Dendrobium alterum orchid

50 seeds

This method requires a sterile workspace, such as a laminar flow cabinet or glove box, and specialized equipment like an autoclave/pressure cooker and sterile orchid media.

• Prepare Sterile Media: Pre-made orchid seed media (such as Murashige and Skoog (MS) media) is mixed with distilled water, pH-adjusted (around 5.6-5.8), boiled, poured into glass flasks, and sterilized in a pressure cooker at 15 PSI (121°C) for 15-20 minutes. The flasks are then cooled and checked for contamination.
• Harvest & Sterilize Pod: An unripe, green seed capsule (harvested around 9-10 months after pollination to reduce contamination risk) is surface-sterilized using a dilute bleach solution or 70% alcohol and then briefly flamed.
• Sow Seeds Aseptically: Under sterile conditions (inside a disinfected glove box), the pod is cut open with a sterile scalpel, and the dust-like seeds are transferred to the surface of the agar media in the flasks.
• Incubation: Seal the flasks tightly and place them in a bright area with indirect light, avoiding harsh midday sun. Optimal temperature is around 22-25°C (72-77°F). Germination may take weeks to months.
• Replating & Deflasking: Once seedlings develop roots and a few leaves (which can take months), they need to be transferred to fresh, nutrient-rich media to prevent overcrowding. Seedlings are ready to be "deflasked" and moved to pots with a coarse orchid mix (bark, charcoal, perlite) once they are robust enough to handle the transition, which can take 6-15 months or more.