Hardy Terrestrial Orchids from Seed

[Maggi Young]

Hardy Terrestrial Orchids from Seed

This is an article that is part of archive of late great Jim Archibald on the main SRGC Site
 ( http://www.srgc.net/site/index.php/features-mainmenu-47/articles/259-the-archibald-archive)

1961   ‘Hardy Terrestrial Orchids from Seed – Some Tentative Suggestions’, SRGC Journal 28/222

http://files.srgc.net/archibald/writings/HardyterrestrialOrchids.pdf

[Anders]

Hi Maggie

Good article with many interesting thoughts. But Archibald notes that sterile in-vitro propagation "is obviously beyond the capabilities of most of us"  and "However, it offers the only absolutely reliable way to raise orchids from seeds". His last statement is still very right, but  I don't quite agree with the first one. Invitro propagation of many hardy terrestrial orchids may now be done in the kitchen using simple sterile techniques and things from the supermarket. Over the years, I have tried to simplify the professional procedures and I have presented the results on my homepage for inspiration.
www.invitroorchids.dk

The absolutely best homepage on terrestrial orchid propagation, however, is Svante Malmgrens' and Henric Nyströms'.
www.lidaforsgarden.com/Orchids/engelsk.htm

Malmgren is the grand old man in European terrestrial orchid propagation, and I was very inspired by his articles in Svensk Botanisk tidsskrift (in Swedish) in the late eighties and early nineties. Malmgrens' homepage is fascinating even if you wouldn't attempt to repeat any of it at home.

:-)  Anders

[Maggi Young]

Hello Anders,
Yes, things have moved on a long way since Jim Archibald wrote that article in 1961 - and just as well too. In over 50 years we would hope for progress, eh?

[ian mcdonald]

I have been spreading seed of hardy native orchids from the exchange in my garden for many years. The only place they germinate is where I do not intentionally sow them, in troughs among saxifrage plants. There must be some association with saxifrage needed for germination.

[brianw]

Don't know of anything specific to saxifrages. In my experience they turn up at random in neglected pots or parts of the garden. I have never been sure if they avoid disturbance or it is where there is very low levels of nutrients etc. In my case it has been mostly D. fuchsii types in dry old pots or soil. Only once did I get the more bog growing north UK dacs selfseed in my artificial bog and that was soon after I had brought plants back from the old Jack Drake nursery many years ago.

[Maggi Young]

Your comment brings back happy memories of seeing orchids growing in just about every single one of the stock pots at  Jack Drakes Inshriach nursery, Brian. 
They certainly like 'company' and prefer an undisturbed spot - which is, of course, what they find when seeding into a cushion plant. We have Saxifraga troughs 'infested ' with dactylorhiza seedlings It's a very  pleasant 'problem' to have.

[ian mcdonald]

The orchids growing at Jack Drakes were probably D. purpurella. They are still available from the nursery. Still worth a visit.

[ian mcdonald]

By the way, can someone explain the strange times that messages are posted. Something wrong with the clock?

[Maggi Young]

By the way, can someone explain the strange times that messages are posted. Something wrong with the clock?

With an international membership some messages will be posted at "odd" times, Ian. 

 You can set the time for your own profile under the Modify profile then Look and Layout buttons.
 The forum time clock does not follow the  clocks forward/ clocks back  route - Fred  tends not to bother with such things on the grounds its not very relevant to such a large community.

[Corrado & Rina]

Over the years, I have tried to simplify the professional procedures and I have presented the results on my homepage for inspiration.
www.invitroorchids.dk

The absolutely best homepage on terrestrial orchid propagation, however, is Svante Malmgrens' and Henric Nyströms'.
www.lidaforsgarden.com/Orchids/engelsk.htm

Agree on Svante's page! Also your page is very interesting .... Svante says that you should not use pineapple juice for red cypripedium. What media do you use? What do you use instead of pineapple juice for red cypripedium?

Regards