Natural pollinators rarely find their way to an orchid blossom in our latitudes. So that the tropical plant produces fruit with numerous seeds, you can fertilize the flowers yourself. Here we explain how the feat succeeds.
The pollen is behind a flap inside the orchid
These 3 requirements are obligatory
So that the effort involved in manual pollination actually results in rich seed heads, the following requirements should be met:
- The orchids are strong and healthy to cope with the exertion
- A single plant has at least 2 open flowers
- The flowers to be pollinated are fully open
You can hope for particularly stable hybrids if you use pollen from 2 orchids of the same species. Transfer the pollen of different species, breed new generic hybrids with an unpredictable result.
Step-by-step instructions for manual pollination
On orchids, the pollen is hidden behind a flap that protects the anther. This anther valve is removed with a toothpick. Now the pollen packets are exposed and can be picked up with the toothpick. It is important to note that the pollinia are golden yellow. Dark-colored pollen is no longer fresh enough to fertilize a flower. Proceed with these steps:
- Pick up the pollen with the tip of the toothpick
- Gently transferred to the sticky stigma of the mother plant
- Expose the hidden stigma on mother plants with a flower shoe
You have made your contribution to pollination. As the scar closes and swells, the plant signals a successful course of the procedure. Now the flower withers quickly. The actual fertilization takes place as the pollen migrates into the ovary in the following weeks. It usually takes up to 9 months for the seeds to ripen in the fruit.
tips
Self-pollination of an orchid flower has no chance of success. With a few exceptions, plants have developed a protective mechanism against this form of floral inbreeding. If you fertilize an orchid in this way, empty fruit without seeds will thrive.