Orchid seeds?

[mjgord51]

How come I cant find any orchid seeds from Home Gardening Centers?

[Subrosa]

Because growing orchids from seed is far more involved than growing "typical" plants. Most seeds contain a germ of life, surrounded by the nutrients needed for germination and early development. Orchid seeds contain only the germ of life, and in the wild require an association with certain fungi in order to get the needed nutrients. They can be grown on a nutrient rich medium, but sterile culturing methods are required to prevent contamination by faster growing organisms.

[mjgord51]

WOW I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, lol Thanks. Guess I'll stick with already grown small to tall plants.

[estación seca]

Beware of online marketplace orchid seeds! (Amazon, eBay) They are almost always something like radish or mustard seeds.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by mjgord51

WOW I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, lol Thanks. Guess I'll stick with already grown small to tall plants.

When you realize the effort required to grow orchids from seed (sterile laboratory conditions for a start) and the time necessary to get them to blooming size (1 1/2 to 2 years for a "grocery store" Phalaenopsis) to maybe 5-7 years for a Cattleya or Cymbidium, to 10-15 years for some Dendrobiums (like Den. speiosum) to 15 to 20 years or more for for some Paphs (the multiflorals) you can also appreciate why orchids tend to cost more than houseplants. To get that blooming orchid, someone had to invest a lot in infrastructure, space and time. But with good care, the plant can live and bloom for many years.