I will also soon share pictures of h.chico and my dutch belle from last year along with others! :)))

Phil,
The absolute best cross would be with papilio, but alas most papilios don't bloom at the correct time..unless..you have some frozen pollen!! Take a look at some of Hans's lovely creations combining Chico with Papilio..I have some too, about 10 or so given to me by a fellow enthusiast and they are all doing splendidly!! (of course I have a very long wait as they are only several months old) Good Luck, and we eagerly await your pictures. Once you get the hand of posting pictures, there will be no stopping you..it's fun to share with others with the same interest..;->

Donna

Yes bur hong long does it take from when the blooms are completelly opened to when the flowers will die without me pollinating it! Do hippeastrum flowers last 2 weeks without pollination! I want to try something original that no one has ever done before like trying to cross h. dutch belle with h. chico, Please answer my first question thanks!

When the style shows upwards then pollinate. Under WARM wheather it is as soon as the second day after the flower had opened.
Crossbreeding with H.papilio is the best suggestion.Crosspollination with TETs will most likely leave you "unsuccessful"

I sometimes wait until the bloom, itself, appears to be on the verge of wilting. I want to enjoy the blooms for as long as I possibly can, so I wait until the moment when they begin showing signs of being spent, then I pollinate. 9 times out of 10, it works fine that way, and I'm rewarded with seed pods.

Pollination brings an almost immediate end to the bloom period, and though I sometimes do pollinate early, I try to hold off so I can enjoy the beauty of such amazing flowers for as long as it's possible.

There's no right or wrong time, as long as the actual flower parts show that they are receptive, which is a curving upward and slight opening of the stigma.

Aren't flowers amazing? And the beauty is that the Hippeastrum sports such large flower parts that we get to see all that wonder happen right before our eyes!

I understand what you are saying hans but I would rather try something new and know I atleast tried, I wanna do a hybrid no one else has never done before, thank you Jodi you're the only one who actually gives me a straight answer without going around the question

I think what you are seeing is possibly a slight language barrier, coupled with the use of technical terminology, so I wouldn't count out the advice or musings of anyone quite yet. :-)

I do believe that some of our posters reside in other areas of the world... such as Europe, or on other continents... and there may be a slight loss or change of meaning through translation.

What I do is assume that everyone posts in a friendly manner, and if I don't quite understand something said, it's either due to a difference in language, or a difference in technical knowledge.

English used in America is very difficult to master, and it's filled with slang and different placement of the various sentence parts. And since we can't see the gestures or expressions of our fellow posters, we can only guess at "how" they meant something.

Some of us speak in more technical terms, and some use more common wording. I'll be the first to admit that some of the more technical language is lost on me, which is why I lean toward the more common terms.

But once you go deeper into the technical and scientific aspects of plant husbandry and breeding, you'll be using those same terms and the barrier you detect now won't exist.

I think Hans is only giving you a "heads up" so you won't be too disappointed if your breeding doesn't "take". He has a lot of experience in such areas, and although it doesn't hurt to try something that is known to fail for others, I think he's only trying to share his knowledge and spare you any disappointment.

Go easy on us old-timers, please! :-) We each have a lot to offer through our individual experiences, and our differing opinions formed over time. The best course of action is to take what you can use from the various postings, and leave the rest. Often, it's by sifting through such information and opinions that we discover a new outlook that we hadn't previously thought about!

As example, I grow things completely differently than quite a few other posters, but it was only through their shared ideas that I was prompted to search further... so, in reality, I have them to thank for pushing me to learn more!

While the underlying basics of plant husbandry remain the same, there are numerous variables when it comes to individual environment, methodology, and the genetic heredity of a plant, itself. So, while something works for one grower, it may not be possible for another grower to duplicate. And this is why everyone's shared information has some merit.

Thank you for explaining, Jodi!

Phil, I would be pretty much inclined to visit you, STRAIGHT to put you over my knee, but basic consideration suggests, that I should confine transatlantical travels in order to visit those people, that present kind words (and spectacular Hippeastrums LOL!) Peace.

My pleasure, Hans...

We can take some solace in the fact that most everything matures with time. And with time comes wisdom, and a certain mellowing as that wisdom helps us to sort out what is most important in life... that which we can control, and that which we cannot. :-)

I re-read Phil's response, since something sounded unlogically to me. To my surprise, I DID retrieve an "inner contradiction!

Phil, if you require from another person, a RECIPE, then, how can you assume that you would be capable of creating something "rather unseen before" with that same recipe already being in existence? As to existence...You can absolutely count on the existence of MANY breeders, that have RIGHTFULLY, the same visions as yours, to create something truly spectacular. And believe me, they try all weird genetic combinations in order to make themselves famous.

If you pollinate "Chico" with pollen from TETs - such as "Dutch Bell" then it is unfortunately very unlikely that you will receive seeds.I have 2 TETS (from my own production) that might have a greater "power" of effectuarting seed production on DIPS such as "Chico"and H.papilio, but these are not blooming now.

Did I misunderstand the statement in Phil's first post stating "Any suggestions for crossing h Chico? That was a question wasn't it?? Both Hans and myself suggested papilio..there was no offense intended just trying to help an obviously immature young man...Jodi, you're too kind, and I think I like Han's idea a bit more...;-)

Donna

Of the two questions offered for consideration in the original post, I chose to address the first, as the second is not my area of expertise.

When backtracking to check content, it appears as though Hans offered a response to both questions... and Donna offered a response to the second.

With both questions addressed, and with more than one response to choose from, I see no reason for any negativity.

However, it's considered normal fare for misunderstandings to occasionally take place because we have no way to see expression and gesture, or to gauge intonation. International language barriers are another issue.

I think we tend more toward reading with the initial assumption that everyone is being nice, and means no harm. Once you've spent a good deal of time on message boards, however, you learn that this isn't always so.

Having spent a good deal of time on various message boards, I've learned to recognize the various personalities that make up a particular board, the various writing styles, who is translating from another language... and I allow for all the various idiosyncrasies that make us all who we are... individually, and as a group. I think most of us do that.

I've found it's sometimes easier to smooth out a bump or pothole, as opposed to allowing something small to grow into something big and unnecessary. On the other hand, I'm not the internet police, and I don't really want the role of mediator! :-)

Donna, there were definitely two question asked... numbered, even... and we three each offered what I would term very satisfactory answers. What the issue is, I couldn't say with any accuracy... but I can't really blame Hans for his feelings on the matter, or your agreement. :-)