Before the advent of asymbiotic flasking (circa 1890-1900), the _only_ way
to grow orchid seed was to spread it around the mother plant, or another
plant which might have the appropriate mycchoryzal (sp?) fungus in its pot
or mount. C. Hybrida (very imaginative name for the first Catt hybrid G)
was probably made that way.

Yield, however, was not good, especially compared to the numbers obtainable
through flasking. Which may help to explain why an orchid which now sells
for $25 ran about $2500 back then (when $2500 was worth probably $25,000 of
today's dollars). Kenni


"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news:A9%Dh.979$QI4.505@trnddc01...
Last summer I started a pod on my Dendrobium antennatum. After waiting
and watching and waiting and watching a golf ball size fruit developed.
Without notice (at least it could have called my cell phone after all I
did for this plant) the pod exploded and one day I noticed want looked
like small wood shavings all over the plants around the dendrob. I was
_________ (fill in the blank and happy is not one of the choices).

So I gathered what I could from the pod so I could take it to someone to
try to sew in flask. On a neighboring Cattleya plant there was a large
deposit of seed. I took a bulb pan and put some old potting mix from some
paphs I was repoting. I knocked a bunch of seeds into the pan with the
old used mix. I figured it might have the fungus necessary for growth and
it would be fun to watch to see what happens.

Today under the 10x magnifier I can see bunches of the seed turning a
granny smith green and looking like real plant material.

Even if I don't get anything to grow up and bloom this is a great chance
to see how orchids grow in the wild (without leaving my greenhouse).

Now I know Al and Ray and the rest of you who flask seed everyday are
saying this guy is wacked. I can show you a whole basement full of orchid
seed sprouting but I am excited to see that nature really works sometimes.

Good Growing,
Gene