How to plant an orchid from seeds correctly. Unusual orchids from China - how to grow a beautiful flower from seeds at home? Scheme for growing at home

This method is one of the most exciting, but unfortunately, growing an orchid from seeds at home seems impossible. In addition, their sizes are comparable to dust particles, almost microscopic. This cultivation is used only in cases where it is not possible to use other methods...

How to plant orchid seeds? The planting/seeding process must take place in absolute sterility and in conditions that can only be achieved in special laboratories. Photo: orchids from seeds...

There is a possibility of seed pods forming if you cross-pollinate two various types between themselves. Using a brush, carefully transfer pollen from the stamens of one orchid to the pistil of another. The flower will fade, but will not fall! After 10 days, the seed box will begin to noticeably grow.

The most suitable are orchid seeds freshly collected from a burst capsule.

After the seeds have ripened, it is possible to collect such a “harvest” only in laboratory conditions. If you succeed, you can try to sow, but it will take approximately 3 to 5 years to grow such a little one to flowering state.

Equipment, substrates and nutrient medium

It is necessary to prepare everything you need in advance: seeds; nutritional substance; containers with screw caps (germination flasks, glass jars, bottles or chemical containers); pressure cooker, steamer or screen for steam sterilization; disinfectants (bleach or hydrogen peroxide); ethanol; tools (tweezers, syringe, etc.).

Orchids often live in symbiosis with fungi. The seeds are deprived of nutritional reserves, so the embryos will not be able to receive nutrients directly from the soil. Developing embryos need glucose and fructose... In addition, special formulations for solutions of micro- and macroelements have been developed.

When growing plants of the orchid family with seeds, you should fill the container with crushed wet sphagnum or a sterile substrate specially selected for such purposes for planting orchids. Seeds planted in a regular soil mixture are initially doomed to death.

Agar-agar, a mixture of polysaccharides extracted from certain types of seaweed, is used as a substrate in laboratories. After the hot solution cools, it turns into a jelly-like mass.

Special hydrogels have been developed, which are used as the main component in the preparation of a nutrient substrate for seed germination.

A nutrient medium enriched with sugar and various elements is prepared.

The main composition includes agar-agar - from 10 to 15 grams and 10 grams of glucose and fructose (per 1 liter of distilled water).

When growing orchid seeds at home, Knudson's nutrient medium is often used. This is allegedly an ideal mixture, prepared according to a specific recipe by American professor Lewis Knudson, for mass seed propagation of orchids without symbiosis with a special fungus.

You can, of course, plant seeds in crushed sphagnum, but for the orchid to develop, it must be completely nutritious and sterile. It is very important to maintain an optimal level of substrate acidity during the growing process (from 4.8 to 5.2 pH).

It is safer to use flasks or special dishes, jars, containers with screw-on lids for seed germination rather than pots...

Filling flasks with nutrient substrate

All this is reminiscent of the work of a microbiological laboratory. Use germination flasks or chemical glassware (conical Erlenmeyer flask). For sterilization, you can use a regular pressure cooker or medical sterilizers. In autoclaves, dishes are sterilized at a temperature of about 120-130 °C (within half an hour).

Pour the agar substance hot: into a 100 ml flask - 30 ml of solution. The prepared flasks are closed with a gauze stopper and sterilized in a pressure cooker for half an hour.

Before sowing seeds, you need to undergo sterility control.

After filling the flasks with the substance (substrate), they are tightly closed with cotton-gauze stoppers and placed under control for 4-5 days. If there are spores of microscopic fungi inside, then during these days they form colonies (mold). This substrate is not suitable for use. You'll have to repeat everything from the very beginning.

Orchid seeds must be sterilized.

Disinfection of seeds is carried out just before sowing, using a solution of calcium hypochlorite (10 grams of bleach per 100 ml of water, shake for half an hour, then filter). Seeds are added to the prepared solution, kept in it for about 10 minutes, and sown immediately.

It is convenient to carry out sowing “over steam”, this way you can get rid of pathogenic spores. A grate is placed over a container of boiling water, on which a prepared flask with a substrate is placed.

