How to pollinate orchids and how to make orchid seeds germinate

1. How to pollinate

Orchids rely on insects for pollination and are insect-pollinated flowers. Because its flowers are large in size, beautiful in color, and have a fragrant smell and sweet nectar, they attract bees and butterflies, allowing them to transfer pollen from one flower to another, completing the pollination process. Alternatively, orchids can also be pollinated artificially. Because there are too many uncontrollable factors in insect pollination, in order to achieve the purpose of pollination and fertilization, artificial pollination is still necessary. Artificial pollination requires choosing the right time. The pollen just after flowering has the strongest germination ability. The best time for pollination is about 3-4 days after flowering.

2. How to germinate

1. Sowing with bacteria: Orchid seeds can germinate with the help of the orchid bacteria of the mother plant, which can increase the survival rate of the seeds. Soak the seeds in warm water for about 10-12 hours, then sow them on the surface of the pot of the mother plant, and use the orchid fungus of the mother plant to allow them to germinate and grow. After planting in the mother plant's pot for about two months, you can move it to a smaller pot for cultivation.

2. Sterile sowing: Place the seeds in a test tube or glass bottle with proprietary culture medium. Sterile seeding requires the preparation of very demanding culture media, and the control of temperature and humidity is also relatively strict. Transplanting after germination also requires higher ecological conditions and management techniques. It is generally not suitable for home propagation of orchids.