Question
QUESTION: Why is it that orchid's are planted by seeding? I have a big variety of orchids that I have planted from reproduction. But I donot see any ritting info. on this procedure. Thank you


ANSWER: Antonio, as you probably know, orchid seeds are microscopic in size and there are vey special laboratory procedures that have been developed for growing these seeds.  These procedures are described in the book on Home Orchid Growing by the late Rebecca Tyson Northen. It takes anywhere from 2-8 years from orchid seed to blooming plant.  Because of the special procedures and culture media required to germinate and grow orchid seeds, many commercial growers use these procedures to produce seedlings for the orchid hobbyist.



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QUESTION: Why is there no literature on planting reprpduction orchids? O" where can I find inf. on this matter? thank you

Answer
Antonio, as I indicated in my answer, my recommendation is that you use the book on Home Orchid Growing by Rebecca Tyson Northen.  I think this has the most comprehensive treatment of the topic including meristemming and seed culture.  The American orchid Society (AOS) also has helpful information on their website, including cultivation of certain orchids under orchid culture.  There are many ways in which orchids are grown including twig epiphytes, such as are native to the Carribean region.  These include growing them on a variety of tree branches as well as pot culture.

There is a great deal of literature on orchid culture but how a plant is grown is largely a function of the type of orchid. If you are interested in how to grow phalaenopsis orchids, just google "Phalaenopsis Orchid culture" and you should get a list of sites that provide that information. Try to narrow down your interest to start with because growing orchids from seed or vegetative parts is very different from growing orchid seedlings or mature orchid plants.

I suggest you work on growing adult orchid plants which you can get from a local nursery or via E-mail and focus on caring for them as a start. You then can obtain on-line culture sheets for the specific type of orchid you are growing.

If my response does not specifically address your interest, try again and be as specific as possible as I may not understand what you are trying to do.