Using a chemical pipette, seeds are collected from the solution in which they were sterilized and thus transferred to the surface of the nutrient medium. Try to do everything very quickly.

The seeded flasks are closed very tightly with tampons (otherwise it will not be possible to ensure sterility) and set for germination.

Knowledge and patience will help you grow an orchid from seeds at home, although it is completely different from planting others indoor plants.

Germinating orchid seeds in flasks

The seeds were disinfected in a solution of calcium hypochlorite, and then transferred from the solution to the surface of the substrate using a pipette. Sowing should be done very quickly and cleanly, over steam, as described above.

Next, the pot is placed in a greenhouse or a greenhouse is built over it. It is necessary to maintain a constant temperature (23-25 ​​degrees) and lighting (12-14 hours). The soil surface should always be moist. An orchid seed will take 3 to 9 months to germinate.

First, a tiny sprout is obtained, which is dropped into a separate container. To get a plant ready for planting, you will have to wait another 1 to 3 years.

The atmosphere of your home is fraught with infection, even when sprayed - everything must be sterile, including greenhouses, dishes, lids, gauze plugs, pipettes, etc. Organize a florarium for your seedlings, recreating all the conditions suitable for germination.

Growing on a non-sterile substrate

It is recommended to transfer seedlings (by washing) to a non-sterile substrate only a year after seed germination.

Add a small amount to the flask clean water, using circular movements to achieve separation of seedlings from the substance. The water with the seedlings is poured into a Petri dish, a little foundationazole solution is added (2-3 drops). Orchid seedlings are transferred with a soft brush.

Finely ground pine bark, sphagnum moss, etc. are used as a substrate. Don't forget about drainage. Humidity during growing is maintained at 60%, temperature regime and lighting, as when germinating seeds.

As you can see, when growing an orchid from seeds at home, it requires special attention and care. It will bloom no earlier than 4-5 years after sowing.

My long-time dream was to grow an orchid “from scratch,” that is, from seeds. Successful germination at home is considered the highest achievement among flower growers, since the technology is complex and requires complete sterility.

I understood that this reproduction option is for those who are not looking for easy ways, but after trying many methods, I managed to achieve success. Today I will share my experience and tell you how to germinate seed material and care for a young plant.

Seeds of plants of the orchid family never germinate in the conditions familiar to most plants - instead of soil, they need a nutrient substrate. The reason for this was their special structure and physiological properties:

• the seeds are deprived of endosperm - the embryo is forced to receive nutrition from the substrate;
• microscopic size of the seed material - spill out when the capsule cracks;
• lack of protection - without endosperm, orchid seeds are susceptible to any external influences and pathogenic microbes.

Note: in nature, orchids often form a symbiosis with fungi and are sown on myceliums, which provide the seeds with nutrition and a microclimate.

Where to get seed material

To get seeds at home, pollinate orchid flowers. Using a soft brush or cotton wool, collect pollen from the stamens of one plant and transfer it to the pistil of another.

The ripening of orchid fruits lasts 3-8 months. When the ovary has grown sufficiently, tie it with a napkin - then when the fruit cracks, the seeds will not fall to the ground. The fruit is considered ripe when it spontaneously opens.

Note: the orchid seed is so small that it cannot be seen without a microscope. The size is compensated by the quantity - 3-5 million pieces are obtained from one flower.

An affordable way to obtain material for sowing is to order from Chinese suppliers. This path is easier than searching at the local flower market.

However, it is better to look at the photo in advance to see what the seeds look like, so as not to waste time on what unscrupulous sellers sometimes pour into bags.

Orchid seed planting technology

The characteristics of the seed have long been an insurmountable obstacle for amateur gardeners. But today a technique has been developed that makes it possible to achieve seedlings in an artificial nutrient medium.

Selection and preparation of dishes

The best option instead of ordinary pots is dishes for chemical experiments: conical flasks with screw caps 250-300 ml, laboratory test tubes 1.5x15 cm, cotton-gauze plugs are made for them, which are wrapped in foil.

