Reasons Why Orchid Seeds Fail to Germinate and Emerge, and What to Know About Introducing Edible Fungi

Orchid sowing methods can be divided into symbiotic sowing and sterile sowing; the former requires an environment of symbiotic orchid mycorrhiza, while the latter is carried out on a culture medium. Because orchid seeds are so tiny, each capsule contains 10,000 to a million seeds, almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye; their structure can only be seen clearly under a microscope. Their exterior is a transparent but water-impermeable seed coat containing fats, which are difficult to dissolve in water. Inside the coat is usually an undifferentiated spherical embryo; the embryo itself stores almost no nutrients, the endosperm is extremely reduced, and there are no cotyledons. Under normal conditions the seeds tend to rot, and germination requires conditions of symbiosis with orchid mycorrhiza, or, under sterile conditions, relies entirely on the culture medium to provide nutrients for germination and seedling formation.

You can try the method of sowing in the mother plant's pot, that is, symbiotic sowing. Choose a robust 4- to 5-year-old mother plant whose roots have relatively well-developed symbiotic orchid mycorrhiza; sowing on it gives better results. Before sowing, lay sphagnum moss evenly over the pot surface; the sphagnum must be disinfected to avoid contamination by foreign fungi that would cause the seeds to rot. Move the orchid pot to a shaded, damp, warm and ventilated place, scatter the orchid seeds evenly over the sphagnum on the pot surface, then water from the bottom of the pot to moisten the potting soil, the pot surface and the seeds, and to avoid washing away the seeds when watering from above. Keep the ambient temperature between 20°C and 26°C, and note that after summer begins you should use black netting to block strong sunlight and ventilate appropriately to disperse mist, so as to prevent excessive humidity from causing mold growth and making the seeds moldy and rotten. About 4 to 8 months after sowing, the seeds will germinate, and 1 to 2 months after germination the small seedlings can be transplanted into small pots for growing on. With this method, results are fairly good for Calanthe, Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium and the like, but the sowing results for Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi are not ideal. For propagating Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi by sowing, it is best to use the culture medium sowing method; as for how to prepare the medium, disinfect the seeds, inoculate and cultivate them, because the method is relatively complicated and the operational technical requirements are fairly high, it is best to first receive specialized training at a local relevant agriculture and forestry university or research institute before carrying out the operation, which may give more ideal results and reduce unnecessary detours.