and presentations, but it is an excellent book
for beginners, with just about enough of more advanced techniques to make
one informed, able and interested in going further into the hobby.
It includes among other things: basic orchid biology, cultivation,
presentation of some genera, information on pollination and meristem
reproduction and common pests and illnesses.
If you are very specialized (say, college educated in horticulture and
biology) you might find it too simple for your liking, but I believe it is
an excellent book, and I still use it today. There is only about 5 pages
about breeding and tissue culture, so do not expect too much. It has been
enough for me to experiment with pollination and breeding, though, with the
help from some of my society's members with more experience.

Kew gardens have also published a little book called "Orchids from seed"
that is more (much more) specialized. I have not yet used its guidelines in
pollination and breeding, but it seems very detailed. Published 1980, so it
might be out of date. Very scientific, basic knowledge of chemistry needed.
ISBN is 0947643966.

Good luck!

//H