You can also use bottles from injection solutions (200-500 ml), glass jars with twists from baby puree, or sterile pharmaceutical containers for tests.

An important point: no matter what kind of dishes you choose, the lids must fit tightly and provide an airtight seal.

Then be sure to rinse the containers (except for pharmaceutical containers) with soda solution and sterilize them in an oven or steamer. The technique is the same as when preparing jars for home canning, only the time needs to be doubled (30 minutes).

Preparation of nutrient medium

There are many recipes for jelly for orchid seeds, but we will focus on two proven ones.

Recipe No. 1. For a liter of water (distilled) you will need:

• agar-agar powder – 8.0 g (4 tsp), if it is in flakes – 16.0 g (8 tsp);
• glucose, fructose – 10.0 g each;
• crushed activated carbon – 1.0 g;
• complex fertilizer for orchids - dilute according to instructions.

Important point! Using litmus (indicator) paper, measure the acidity of the nutrient medium. Normal values ​​for the development of orchid seeds are 4.8/5.2 pH.

Acidity can be brought to the optimal level by adding dropwise solutions of potash and orthophosphoric acid. It is also acceptable to use baking soda and lemon juice.

The technology for preparing the nutrient medium is the same as for regular jelly:

1. Place agar-agar in plain water to swell.
2. Let the mixture heat up, stirring, add all the ingredients.
3. Once boiling, heat for another 30-60 seconds until thickened and smooth.

Pour hot seed jelly into sterile flasks (jars), and immediately close them with lids. Layer thickness – 3-4 cm.

Recipe No. 2. Distilled water is needed in a volume of 400 ml, take the following quantities of other components:

• potato starch – 80.0 g;
• sugar, honey – 4.0 g each;
• grated banana – 25.0 g or pineapple juice – 35.0 g;
• coal – 1 tablet, ground into powder;
• feeding for orchids - according to the instructions based on the volume of liquid.

Set the water to heat, add all the ingredients. When the mixture warms up and begins to thicken, adjust the acidity and pour into flasks.

Please note: when pouring liquid into containers, do not allow it to come into contact with the walls or necks. To do this, use a funnel with a tube or a 50 cc syringe.

Sterilization of the environment

It is most convenient to use a double boiler for this: pour water into a saucepan, place flasks (jars) with closed stoppers on the installed grill, and cover with a lid. After boiling, sterilize the mixture for half an hour. Repeat the process twice, 24 hours apart.

In order not to waste orchid seeds, make sure the quality of sterilization: observe for 4-5 days closed banks. If mold does not appear, then the environment is considered sterile.

The process of planting orchid seeds

• Prepare everything you need: containers with nutritious jelly, seed material, a pipette or a new insulin syringe, a grill, a container for water, gloves, and a cotton-gauze bandage for the face.
• Make disinfection solutions. You will need calcium hypochlorite (bleach) - diluted 10 g/100 ml of water, pharmaceutical hydrogen peroxide in a 3% solution. You can use “Whiteness”, diluting it with water by 40%.
• Sterilize all work surfaces, tools, as well as hands or gloves with chlorine-containing liquid.
• Set the pan to heat, wait until it boils and steam appears. Place flasks with nutrient jelly on the grill; remove the caps immediately before planting.

An important point: avoid drafts, since fungal spores are contained in the air and dust particles. Hot steam will protect the mixture from the penetration of pathogenic flora.

• Orchid seeds are also sterilized. Pour the seed material into an empty syringe without a needle (pipette), fill it with peroxide, and shake. After 1-5 minutes (depending on the size of the seed dust), sow, adding 2-5 drops to each container, shake it for better distribution, close the lids tightly.

Another method of disinfecting orchid seeds is much more labor-intensive. Seed dust is poured into a 10% chlorine solution, left for 8-10 minutes, and filtered.

Then they are immersed in distilled water, since chlorine is aggressive and can damage both the cover and the embryo. After this, the material is filtered again and sown.

