Orchid Tip #7 - How to pollinate Orchids

[@DrinkingStar]

I have viewed 2 other videos demonstrating the pollination process for Phalaenopsis orchids.You have done an excellent job showing and explaining how to pollinate Phalaenopsis orchids. I am glad you also mentioned the time element and difficulty in having the seeds germinate. The 2 other individuals did not mention the problem and time element with getting the seeds to germinate. From what I read, it may take many years for an orchid grown from seed to finally flower. It does not seem worthwhile for the average/typical orchid enthusiast to grow orchids from seeds.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

***** yes you are correct it takes even 7 years to bloom an orchid from seed, not to mention the special germination requirements. It is not for me, but some people are passionate about this and enjoy it, so why not? :)

[@deannagiuliani8541]

Thank you for this! I pollinated 3 of my flowers and all 3 took! My husband has the necessary lab equipment and were going to try to germinate them!

[@sylvenamyles5550]

I think you have a beautiful arrangement of orchids and your balcony is awesome I've st

[@MissOrchidGirl]

You are right, might be easier with a wild type :)

[@Aiki15th]

lol don't worry, it was a bit tricky for me when I did it too. Mine successfully pollinated, and like I said in one of your previous videos, making the medium is too much work so I'm going to try to germinate it more naturally. Do you plan to pollinate yours anytime soon?

[@cisco5400]

Interesting, thank you!

[@cynthiacisneros1694]

👀 pretty expert to me❣️

[@MissOrchidGirl]

I don't know, I do want to try to germinate some seeds at some point, when the Phals are all in bloom I might try again :)

[@tashritchie3832]

The video is great, thanks for sharing

[@Formula400Pontiac]

I have a seedpod on one of my phals. x-polination from another plant was the only thing that worked on this phal. Sadly i didn't know that the flowers drop after pollination so i ruined a very beautiful flowering phal. lol Growing phals from seeds sound like a lot of work... I guess i just trow the seedpod.

[@katherinepaulo5901]

is it OK to plant orchids on chunks of charcoal

[@Koostbraaksel]

It's probably easier for a wild Phalaenopsis to be pollunated, keep in mind that these plants were captive bred for generations and they're probably not the same as they are in the wild anymore.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

No don't throw it directly, why not trying to germinate them still?

[@Koostbraaksel]

It's not that hard once you get the hang of it.

[@kennguyen-scott6961]

MissOrchidGirl, you should really do a little research about orchid flowers and their parts, it's not hard. The white thing is the column, the "white lip" is part of the anther cap that protects the pollen capsules. Orchids do not have stamens (STAY-men, not stah-men). Your demonstration is good, but you should know what you're talking about.

[@kennguyen-scott6961]

@@hanswi336 The Oxford English Dictionary and Webster's Dictionary say otherwise. It's pronounced ˈstāmin'.

[@smillion1105]

MissOrchidGirl openly admits she is not a professional regarding orchid botany or propagation. So I wouldn't hold her to such an exacting standard. With respect and good humor, however, I will hold you to your own exacting standard, along with your words, "you should really do a little research about orchid flowers and their parts, it's not hard... you should know what you're talking about." I say this because it turns out phalaenopsis orchids actually do have stamens (or stamina), but they are tiny and fused within the column. According to several online dictionaries, a stamen is simply the flower's pollen producing organ, encompassing the filament and the anther. From the Wikipedia page on Orchidaceae, the family in which orchids are classified (check there for references and citations): "...All of the other orchids, the clade called Monandria, retain only the central stamen, the others being reduced to staminodes." And from the "Stamen" Wikipedia page (see references and citations there): "carpels and stamens of orchids are fused into a column. The top part of the column is formed by the anther, which is covered by an anther cap." (Interestingly, this quote has been plagiarized and used in other websites and answer forums, replicating the sentences without crediting origin.) Anyway, also on the stamen page of Wikipedia is a photo captioned "Stamen with pollinia and its anther cap. Phalaenopsis orchid." The stamen is tiny but still exists. At any rate, I think most of us understood that Miss Orchid Girl's use of "stamen" was colloquial. Regarding her pronunciation, while true that in English the ā is pronounced as a "long" A, as in the word "stay," non-native speakers of English pronouncing it "stahmin" instead of "staymin" is certainly understandable. Especially for people whose native language is actually Latinate, and considering the word stamen is a Latin word, the "a" would be pronounced as a short A (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French). I have heard even PhDs and MDs pronounce Latin nomenclature differently than their peers. The most wonderful thing though, is that now we can all say, in truth, "my orchids have stamina!" (The plural of stamen is 'stamens' or 'stamina.' How cool is that?)

[@smillion1105]

And yes, I know I'm commenting on something from 2 years ago. Just wanted to share the stamen/stamina thing, and the fact that orchids have them.

[@bhumphries1360]

Calm down buddy. She doesn't claim to be an expert. But she does know enough information about orchids that she has quite a bit of subscribers that follow her because of it. (I being one of them). Obviously you did not watch her full video. She seems like a very kind and helpful person. No need for you to be rude and condescending.