Ok...
First off, if you're really set on sowing the seeds and succeeding, I recommend sending them to a seasoned lab who deals with terrestrial orchids on a regular basis.
Should you want to sow the seeds in-vitro yourself, all the more power to you. If you're a beginner in flasking, it will not be easy, nor will it be a fun experience since Ophrys will be a more difficult seed to germinate than Phal seeds, for example.
If you choose to sow them yourself by putting the Ophrys seeds on a tray of soil; it doesn't work like that - sorry. There is a whole science behind it that will make your head spin if you're not a science person. Plus, I've actually tried this with other species of terrestrial and epiphytic orchids to no avail.
So far, for me, sowing the seeds directly onto the potting soil has only worked out for the terrestrial orchid -
Bletilla striata. And yes, there is a whole entire scientific explanation for why this is as well. There are quite a few people who are aware of this species and its unusual seed properties (for orchids anyways).
Should you want me to give you a lengthy explanation as to why putting the seeds in a tray of soil will not work, I will gladly do so. I will also try to explain things as best as I can until you understand what I'm saying.
My answer to you is -
I highly recommend you send the seeds to a knowledgeable lab who is willing to work with Ophrys apifera seeds.
However, in the meantime, I will propose this...
Do you want the
"Bumblebee Orchid" plant instead? I can import these legally into the US if you want. I want to make it clear that I'm not dealing with seeds here, if you're interested, you will be getting
live plants. I don't deal too much with orchid seeds because most people don't even know how to sow them.
I can get a small group order in for a particular seller since someone else on the OB was interested in Thelymitras and now you're interested in
Ophrys spp. This European seller carries both genera of plants.
They're relatively inexpensive, (referring to the Ophrys he sells), and there are plenty of species to choose from.
If you want references to know if I'm legit, ask some of the people from the OB who have gotten in on a group order with me before.
If you find that you're interested, send me a private message.
A new list of availability should be available soon.
Plants will be ready for shipment from Europe in June as dormant tuberoids.
FYI, I get no kickbacks or percentages from doing this; I'm not really a "middle-man". I'm just a hobbyist just like you. What you pay for is what the seller charges for his plants, a portion of the CITES and phytosanitary paperwork (divided as equally as possible amongst each person in on the group order), a portion of the shipping and handling costs the seller charges to ship from Germany to the US (divided as equally as possible amongst each person in on the group order), and the actual shipping cost for me to ship the plants from my home to yours - that's it.
There is not going to be a long layover time with me. As soon as I get them, I get them ready to go as soon as I can (I have a job and a life too
).
I have put in a group order for some of the people here on the OB before, and I can say that when I received the plants from the European seller, they were beautiful! Should anything be less than satisfactory, I deal with the seller to get you a satisfactory replacement.
If you are interested here's the seller's website:
www.myorchids.de
Like I said, if you're 100% interested and committed, go ahead and send me a private message. Got any questions, go ahead and ask.
But...
If you'd like to purchase the plants yourself, you'd need a valid and current permit from the USDA/APHIS in order to ship the plants legally into the US, without the possibility that the USDA will attempt to intercept the package to confiscate the plants and destroy them.
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