Seed Pod

[Wynn Dee13]

Originally Posted by pancakefactory

what do you think is the easiest orchid to deflask?

edit: and do you HAVE to flask a seed? or can you just open the pod before it splits then sprinkle them on the medium?

I don't know what the easiest would be but maybe a Phal hybrid? I'm not sure though.

People flask because they get better results and get a better yield. Most people that try sprinkling the seed on some medium don't get any results. If it was that easy then nobody would go to the trouble of flasking. You also have to wait for the pod to be ripe so opening it too soon probably won't work.

If you have a seed pod you can try and sprinkle it on some medium. It would be an interesting experiment. Is the cross a hybrid? If it is a species you might want to consider donating it to Troy Meyers conservatory or the Seed Bank Project. They would love to have the seed if it is a species.

[catwalker808]

carlq.
For most orchids, it's best to germinate & start the seed as others have suggested. If you don't wish to go through the hassles of flasking & are content with just the thrill of having a few plants germinate, reed stem epis are one of the few types with which you might have success.

Reed stem epis produce volunteer seedlings more easily than most other orchids. Since people use them outdoors as border or bedding plants, bees or other insects easily pollinate them. The seed pods develop, split open, seeds fall out or are blown about & seedlings germinate on the surface of plantings.

I suggest watching the pods until they are very full & swollen & start to yellow slightly. There should be lots of seed. When the tip starts to split, just shake the seed onto the growing media of several different orchids which will receive frequent moisture. Don't use NEW bark, it may retard germination. You could try some on a piece of cork bark & mist frequently.

Keep the seeded areas a little shadier than usual & don't let it go dry for too long. If plants should germinate, let them stay in place until they are 5-6" tall or have several strong roots.

Because of their RELATIVE ease in producing offspring like this, even when cultivated or in outdoor plantings, many reed stem epi hybrids are of indeterminate parentage. Since they did not pollinate & mark the seed pod, when a nice volunteer blooms, many times, people assume or guess at parentage, to try & legitimatize the unknown hybrid.

So if you should succeed in germinating & growing some plants by this method, remember, you will have plants of unknown parentage. They will be reed stem epis & you will have to be content with that.

There is more confidence in the names of reed stem epi hybrids, when they have been made starting with known species & building from there.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Bletilla striata seeds can be germinated easily without flasking.

If you'd like one, let me know. I have just one flower that was pollinated by something (could've been a honeybee). I did not intend on breeding this species this year as I already have some being prepped in-vitro already. If you like, you may pm me and you may have dibs on it. You'll have to wait until sometime next year to get them though. The capsule ripens in about a year.

[pancakefactory]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Bletilla striata seeds can be germinated easily without flasking.

If you'd like one, let me know. I have just one flower that was pollinated by something (could've been a honeybee). I did not intend on breeding this species this year as I already have some being prepped in-vitro already. If you like, you may pm me and you may have dibs on it. You'll have to wait until sometime next year to get them though. The capsule ripens in about a year.

That sounds great to me! i will be leaving for germany next year sometime in the spring or summer. do you think it will be ready by that time? shhhhhh customs wont have to know!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

It'll most likely be ready by next spring.

As far as I know, the seeds would not require a permit to be transported between the contiguous 48 states in the US. Just as a fyi when planning to have them sent to you.

Mailing them to you would also be considerably less expensive if done while still within the US.

If you're leaving for Germany by late spring/early summer, I should be able to send them to you before you leave the US.