Orchid seed germination stage

Place the seeded containers in a warm place with bright but diffuse lighting. Daytime temperatures should be in the range of +21…24º C, night temperatures should not be lower than +18º C.

The duration of the photoperiod is from 12 to 14 hours; if necessary, illuminate future orchids with a lamp.

Note: the critical period for seedlings is 5-7 days. If mold does not appear during this time, then the seeds should swell and begin to grow.

The first signs of sprout formation are the appearance of green balls (protocorms), then thread-like formations (rhizoids) begin to develop, with the help of which the embryo absorbs nutrients. After this, the leaves begin to set, and lastly the root system is formed.

Transplanting seedlings

Orchid seedlings can develop independently in the soil a year after planting the seeds. Add warm water to the flask with the seedling, shake it, and carefully remove the plant with tweezers. After this, the young orchid can be transplanted.

The best soil mixture compositions for seedlings:

• sphagnum moss, fern rhizomes, pine bark 1:1:1, coal - 10 tablets/liter;
• coal, sphagnum, pine bark 2:2:5;
• coal, neutralized peat, pine bark, humus 1:1:1:3.

All components are poured hot water, stand for 30 minutes. The moss is left for a day so that the insects die and emerge. Then the liquid is allowed to drain, everything is crushed, and a homogeneous mixture is prepared.

Place drainage material at the bottom of the box or pot - small crushed stone, crushed brick, sand. Place the substrate on top, make indentations, and carefully transfer the seedlings, straightening the roots.

Note: from the moment of planting to the first flowering of orchids, at least 4-5 years will pass.

Growing young orchids

It is important that the soil is always moist, so regularly spray it with soft water at a temperature environment. The lighting mode remains the same - 12...14 hours of diffused light. Maintain indoor humidity at approximately 60%.

After 5-6 months, when the orchids have become stronger, transplant them into pots with a standard substrate and care for them as if they were adult plants.

Growing orchids from seeds is a painstaking and time-consuming process that does not always end in success.

The main enemy of seedlings is mold, so strive to maintain sterility. Observing all the conditions, do not be afraid to experiment - often bold ideas turn out to be the most productive.

- beautiful flowers and few can calmly pass by this miracle. How to get this plant?

You can simply buy it in the store, or you can try to grow it yourself from seeds.

Appearance

Let's start with what the plant's seeds look like (photo below). The capsules growing on the orchid contain seeds. They can only be examined under a microscope. They resemble dust - they are so small. Each seed is 15,000 times smaller than a grain of wheat.

Phalaenopsis seed size.

Storage conditions

Tie a napkin to the boxes so that if the box suddenly cracks, everything from it will spill out onto the napkin.

The capsule, when ripe, turns brown or remains green. But she will definitely crack.

Then cut off the box and pour the seeds onto a sheet of paper. After divide them into several parts. Wrap each piece in white paper.

Place in small plastic containers and place in the refrigerator.

Orchid seed pod.

From China

Grow phalaenopsis from seeds from China You can order them on the Chinese website AliExpress. This is somewhat cheaper than buying from sellers from Russia, and it is easier to order them. However, read the reviews carefully so as not to buy a fake.

Sprouting at home

Important! Since the seeds are small, even a slight external impact can lead to their death. Therefore, do not forget to sterilize jars, flasks and solution. Also, the seeds do not have endosperm, which helps absorb the necessary elements from the soil. Because of this, growing phalaenopsis in this way is quite difficult.

Prepare 100 ml glass jars with screw caps. Drill small holes in the lids and place cotton wool in them. This sterilization technique protects against explosion.

More It's better to take glass flasks in the form of cones that taper towards the top. Cover the flasks with cotton balls, wrapping the cotton wool in several layers of foil.

Buy or make this solution yourself. Prepare:

• 8 g agar-agar;
• 1.5 g nitroammophoska;
• 10 g glucose;
• 1 g crushed activated carbon;
• 10 g fructose;
• 5 drops of Heteroauxin or Kornevin;
• 1 liter of distilled water.

