Propagation of orchids

[Newbiegreenthumb]

I've got a question about propagating orchids (well duh...) ANYWAYZ...

If you plan on propagating orchids by seed (such as hybridizing or self pollination) is it possible to create seed flasks without the use of a sterile laboratory and specialized equipment? Where would you get the supplies if you were able to do it in your own home?

[GrumpyBear]

i'm not exactly an experienced orchid grower (yet ) but this one i do know... env. sci was two majors ago...
you can get agar at healthfood stores and just mix in a few things, not quite sure about the list but prolly like plant food and vitamins, and you can use mason jars for flasks and any random kitchen utensil that fits your purpose but the trick is keeping everything sterile. trust me, it's reeeeally hard but if you have a pressure cooker for the flasks, and use an aquarium on its side as a workspace and have a spray bottle full of bleach handy you should (theoretically) be able to manage...you'll prolly lose a few flasks along the way to contamination tho...
i would loooove to do this someday, it takes years tho (never stopped me before...) are you going to make your own seed or get it from somewhere?

[hcubed]

You should check out this thread another member made of his DIY process. It is pretty thorough and has lots of pictures, too!

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...opagation.html

[Brutal_Dreamer]

You should check out this thread another member made of his DIY process. It is pretty thorough and has lots of pictures, too!

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...opagation.html

LOL! You beat me to it!

Cheers,
BD

[hcubed]

Well, I do have something like 8 hours time difference in my favor and an early job start.... ;-)

[GrumpyBear]

wow, nice walk-through, that silicone plug idea is pure genius... i think i'm really going to have to try this now, i'm gonna go buy some toothpicks...(starting african violet seedpods was probably i good baby step to the patience needed for this... which is not one of my virtues...)

[Newbiegreenthumb]

i would loooove to do this someday, it takes years tho (never stopped me before...) are you going to make your own seed or get it from somewhere?

No, I don't think that i'm going to be making any baby orchids any time soon I'm just trying to keep the plants that I have alive, hehe. I was just curious because I was reading an orchid book and the author talked about creating flask seedlings at home using a sterile environment and I was just wondering how plausible that was.

It also had a section called 'natural propogation' in which one would sow the seeds into the same pot as the mother/seed plant or into a pot containing a plant of the same species or at leastt he same genus. It seems faster than flask seedlings, but less likely that there will be many seeds that will germinate. What do you all think?

[Korxi]

In some cases it can be done, but you must be REAAAALLY lucky. To germinate the seeds must land near a type of fungus producing sugar which is needed for the seed to germinate and develop in to protocorms which then turn in to seedlings.

The logic behind sowing on the mother plant medium is that there might be some funghi present in the medium, which might be able to sustain a seed. However the humidity must also be fairly high in and around the medium or everything would just dry out
What this means is that you should not count on getting seedlings by dusting seeds in the pots of other orchids, it could happen but again you should consider yourself VERY lucky if it did.
The thing is that orchid seed are like dust, so light that they in nature can be carried by the wind - spreading the genes etc. This also means that the seed does not carry with it any nutrients at all which again is why it needs the sugar producing fungus - orchids aren't exactly giving themselves the best chances in nature, but somehow it works

Christian

Oh and I'm glad my tutorial could be of some inspiration

[Newbiegreenthumb]

The book did say that it was prudent to keep everything very wet. It suggested setting the pot in water so soak it up through the bottom to prevent the seeds from being washed away. It also said to either use a siringe or a mister to keep the top wet.
Is the fungus that an orchid needs specific to that type of orchid or is it a 'one size fits all' type thing?

[GrumpyBear]

uuhhh, i dunno greenthumb, that sounds kinda far-fetched... maybe if you're really aweseomely super duper lucky. i think it works in the wild because the fungus that supported the mother might still be around, but in our homes we replace the media every year or two. i know there are places that sell beneficial fungi (for, like, lawns and stuff tho... something to do with roots i think, not sugar) so i guess maybe in theory you might be able to propegate them like african violet seeds only apply the fungus first... big maybe. like grand canyon big...

hey korxi, for future reference when you say silicone do you mean silicone caulking?

(aside: is it wrong that i giggle even from just typing the word 'caulk'?)