very pretty, Elaine!
Now regarding your nice Blc x with that gorgeous color
, you wrote:
Down side on buying crosses like mine, even if you did find one with the exact same parentage, there's no guarantee it will be exactly the same as mine. That may be why it doesn't have a registered name yet - they have to cross them enough times to dependably get the same characteristics before the Orchid Societies will register its own name. Using a parent like Edisto with a lot of different sports (as Jim said above) you could get a lot of variation for a long time - years and years possibly, as each time they do a cross they have to raise a plant - or batch of plants - from seed for 3 to 5 years before they bloom to see what they've got. Try this if you're curious. Google "Blc. Edisto" and take a look at the various sports of just that one parent.
This is partially correct:
The reason that they are differences amongst siblings is the same as it would be with humans, siblings even in the same family are different from each other. Perhaps you might remember Mendel's laws
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...
But then you say:
That may be why it doesn't have a registered name yet - they have to cross them enough times to dependably get the same characteristics before the Orchid Societies will register its own name.
No, they certainly do not have to get dependably the same characteristics before they can be registered. ( except for Neofinetia falcata divisions, but that is another whole kettle of fish) A breeder will register the hybrid to record its parentage, if he is so inclined.
Now if the breeder (/anyone else ) loves a particular seedling out of the whole population he just obtained by crossing A + B, ( the blooms are perfect, the plant has a great growth habit etc) he might give it a 'Cultivar' /'Clonal' name and take it to be judged.
Now if down the road every one likes that 'Cultivar', and one wishes to propagate that particular Orchid/ obtain the exact same identical clone he will do meristem cloning. Now, theoretically all of the babies obtained by that method should be identical.
About your question, when to divide your Cattleya?
I myself don't divide until I simply either cannot lift the plant any longer, or I can't fit it through the doors. I have botched up more orchids by dividing them at the wrong time, destroyed too many roots or live eyes. If you do divide, it is advisable to have at least 3 good growth/pseudobulbs in that division.
