Open sowing Bletilla seed

[GROWINHYDRO.COM]

Though I'd share some results from just sowing Bletilla seeds on a peat most seedling mix, with some sifted topsoil from around the parents. I usually have about a dozen seed pods every year in my Bletilla patch, and have always just let them fade with the onset of winter. I saw a thread on another forum where the seeds were just sown open on soil like gesnariad seeds.

I thought I would give it a try.

2 days - seeds have taken in water and swollen embryo's are very visible.

 

[GROWINHYDRO.COM]

It took about 6 days to see that the corms had germinated and started turning green. This photo is 8 days after sowing.

 

[Gilda]

Another thing to try !!:wink: I too have seed pods and have "scattered" them near the patch, but never thought any sprouted . Thanks for sharing this !

 

[GROWINHYDRO.COM]

Another shot

 

[GROWINHYDRO.COM]

Another thing to try !!:wink: I too have seed pods and have "scattered" them near the patch, but never thought any sprouted . Thanks for sharing this !

Yeah, get some deli containers, make your seedling mix, wet it down, split a pod, shake it like a salt shaker, put the lid on it, put it under your florescents!

A tiny bit easier than flasking oke:

We'll have to see how it goes, and compare results

 

[nikv]

I'm looking forward to see how your seedlings progress. If it works for you, I might try it with mine next year.

 

[Candace]

Thanks for posting the photos:>

 

[biothanasis]

Very rewarding results!!!! How do you restrict the developement of fungi??? Thanks!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Neat, it will be interesting to see how many make it to adulthood. Nice experiment!

 

[GROWINHYDRO.COM]

Very rewarding results!!!! How do you restrict the developement of fungi??? Thanks!

Right now I'm doing nothing to restrict development of fungi. Now that they have germinated, I'm going to keep an eye on it and then I may try treating with Chitosan once the corms get larger.

 

[PaphMadMan]

Right now I'm doing nothing to restrict development of fungi. Now that they have germinated, I'm going to keep an eye on it and then I may try treating with Chitosan once the corms get larger.

Don't you think anything you use to inhibit fungi will just work against the mycorhizal fungus you were so careful to introduce in the beginning?

 

[GROWINHYDRO.COM]

Don't you think anything you use to inhibit fungi will just work against the mycorhizal fungus you were so careful to introduce in the beginning?

Yes I do. I want to keep an eye on it and if it appears to start a secondary infection of one of the more common "household" fungus, I'll try treating it in an attempt to prevent it from overcoming the corms. It has a fungus "infection" now, I can see all the hyphae, but so far it is not progressing to the point that I am concerned. Hopfully the mycelium will just stay in the soil and not envelop the corms.

I've got several seed pods so I can try this a number of ways to get it right. If this one fails, I am going to sterilize the peat moss and sow the seed without the addition of topsoil from around the parents. It was an assumption the the seed needed the mycorrhiza to germinate, it may not; but will need nutrients to be available.

I would think the addition of fertilizer to the peat moss could provide those nutrients. I am considering steam sterilizing the peat, but not sure what effect that temperature will have on the fertilizer. I think it will be fine since I apply heat and pressure to the agar for normal flasking, and it retains its nutritive elements.

My other option is to UV sterilize, but I'm not positive about how that will affect the fertilizer. I would think it will be fine because the elements are in ion form.

Thoughts?

 

[PaphMadMan]

Yes I do. I want to keep an eye on it and if it appears to start a secondary infection of one of the more common "household" fungus, I'll try treating it in an attempt to prevent it from overcoming the corms. It has a fungus "infection" now, I can see all the hyphae, but so far it is not progressing to the point that I am concerned. Hopfully the mycelium will just stay in the soil and not envelop the corms.

I've got several seed pods so I can try this a number of ways to get it right. If this one fails, I am going to sterilize the peat moss and sow the seed without the addition of topsoil from around the parents. It was an assumption the the seed needed the mycorrhiza to germinate, it may not; but will need nutrients to be available.

I would think the addition of fertilizer to the peat moss could provide those nutrients. I am considering steam sterilizing the peat, but not sure what effect that temperature will have on the fertilizer. I think it will be fine since I apply heat and pressure to the agar for normal flasking, and it retains its nutritive elements.

My other option is to UV sterilize, but I'm not positive about how that will affect the fertilizer. I would think it will be fine because the elements are in ion form.

Thoughts?

Are you sure the mycelium you see isn't the mycorhiza? If it is active it should have an extensive network of hyphae just like any other fungus.

If you are succesful it would be interesting to see if this mycorhiza would work with seed of other orchids.

Steam sterilization should have little or no effect on most fertilizers. Please let us know if you try that experiment.

 

[GROWINHYDRO.COM]

Yeah, I assume/hope it is mycorrhiza mycelium, it is networked throughout. But, I am anticipating a more aggressive saprophytic fungus. If the mycelium remains contained by the soil, I have high hopes that it is mycorrhiza. It's likely too soon to tell but the mycelium I can see so far is consistent with Ceratobasidium cornigerum, but that is just a big guess.

Most fungal infections I have seen on agar from the household take on a greyish color with white hyphae, or are brown in color.

It will be interesting to see if I can see the cycle of infection and feast by the protocorms if it is in fact a mycorrhiza.