Orchid seeds (Cypripedium reginae) = any chance?

Anyone ever tried germinating orchid seeds?
I would like to try some Cypripedium. Hardy, terrestrial ones.
Very expensive as plants, so I'd be tempted to buy seeds.
But... they germinate in gelatin / agar medium.
WHAT is that?
I searched for AGAR here, and there's something in a jar, it's powder...to be used in kitchen.
Is that the right stuff?
Anyone any experience?

 

Well, First the agar media must be made in a clean room. Anything that grows in it naturally, will kill the seeds you are trying to grow. Everything needs to be sterile including the seeds.

You can buy the agar media but you still need a clean room. I am sure it can be done but you would need to think about it first.

 

Hi Calin, never grew orchid but wanted to point out Agar is simply jelly!

 

First you need a sterile room. This can be done using a fish tank laying sideways. You would seal the opening with strong plastic fitted with 2 holes and rubber gloves in the plastic. This is so you can slip your hands into the gloves to work with the flasks or dishes without contaminating things inside the little room. It should be sized and ready to mount on the tank when you get going. Then you need to buy agar powder. You can add what they advise to the powder, tomato meat or banana and other things. Mix it well. Put it in a small mason or canning jars and pressure can the agar in the jar. You can do allot of jars with the agar.

Once you have done that you need to clean a couple spray bottle, can opener, and a small bottle of bleach with bleach inside and out and add sterilized water. Have a small container to pre bleach the seed pods and put them in the clean room too.

Now that you have everything cleaned, you can clean with bleach inside the plastic and the tank. Don't forget the gloves.....where they will be exposed to the clean room. As soon as you do that you should get everything recleaned, and into the little room and seal it quickly.

Now you are ready to plant your seeds in the clean room. There is soo much more that you should learn before embarking on this journey. Good luck.

 

Oh Barb, with all that you wrote... I think luck has nothing to do with this.
Better focus on seeds that I have a slim chance to germinate
I'll just look at pictures of cute orchids on the internet...

 

It's really complex.

Did you know that a orchid flower will last longer if NOT pollinated. Once it is pollinated, there is no longer a need for the flower and it quickly wilts and fades away.