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Germinating orchid seeds


Party_Gecko

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Hi Gecko,

It needs a bit more research, but I remember reading that orchid seeds germinate with the aid of a fungus. Then either the seedling consumes the fungus, or the fungus consumes the seedling. I also read that if you do not have all the techni-kit to germinate and grow them, you can try to scatter the seeds on the roots of the parents because there there could be conditions for germination and growth. I tried it once with a x Laeliocattleya - no success on that occasion /~8

Edited by Karsty
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Yes, it is very difficult. The problem with orchid seeds is that they're so small they generally don't have an endosperm (or only a limited one) to feed the seedling. When the correct fungus grows into a seed it provides the sugars/nutrients that allow a plant to develop. The wrong fungus (and/or bacteria) will kill the seedling. When it done in agar it's under sterile conditions and the agar is loaded up with nutrients. Ideally no fungus or bacteria gets in.

Sprinkling seeds around the base of parent plants can sometimes be successful as it's more likely there'll be the right fungus around.

In nature orchids produce millions of seed, very few get to being mature plants. I have a several orchids that produce seed prolifically but there's no where near the number of plants around compared to the seeds produced. They're native here so the right fungi are here too.

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