How to Naturally Germinate Phalaenopsis Seeds

Phalaenopsis orchids are prized for their abundant blooms, both in wedding white and in colors. Commercial growers often propagate them by cloning from plant sections. In nature, phalaenopsis flowers produce seed pods, which spill out large numbers of tiny, dust-like seeds that sprout under the proper circumstances. You can germinate phalaenopsis seeds at home by simulating the conditions they find in nature.

Phalaenopsis seeds
Terracotta pot
Large pot with water
Sphagnum moss
Peat moss
Clean, finely-woven cloth
Boiling water
Parent orchid
Clear plastic
Saucer
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Sterilize a new terracotta pot by boiling it in a pot of water for 15 minutes. Remove the terracotta pot and allow it to cool.
- 2
  Fill the cooled pot three-fourths full with a mixture of peat moss and sphagnum moss.
- 3
  Place a clean cloth on top of the moss. Poke the cloth edges into the moss around the rim of the pot.
- 4
  Pour boiling water over the cloth to sterilize it.
- 5
  Remove some root pieces from the parent orchid and cut them into small sections.
- 6
  Distribute the root sections on top of the cloth. The root sections harbor mycorrhizal fungus, which provides the nutrients necessary for germinated seeds to grow and flourish.
- 7
  Distribute the phalaenopsis seeds between the pieces of root.
- 8
  Cover the pot with clear plastic and set it in a saucer of water.
- 9
  Place the pot with the saucer in a warm, lighted area.
- 10
  Refill the saucer as the water evaporates. Keep it full.
- 11
  Move the seedlings to separate pots once they sprout and become established, to avoid crowding.

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