How to Breed or Grow Orchids

Breeding Orchids

• 1

  Go to your local garden store and have a gardening expert help you pick out two fully mature orchids, one male and one female. The orchids need to be mature for fertilization, or breeding, to take place.

• 2

  Wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap and hot water. Follow with hand sanitizer to ensure that your hands are clean and free of bacteria that can potentially harm the breeding process.

• 3

  Sterilize a toothpick by dipping it in rubbing alcohol. Allow the toothpick to fully dry before proceeding to collect the pollen from the male flower.

• 4

  Place the toothpick into the stigmatic cavity of the male orchid. When the toothpick emerges, you will see grains of pollen on the end. Do not touch the pollen, as this can cause contamination. Place the pollen directly into the stigmatic cavity of the female orchid.

• 5

  After pollination, move the female orchid to a dry, shaded area. Observe the female orchid. Once the petals of the flower begin to wilt and fall off, you can rest assured that fertilization has occurred. Trim and remove any wet or rotten petals.

• 6

  Place a paper bag beneath the seed pod to catch the orchid seeds once the pod reaches maturity. However, note that it can take up to one year for this to occur. When the pod reaches maturity will appear dry and yellow in color. The pod will burst open, releasing the seeds. Plant orchid seeds immediately.

Growing Orchids

• 7

  Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap and use hand sanitizer to ensure that your hands are as clean as possible before handling and planting orchid seeds.

• 8

  Plant the orchid seeds at the base of the mature female orchid from which the seeds came. Orchids will germinate when grown in close quarters with the parent plant.

• 9

  Fertilize the orchids with plant food specially formulated for orchids. Carefully follow the instructions on the product label. Most orchid fertilizers are used once a month.

• 10

  Water your orchids regularly. Most orchids require watering every five to 12 days; however, some orchids require more water than others.

• 11

  Ensure that your orchid is receiving the proper amount of light. If the plant is getting too much light, the leaves will have a reddish tint, while orchids that are not receiving enough light will turn dark green. The leaves should be bright green in color.