Then pour 0.5 liters of water into the pan, bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, add agar-agar, fructose, and glucose. Continuously stir the mixture until the agar-agar is completely dissolved.

Pour the remaining 0.5 liters of water into another pan and put on fire. When the water begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat, add 5 drops of Heteroauxin or Kornevin, 1.5 g of nitroammophoska, 1 g of coal. Mix all ingredients. Combine both compositions.

Ready-made nutritional mixture.

Seeds for germination a special nutrient solution is required with an acidity of 4.8-5.2 pH. To determine acidity, buy a pH meter.

If you need to reduce the acidity, then use a solution of potash, and if you want to increase it, then use phosphoric acid.

Sterilize jars and flasks this can be done using a medical sterilizer or pressure cooker. Sterilization time is half an hour, temperature is 120-130°.

Next, pour 30 mg of hot solution into the flasks. Cover the flasks with pieces of cotton wool and foil and sterilize for 30 minutes.

Then leave for 4-5 days. If you have not sufficiently sterilized the solution and flasks, mold will appear in them.

Make a 10% bleach solution. Shake the bleach solution until the bleach is completely dissolved, filter.

Then put the seeds in a bleach solution, hold for 10 minutes, then sow.

Place a wire rack over a pan of water and place the flasks on the rack. Separate the seeds that are in the bleach solution from the solution with a pipette and place them in flasks. Then close the flasks with cotton swabs.

Place the saucepan with the flasks in room with an air temperature of 18-23°, good lighting should be 12-14 hours out of 24 hours.

Sprouts can form in 2-3 weeks, or maybe in 2-3 months. When the sprouts appear, transplant them into a new nutrient solution.

Orchid sprouts.

For prepare one of these substrates:

• mix 5 parts of pine bark and 1 part of charcoal;
• mix 5 parts of pine wood chips, 2 parts of sphagnum moss and coal;
• mix charcoal, peat, pine bark and 3 parts humus in equal proportions.

Before mixing the substrate, it is necessary to prepare its individual parts:

• put the sphagnum moss in water for a day, then all the existing insects will float up and you will remove them;
• Cut the peat into small pieces, chop the bark into chips, then pour boiling water over it and dry.

Place drainage made of crushed stone and pieces of brick at the bottom of a transparent plastic dish. Then pour the substrate into the bowl halfway, then add a layer of crushed stone or crushed brick, and then the substrate again. The height of the dish should be equal to the diameter of the roots.

orchids by seeds- not an easy task for beginners.

It requires special knowledge, certain skills and a lot of patience.

If you have the desire and perseverance, then, ultimately, the reward will be the appearance of sprouts of this exotic plant, and after a few years, their extraordinary flowering.

phalaenopsis extremely small and more like dust. In natural conditions they have very low germination percentage, so the plant produces up to a million seeds per season.

Almost all of them deprived of spares nutrients . For the embryo to begin to develop, it is necessary fungal infection, forming mycorrhiza.

He grows inside the embryo and provides the sprout with water and essential minerals.

Phalaenopsis seeds are extremely small and more like dust.

For a long time this was an obstacle to artificial orchids from seeds.

The problem was resolved only after the American biologist L. Knudson developed the composition of a mineral nutrient medium with sucrose, on which it was possible for the first time germinate orchid seeds.

This method was a revolution in breeding phalaenopsis and the creation of numerous hybrid forms that are now widely available in stores.

Possible difficulties

Reproduction of phalaenopsis at home- a rather complex and time-consuming process:

• Seeds are highly susceptible to microbial contamination;
• For storage and then planting, sterile conditions are required, which are quite difficult to achieve in an apartment;
• The formation of seedlings on an artificial medium lasts for at least 9 months.

Attention! Strict adherence to the rules of sterilization and sowing technology is the basis for successful propagation of orchids from seeds at home.

In order to sow orchid seeds, first carry out preparatory work.

