The Orchid Garden

Growing orchids from seeds

Question:

I would like to know if it’s possible to grow orchids from seeds (very very tiny seeds as I can see).

Yes, that is how you obtain new varieties. Professionals and affectionadoes do it frequently (but not haphazardly) in the hope of producing new fabulous varieties. When they strike gold. Ecstacy!! When I do it, I let the pro handle the cultivation until the growth is sufficiently grown to be put into an air-tight bottle.

Response:

Sorry Aaron, your response was basically true but there was some miss-information that is common amoung novice seed sowers.  Also, G & B media ( at least for Phals ) is a very poor choice. Hill’s from G & S is far superior. The use of G & B media results in the germination of a very low percentage of the viable seed. It is true however, that those that survive grow very well.    A a glove box is not required and the old literature describes numerous techniques that will work. The use of a pipette to sow seed is probably the poorest seed sowing technique that has been developed.    It is also not necessary to replate unless you are a commercial lab and need to supply your customers with large plants. In reality, I find ( actual experience, not from a book) that planting out large plants from a flask produces a great deal of damage to the plants. A far better procedure is to move small plants directly to a community pot, provided proper care can be provided.    I strongly disagree with your statement that you chop up the protocorms before replating. This process, although commonly employed by most commercial labs, will produce a large number of plants from single seed. Each plant, so produced, is a duplicate. Since only a very few plants from any cross are superior, the chances are good that you will end up with a large number of poor plants. Fred Bergman

Response:

I would like to know if it’s possible to grow orchids from seeds (very very tiny seeds as I can see).

        Yup. Sure is. I’ve been told that it had to be done in an aseptic environment (in a flask) with the right growing solution.

        Yup. Sure does. Since I have access to a lab, I would really like to know what is in this solution (and it what proportions) just to give it a try.

        There are several files on this in the orchid FAQs. Turn your web browser to: ftp://ftp.nmt.edu/pub/orchids         and check out the following files: flasking flasking.stemprop media.01 media.comparison seed.sterilizing seed.sterilizing2 seed.disinfection.3 (gotta change that name!) seedsowing         You get the idea. Heck, you might have some fun there just checking out all the OTHER goodies.         The long and the short of it: if you want to do it, and have the facilities, it’s a cinch to pick up some media from G&B or Sigma chemical company and run with that. If you don’t have a laminar flow hood, then you’ll need to use a glove box, or build your own (simple enough).         The technique is simplicity itself: sterilize the seeds for ~10 minutes in a hypochlorite solution, then rinse twice with sterile water. Draw up the seeds with a pasteur pipette, and eject them into the sterile environment of the flask.         Six to eight weeks for delivery. After that- protocorms! With leaves! And stuff! Chop them up and transfer onto "replate" media.         But that’s chapter two.         -AJHicks         Director, Orchid Seedbank Project         Socorro, NM

Response:

Denis, either buy or go to the library and read Home Growing Orchids by Rebecca Northen and Vol II of Orchid Biology by Joseph Arditti. Fred Bergman

Response:

I would like to know if it’s possible to grow orchids from seeds (very very tiny seeds as I can see). I’ve been told that it had to be done in an aseptic environment (in a flask) with the right growing solution. Since I have access to a lab, I would really like to know what is in this solution (and it what proportions) just to give it a try. Also, is there anybody who knows about vanilla pods? Does it receive a treatment (fermentation or heating)  before you can eat it? Thanks! — Denis, Quebec

Response:

Yes, as to your first question since you have the lab available and the techniques to use. You can start with Rebecca Northen’s book on Home Orchid Growing, but you will probably also want to get the Arditti books about orchids (I think flasking is in number 2, but I can’t vouch for that) in your biology library, and you probably want to subscribe to the Orchid List Digest which has several flaskers who can help with specific questions. The media many people use, at least to start (so they don’t have to measure micrograms of many different chemicals) is available from Sigma, which you can also order from if you have a ‘lab’ address. As you point out, this is not like growing marigolds, and most orchid genera take a year to many years in flask and then a year to many years out of flask before they bloom, so it is not for those wanting flowers next year. Yes, also as to the vanilla – the bean goes through a fermentation process.If you can lay hands on an index of the AOS Orchids/Bulletins, I believe there was an article in the last five years describing the process. Linda in Atlanta My current list of plants (most of them!) in need of good homes (space!) is at http://members.aol.com/OrchidWish/index.html and on the orchid mall and available by e-mail. Updated every few days. Many, but not all Paphs. Few, but some species. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I would like to know if it’s possible to grow orchids from seeds (very very tiny seeds as I can see). I’ve been told that it had to be done in an aseptic environment (in a flask) with the right growing solution. Since I have access to a lab, I would really like to know what is in this solution (and it what proportions) just to give it a try. Also, is there anybody who knows about vanilla pods? Does it receive a treatment (fermentation or heating)  before you can eat it?

Response:

Filed under: Growing Orchids

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