Winter hardy orchids?

[Kittyfrex]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I don't know what it might require to get from wild orchid seeds to plants to tubers (which is how I get them, so already 2-3 years from seed). I know that local mycorrhizae are involved, it must be difficult or likely more would do it. In fact, when I repot them, I put the old mix back into the pot, hoping that any mycorrhizae that might have grown (from innoculation of the original tuber) will propagate. So by the time I get them, somebody else has already done the hard technical work.

That shouldn't be entiraly undoable, i just haven't tought of it. Think collecting a small sample of soil from near a wild plant would boost the odds? After all, we are talking about plants that naturally germinate here.