Preparation of glassware, related instruments and reagents

Before starting work, you should prepare dishes and related equipment:

• Test tubes or 100-gram glass flasks, which can be replaced with 100-gram jars with airtight lids;
• Cotton-gauze plugs;
• Test tube rack if you decide to use test tubes;
• Litmus test;
• Hydrogen peroxide, 2%;
• Sterile syringe or microbiological pipette.

If you have chosen jars with screw-on lids for your work, then they should make a hole, into which you need to insert a small piece of glass tube.

A piece of cotton wool is placed in it, then air can pass inside the jar, and cotton wool will trap dust and bacteria.

Preparation of nutrient medium

For cultivation of phalaenopsis from seeds use Knudson agar medium or modified Cherevchenko medium.

They can buy it in the store or make it yourself if the necessary components are available.

From the ready mix

The recipe for ready-made mixtures, in addition to the necessary salts and sugar, includes agar-agar, a polysaccharide that derived from seaweed.

It is better to prepare such mixtures with distilled water, strictly following the instructions. After that they can pour into dishes and sterilize.

Independent

For this it is necessary purchase components included in the formulation of one of the nutrient media:

Knudson's nutrient medium (g/l):

• Calcium nitrate - 1.0;
• Ammonium sulfate - 0.50;
• Potassium monophosphate - 0.25;
• Magnesium sulfate - 0.25;
• Ferric sulfate - 0.025;
• Manganese sulfate - 0.0075;
• Sucrose 20.0;
• Agar - 15.0.

Modified Cherevchenko nutrient medium, (g/l):

• Calcium nitrate - 1.0;
• Potassium monophosphate – 0.25;
• Magnesium sulfate - 0.25;
• Ammonium sulfate – 0.50;
• Iron chelate – 0.05;
• Sodium humate – 0.05;
• Activated carbon – 1.0;
• Sucrose – 20.0;
• Agar - 10.0.

Prepare nutritional mixtures following the sequence of actions:

The nutrient medium should be poured into the prepared container in a layer of about 2-3 cm and close with a tightly rolled cotton plug covered with gauze or a lid with a glass tube. Now she ready for sterilization.

Sterilization

For sterilization of dishes, growing medium and equipment at home, the following are most suitable:

• Double boiler;
• Oven with temperature regulator.

The pipette is tightly wrapped in paper. Closed containers with spilled medium are installed in a vertical position.

If it's a pressure cooker, go to the bottom lay a special grid.
Sterilization time at 120℃ is 45 minutes.

Taking into account the heating of the steamer or oven increase for another 15-20 minutes.

So the total duration sterilization should be at least 60 minutes.

After this, the nutrient medium cool to room temperature.

Important! Refrigerated formula should not be solid or very liquid. Its consistency should resemble jelly.

If the density of the nutrient medium does not meet the recommendations, the pH value should be adjusted and the medium should be re-sterilized.

How to plant?

To avoid infection, all manipulations are carried out extremely quickly over steam.

To do this, place a wide pan of boiling water on the fire. It is better to secure a wire rack above it on which you can place dishes.

Immediately before sowing the surface of the seeds is sterilized:

For 7 days on the surface of the agar medium colonies of microorganisms may form.

If this does not happen, this means the seed planting was successful.

Seedling care

Vessels with seeds are placed in diffused light at a temperature of 20-23℃. Daylight hours should last at least 12 hours.

Depending on the type of orchid, time Germination can vary from 4-5 weeks to 7-9 months:

• First from seed small green balls with rhizoids are formed– filamentous outgrowths, thanks to which phalaenopsis attaches to the surface and absorbs water with dissolved minerals;
• Over time, the seedling the first leaves are formed, and then - real.

After 10-12 months the young plants in sterilized (steamed) soil, which contains crushed coniferous bark, sphagnum moss, fern rhizomes in a ratio of 1:1:1.

