The fragile and tender beauty of an orchid, with various shades of flowers, attracts the attention of many gardeners. When a person first decided to germinate the seeds of this exotic plant, it was a fiasco. For half a century, these difficulties could not be solved. At the moment, reproduction by seeds has become available not only to breeders in special laboratories, but also to flower growers. Orchid seeds can be discharged from China. Consider in detail how to get healthy orchid seedlings from seed.
What seed is sold in China?
These varieties have not only a variety of shades and shapes, but also have a subtle, peculiar aroma. The most popular and sought after are:
- Dendrobium;
- Cymbidium (Cymbidium);
- Wanda (Vanda).
This plant grows in nature in remote places, impassable thickets and secluded valleys, far from people. Therefore, in China, this flower is a symbol of moderation, solitude and modesty.
Is it possible to grow a flower out of it?
If you have become the happy owner of real orchid seeds purchased on a Chinese site, then according to the theory, you can grow a flower from them.
But it is worth understanding that growing orchids from seeds is a very long and laborious process. We will have to buy the necessary material and equipment, maintain optimum temperature and sterility. It is necessary to equip a real laboratory at home, as the process of germinating seeds experienced gardeners is jokingly called. At the same time, patience will have to be reserved, since it will take a very long time to wait for the seedlings. Seeds will turn into a real, flowering plants can only after 4-6 years.
Features to consider
Not all Chinese sellers are bona fide, and one can often encounter such a problem that planting material, such as lawn grass or weeds, can come instead of orchid seeds. After such a deception, many are frustrated and stop trying to write out to grow the seeds of this exotic plant.
Attention! The seeds are not expensive, so do not stop trying, and order on another site. If you get a real planting material, and grow out of it an exotic beauty, then your satisfaction and joy will have no limits.
What does it look like?
Orchid seeds resemble dust - so small they are. If you compare orchid seed with a grain of wheat, it is 15,000 times less. In addition, they have almost no stock of nutrients for germination. The question arises, how in nature does an orchid seed multiply? The answer is simple - the number of seeds. One plant can produce up to 5 million seeds, which are quickly spread by wind and deposited on trees, but only a few later germinate - this is a harsh natural selection.
A photo
In the photo you can see the seeds themselves orchids, as well as what has grown from them.
This is how the seeds look:
And this is an adult plant:
Where and at what price you can buy?
You can order on the Chinese site in the "seeds" or "for the garden", one bag costs about 35 rubles.
How to check for authenticity?
After receiving the package, open the package and carefully examine its contents before planting seeds at home. Real seeds should be:
- very fine - like dust. The size of one seed from 0, 35 to 3 mm in length and 0.08-0.3 mm in width;
- beige, cream or light brown;
- the form is narrow and elongated.
Important! If the package contains seeds of a different shape, color or size, then you are not lucky, from this planting material you will grow anything, but not an orchid.
Very often flower growers make a purchase by reading the positive reviews on the seller’s website and looking at the high rating. But reviews in most cases talk about the speed of delivery or packaging.. Photos of plants are usually not applied, as it takes a long time to grow.
Sometimes flower lovers, having received large seeds in the mail, hope that it is a seed box. But it should be green and no longer than 3 cm, the shape resembles wheat grain. Besides, <как только="" семена="" в="" коробочке="" созревают,="" она="" раскрывается,="" поэтому="" получить="" по="" почте="" ее="" в="" закрытом="" виде="">
Step by step instructions on how to properly plant
Inventory
Before you start sowing, you need to prepare equipment and appropriate utensils.:
100-gram glass flasks, or test tubes, but small glass jars can be taken with tightly closed lids;- corks made of cotton and gauze;
- a tripod if it is decided to germinate seeds in test tubes;
- litmus test;
- 2% hydrogen peroxide;
- sterile syringe.
100-gram glass flasks, or test tubes, but small glass jars can be taken with tightly closed lids;If you choose simple jars with lids, then they make a hole in them and insert a small glass tube. Subsequently, it is necessary to place a small piece of cotton wool in it, then the air will flow into the jar unhindered, and bacteria and dust will settle on the cotton wool.
Sterilization
To sterilize the dishes, apply:
- steamer;
- oven with thermostat;
- microwave.
Actions:
- Tanks are sterilized immediately with a nutrient medium in a tightly closed state in an upright position.
- Sterilization is carried out at a temperature of 120 degrees for at least 45 minutes. It is necessary to take into account the heating of the oven or double boiler, so add 20 minutes to the initial time.
- Then cool containers with medium to room temperature.
Nutrient preparation
Attention! Creating a breeding ground for planting orchid seeds is a very laborious process, but you can buy it at a specialty store.
If you want to go all the hard way of growing a beautiful plant from seeds, then prepare the mixture yourself.
So need:
agar-agar - 8 g;- complex phosphate-nitrogen-potassium fertilizer - 1.5 g;
- glucose - 10 g;
- fructose - 10 g;
- activated carbon - 1 g;
- root system stimulator - 5 drops;
- 1 liter distilled water.
agar-agar - 8 g;Algorithm of action when cooking:
- In boiling distilled water in a volume of half a liter, add glucose, fructose, agar-agar. Boil the mixture over medium heat until the last ingredient dissolves.
- In the next half-liter of heated water, add coal, fertilizer and phytostimulator, mix well.
- Combine both composition.
- To bring the acidity of the composition to a certain indicator. If the pH is high - apply a solution of potash, a low - orthophosphoric acid. Seeds will germinate only in a pH of 4.8-5.2.
Nutrient medium should be similar to jelly. In each jar pour 30 mg of the composition and close tightly. Sterilize the banks with the medium as previously described. Then we leave the sterilized nutrient medium for 5 days, if during this time mold appeared in it, we throw out the substrate and start all over again.
Video, which describes in detail how to prepare a nutrient medium for orchid seeds:
Sowing
How to produce sowing:
- Before you put the seeds in the nutrient mixture, they must be sterilized. Dilute bleach in water in a ratio of 10%. After prolonged shaking, the solution should be well filtered. Soak seeds in chlorine solution for 10 minutes and plant immediately.
- Sterilized seeds are drawn from the solution with a sterile syringe and placed in the nutritional mixture through tubes that are closed with sterile cotton.
You can put the seeds in germination. At the same time the air temperature should be 18-23 degrees. Light day 12-14 hours.
We offer to watch a video on how to sow orchid seeds at home:
Aftercare
As soon as the seeds are sown, it is enough just to maintain the optimum temperature and light day.
Problems and difficulties
Seed physiology is such that often these factors become a barrier to seeding at home:
- seeds are very small;
- they do not have endosperm, which allows you to pull and absorb nutrients from the soil;
- even a minor impact from the outside can ruin the material;
- seeds are very susceptible to pathogens.
Conclusion
As you can see, the process of growing orchids from seeds is quite laborious and lengthy, but very fascinating. If you do everything correctly and according to the instructions, the result will be positive. Be patient and after a while you will have a large number of gorgeous, exotic flowers.
