Distributed for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Growing Orchids from Seed
Written for the amateur and the professional without access to sophisticated laboratory equipment and chemicals, ’Growing Orchids from Seed’ contains all you need to know to become an expert!
Careful guidelines are given for buying and making equipment, pollinating orchid flowers, harvesting and storing seed, successful germination, transplanting seedlings, and growing them on to healthy plants.
Careful guidelines are given for buying and making equipment, pollinating orchid flowers, harvesting and storing seed, successful germination, transplanting seedlings, and growing them on to healthy plants.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Obtaining orchid seed
The structure of orchid flowers
Sources of seed
Pollination
Fertilization
Harvesting and storing seed
Harvesting seed
Collecting and cleaning seed
Orchid seed in the post
Record keeping
Assessing seed quality
Seed storage
Pollen storage
Culture media
Selection of media
Equipment
Making up and storing media
Getting ready to sow the seed
Setting up a clean area
Safe disposal of materials
Working in a laminar flow bench or a sterile-handling cabinet
Seed sowing and germination
Choosing your options
Green pod method
Disinfection of seed
Packet method
Tube method incorporating sintered-glass disc
Test tube method
Filter paper & funnel method
Syringe method
Germination
Care of flasks: light & temperature
Transplanting to fresh medium
De-flasking seedlings
Aftercare of seedlings
Problem solving
Appendix 1: useful addresses
Appendix 2: green capsule harvest times
Appendix 3: media notes
Appendix 4: a simple hood
Appendix 5: seedling composts
Glossary
Further reading
Preface
Obtaining orchid seed
The structure of orchid flowers
Sources of seed
Pollination
Fertilization
Harvesting and storing seed
Harvesting seed
Collecting and cleaning seed
Orchid seed in the post
Record keeping
Assessing seed quality
Seed storage
Pollen storage
Culture media
Selection of media
Equipment
Making up and storing media
Getting ready to sow the seed
Setting up a clean area
Safe disposal of materials
Working in a laminar flow bench or a sterile-handling cabinet
Seed sowing and germination
Choosing your options
Green pod method
Disinfection of seed
Packet method
Tube method incorporating sintered-glass disc
Test tube method
Filter paper & funnel method
Syringe method
Germination
Care of flasks: light & temperature
Transplanting to fresh medium
De-flasking seedlings
Aftercare of seedlings
Problem solving
Appendix 1: useful addresses
Appendix 2: green capsule harvest times
Appendix 3: media notes
Appendix 4: a simple hood
Appendix 5: seedling composts
Glossary
Further reading
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