Beginner...

[SarahLSome1]

,
I took a semester off from school. I have been full time school and working full time. I decided it was time for a hobby. I have always loved Orchids, and was absolutely fascinated with what I thought I knew about orchids (which seems like nothing now). Well, I bought maybe 100 seeds, then I bought a Orchid how to book. The book hasn't helped me much at all, and the internet gives a lot of info (but there are a lot of variations from site to site). I really want to start potting these orchid seeds, but I want to do it right and I certainly do not know where to start. One more bit of info. I bought all my seeds on ebay, and the instructions say to just press seeds into soil. After everything I read, it just did not seem right. Any tips on where to start? I sure could use all the help I can get.

Thank you!!!!!!!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Hi, welcome to the OB.

First thing's first, it really helps a lot to know what species or kind of orchid you have seeds of.

However, I would also like to say...

Your suspicions are correct. For the most part, most orchid seeds cannot germinate by sprinkling them on soil.

Some orchids are terrestrial orchids. Some orchids grow as epiphytes (plants that grow on the surfaces of trees).

Growing orchids from seeds are not recommended for beginners as they are generally, for the most part, sown using micropropagation methods. This entails growing them in-vitro (in a bottle under sterile conditions).

The need to germinate the seeds using micropropagation methods in-vitro is because of the biology of the orchid seeds.

You see, a pumpkin seed, for example, contains an embryo and some food reserves (called endosperm) for that embryo inside the seed coat. So if you stick the pumpkin seeds in ground, they can grow.

Orchid seeds are way different. Most orchid seeds have an embryo, but don't have endosperm. Very few orchid species have seeds that do contain endosperm, but in very small quantities.

Orchid seeds that contain endosperm along with the embryo can germinate without using in-vitro methods. However, getting the newly germinated plantlets to grow to the next stage can be an issue.

Orchid seeds that don't have any endosperm, (which is a great majority of them), must be grown in-vitro when sown outside of their native ranges.

If you're asking how the orchids without endosperm germinate, the answer is - they germinate with the help of specific fungi ("mushrooms") that penetrate the seed coat and start providing nutrients to the embryo inside the seeds.

*** Note: Do realize I'm giving you the simplified version that everybody can understand, the process and the actual terms to describe the orchid seed's anatomy is a bit more complicated.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Here's a link to what an orchid seed really looks like under a microscope.

orchid+seedIMGP1689_edited-1.jpg (image)

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I highly recommend you buy an actual plant to start off with. You will be much happier.

Besides, it actually takes several years for most species of orchids to go from seed to an adult blooming sized plant. When I say several years, I mean anywhere within the range of 3 - 10 years or more depending on the type of orchid.

If any of what I've told you sounds absolutely outlandish, ridiculous, or preposterous; I encourage you to take some of the "big words", and look them up. I guarantee you'll find something...

I really wouldn't consider growing an orchid from seed much of a break from a difficult school semester.

[SarahLSome1]

Thank you for replying. I followed that pretty well. I had been doing a lot of reading on the subject. In fact, I am even more interested in continuing this as more then a hobby! I have some understanding about the lack of an endosperm... My troubles are what kind of orchid needs what kind of treatment as far "planting" them goes. How do I grow fungis, I want to know more about flasking, what supplies I need to get started? These are few questions that I have. I would like to find a really good resource to help me get started. How do others get started? These seeds I have are: Dendrobium bellatulum, Schizanthus pinnatus, Habenaria psychodes (butterfly orchids?), and Pleione (peacock orchid?). I have been trying to find some local resources, but they do not have many classes available in Wisconsin, that I am aware of. Any and all help is appreciated.

Sorry my post was vague.

[CTB]

If you want to enjoy a flower within the next seven years, seeds are not the way to go. Flasking is a very sterile environment set up and most orchid collectors have someone with the equipment do the flasking for them, and them maybe two years later the flasker will send them back 3 inch little orchid plants. Which are rather fragile for the next three years. Google orchid flasking you'll find load of info, and equipment for sale, and supplies, most orchid books have a section on flasking.
Its really a challenge, and unless the seeds have been kept in a sterile environment the probably won't sprout. E-bay has plenty of vendors who sell already sprouted orchid flasks that you then could try to raise the orchids after they are two or three inches tall..Best of Luck!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Schizanthus pinnatus is not an orchid. You may be able to get this one to sprout without using micropropagation methods (aka tissue culture).

Schizanthus pinnatus is actually in the Nightshade family (Solanaceae).




Dendrobum bellatulum is going to be the easier one to germinate out of the bunch.

The Pleione is the second easiest to germinate from seed.

It also helps if you know the specific species or hybrid name of the Pleione, the common name of "Peacock Orchids" can be interchangeable between a couple of similar looking species.

I think your seeds may be from Pleione formosana. If not, then they could belong to Pleione bulbocodioides. However, I think they are most likely to be from Pleione formosana.

Habenaria (Platanthera) psycodes is not going to be so simple as the others.

Habenaria (Platanthera) psycodes is a terrestrial orchid native to the US. It grows in temperate climates in well drained acidic grassland-type soils (I myself don't really know the actual soil composition of where they come from, all I know is the general type of soil they grow in, for all I know the soil could be derived mostly from inorganic materials vs. mostly organic). This one as an adult sized plant will only have 1 - 2 leaves (if I remember correctly), have maybe less than 10 fleshy roots (10, being quite a generous number for this species; I would've actually said less than 5 roots if I could actually remember correctly), and a fleshy tuberoid with thin skin that consists of cells that are very similar to the cells from their roots (which means they can be prone to damage if they are not treated right). The fleshy tuberoids look like somewhat hairy little brown sausages that are about 2 inches long.




If you want a recommendation of orchid seeds to start off with, try seeds of Bletilla ochracea, Bletilla striata, Disa aurata, Disa cardinalis, Disa caulescens, Disa tripetaloides, Disa uncinata, or Disa uniflora.

All of the species I mentioned above have seeds that contain a very small amount of endosperm and can be germinated without the use of micropropagative methods.

I myself have sown Bletilla striata seeds just by leaving them on the soil. They germinated in about 3 weeks to 1 month, but the longest time they can germinate in without growing them in-vitro is within 1.5 months - 2 months - usually no longer than 2 months. In-vitro, germination is about 2 weeks to 1.5 months.

The Disa species that I mentioned have been germinated by many people without using in-vitro methods, but growing them in-vitro usually produces faster and better results.



Finally, I recommend getting more than just 20, or 100, or 200 seeds. You need several hundred to succeed.

I recommend taking whatever seeds you have and sending them to an orchid seed sowing lab nearest you that is willing to cater to hobbyists.

You can look into the link to this website for basic training of tissue culture techniques you can use at home:

Home Tissue Culture* Group

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

I can't help on propagating seeds as I've never ventured into that world, however I just wanted to point you to our propergation sub-forum which is where others who have done this can be found. Propagation - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !

I'm also surprised by you saying you have 100 seeds. I thought orchid seeds were really tiny and usually came in larger quantities than that... but again I'm coming from very very limited knowledge or orchid seed propagation so could be completely wrong on that.

[Danny Davies]

Hi Sarah.

I love what you are trying to do, good luck.

But you mentioned Peacock Orchids, I grow them but I can tell you these come as bulbs.

Like you I want to buy seeds of Pleione and disa

Danny Davies.