One of the most amazing sights to see is the breeding process of an orchid. It is also one of the most difficult processes to replicate. Breeding orchids is not only difficult, but it can take many years to create a new flowering plant. The journey is long, but it is also one of the most rewarding processes that any orchid grower may achieve. In this section I will take you through the proper steps to cross breed your orchids and use the seeds to grow a new plant.
Pollination
Because every orchid in the wild is specifically designed to be pollinated by a targeted host. The phalaenopsis in the wild is often pollinated by moths. So unless you happen to have a lot of moths in your home, pollination isn't going to happen on it's own. First you will need to select two orchids you would like to breed. More often than not, you will be unable to pollinate between two flowers from the same plant. I have selected two plants for my breeding process in the photo below.
Starting with selecting a single flower you must retrieve the pollen from the flower. This is made quite easy with a toothpick. Referring to the photos below, place the tooth pick behind central column and pull the small tip of the flower towards you. The pollen packet will stick to the toothpick and should easily pull away from the flower.
In the final picture you can see the two large pieces of pollen. Repeat this process with a second toothpick on a flower of the other plant. Be careful to keep track which pollen came from which plant so you don't pollenate a flower with it's own pollen. Once you have the pollen from both flowers you need to remove the pollen covering to make it easier to place. Gently grab the outer white shell and pull. The pollen should remain stuck to the toothpick in the photo below.
Finally, place the pollen. On the underside of the center column just below where you retrieved the pollen is a small round hole. Inside the hole is a slightly sticky substance. Gently raise the pollen inside this hole and press gently till the pollen sticks. Pull the toothpick away slowly and the pollen should release. Sometimes this takes a few tries. See the photos below that illustrate the process.
Now you just have to wait and see if the pollination takes, some varieties will more easily cross breed with others. Some varieties will not cross breed at all so you will have to experiment. If the pollination is successful in a few days the hole where the pollen was placed will begin to close up and a small dark spot will appear in the front center like in the photo of another pollinated orchid a did the week prior. Eventually this flower will turn into a seed pod which I'll discuss in the next section.
The Seed Pod
Over the next several months the stem of the flower will elongate, grow larger, grooves will appear, and eventually the flower will dry up. The formation of the seed pod can take a very long time, sometimes 3 months to a year depending on the health and size of the plant. Only when the seed pod has obviously stopped growing for several weeks should it be harvested. This photo below was taken about 3 months after pollination. A month later I harvested this seed pod for planting.
"Planting" Your Seeds
Orchid seeds are not your typical seeds. While most seeds are formed as a small package with nutrient for the young plant, orchid seeds have no nutrients. In the wild these extremely tiny seeds would land on the bark of the tree and obtain nutrient from the fungus growing on the tree. Because this process is nearly impossible to replicate the natural process, you will have to make your own home made nutrient. In the coming weeks I'll add the details of how I grew my own baby orchids from the seeds harvested from this pod above.
Just a reminder, this process takes a very long time. The seed pod can take 4 months to grow. The seeds once planted can take nearly a year to form baby plants barely bigger than the tip of a pencil. And once transplanted you will have to wait 2-3 more years before the plant actually flowers.
Just a reminder, this process takes a very long time. The seed pod can take 4 months to grow. The seeds once planted can take nearly a year to form baby plants barely bigger than the tip of a pencil. And once transplanted you will have to wait 2-3 more years before the plant actually flowers.