24/09/2017
How to grow orchids from seeds outside a laboratory? Author: Jef Houttekiet All seeds have a food reserve (endosperm) around the germ (embryo) to be able to grow, except orchids. All over the world we sow orchid seeds in laboratories on a agar, containing the sugar they need to grow. It is a long expensive process. In the nature, they grow by using a sugar produced by fungi. I sow them on small scale without any instrument directly on coconut shell. First I cut the shell in small parts and "infect" them with the fungi, and keep it humid gor 2 months. After I put the seed on it and they grow on the same way as in the nature, faster, stronger and cheaper than the traditional way in laboratories. I tried it on 20 species with success. |
10/12/2019
Building a new orchid greenhouse: The biggest part of the orchid collection is growing in trees. This part shows how they are growing in the forest. Beside, others are in baskets. Currently, they have shadow from the trees, and we sprinkle them manually. In the new greenhouse, sprinkling will happens automatically, and its possible to adapt the light intensity for each species. This first greenhouse is 5 on 20 meters. |
11/02/2018
Erythrorchis altissima Walking in the forest, Sina Pring found this orchid species, identified by Andre Schuiteman. "This is certainly something you don't see every day. It is Erythrorchis altissima, witch is indeed a leafless orchid. It was already known from Cambodia." (Andre Schuiteman) Only seen in in 1914 by Chevalier, A.J.B. and 2011 by Fleury, Kew |