Add crushed activated carbon to the mixture (10 tablets per liter of soil):

• Plastic cups filled with drainage material, then with the prepared substrate;
• Sprouts carefully, in a circular motion, remove from the container and wash the roots. Another way is to pour a little water into a container, then pour it along with the seedlings into a wide vessel. Add a 0.5% solution of Fundazol (2 ml), leave for 10 minutes, then carefully sprouts are extracted using a brush;
• Planted plants are not... They must be regularly sprayed with soft water at room temperature. The substrate must always remain moist;
• In six months the young plant is replanted in standard soil for orchids.

If you overcome all difficulties growing phalaenopsis from seeds, then this exotic plant will delight you at home for many years.

Seeds from China: possible problems

Usually, orchid seeds received through an online store from China.

In this case, a number of difficulties may arise:

Advice! It is better to place the orchid on a window on the east or west side of the apartment, so as not to cause the leaves to burn from direct sunlight. If it grows in the back of the room, the plant will need additional lighting.

Useful video

The video shows a gardener's advice on how to grow phalaenopsis from seeds:

Video recipe for preparing a nutrient medium for sowing phalaenopsis orchid seeds:

Video tips for caring for seedlings:

Look at the video, phalaenopsis orchid seeds from China:

Conclusion

Compared to other indoor plants, growing phalaenopsis from seeds is much more difficult.

However, this experience will give new impressions, and hand grown flower will bring a lot of joy.

In contact with

Few people can be left indifferent. Plants are distinguished by their diversity, brightness, beauty and surprisingly interesting colors. Many flower growers can purchase a ready-made flower at a flower shop and then propagate it. However, not everyone knows that it is also possible to do seed work. If you wish, you can sow seeds and watch its growth and development.

General information

Any orchid seeds can be ordered from China. This option will be cheaper and much easier than looking for seed material from domestic sellers. There are special recommendations that help realize the desire to grow an orchid from seeds and quite easily master growing indoor flowers in this way:

Trust but verify

This rule must be observed at the stage of purchasing seed material through online stores, including suppliers from China. Some unscrupulous sellers have no idea what real indoor orchid seeds look like. It should be remembered that these The seeds are dusty and several thousand times smaller than a grain of wheat. This type of seed can only be obtained in a special laboratory.

Orchid seeds are extremely vulnerable

The seed material of the plant is not protected by endosperm and is therefore easily vulnerable. To protect seeds from pathogenic microorganisms, strict sterility is required, which is simply impossible at home. Even tools and materials sterilized under high temperature conditions will not guarantee healthy seeds at home.

Features of soil for seeds

The soil for sowing seeds of such a capricious flower should also be based on a competent combination of agar-agar, organic and inorganic matter. The ideal option for growing a plant from seeds is to purchase a ready-made nutrient medium, which needs to be sterilized at home. Planting soil for seeds has a characteristic jelly-like consistency.

Sowing orchid seed is a very troublesome task. After sowing, it is necessary to hermetically seal the seed container and wait at least nine months until the seedlings appear. After this time, sprouts appear, which are transplanted after a couple of years to a permanent place in a separate flower pot.

What can grow and what it looks like

Consumer Reviews

Orchid seeds from China from the well-known trading site AliExpress are sold in incredible quantities every year. Buying material wholesale and retail from Chinese suppliers is not at all difficult. However, it should be remembered that such an undertaking rarely produces anything worthwhile. As a rule, the seed material either does not germinate at all, or instead of orchids it is possible to obtain ordinary lawn grass.

Many consumers leave extremely rave reviews on the websites of Chinese online stores that sell indoor orchid seed material. As a rule, reviews are related to the colorful packaging and fast delivery of the order. There are practically no reviews or photographs that allow us to understand that the seeds are germinating and have allowed us to grow a healthy and flowering plant.

The first gardeners who tried to germinate indoor orchid seeds often encountered serious problems. Such difficulties seemed insurmountable for more than 50 years. Currently, propagation of these plants using high-quality seed material is quite often carried out not only by breeders, but also by experienced amateur gardeners.

How to sow orchid seeds from China (video)

Growing an orchid from seed at home is much more difficult than most other indoor plants. It takes a lot of effort and effort. However, as a result, it is possible to get something more than an ordinary store-bought flower.