Sowing Seed Of Beletilla Striata (Orchid).

Sowing orchid seed your best bet is to surface sow the seed, preferably as soon as it is ripe, in a bright position and do not allow the compost to dry out.The seed of this species is extremely simple as it has a minute embryo surrounded by a single layer of protective cells.It contains very little food reserves and depends upon a symbiotic relationship with a species of soil-dwelling fungus. The fungal hyphae invade the seed and enter the cells of the embryo.The orchid soon begins to digest the fungal tissue and this acts as a food supply for the plant until it is able to obtain nutrients from decaying material in the soil.To get this fungus,it is best to use some of the soil that is growing around established plants.Alternatively sow the seed around a plant and allow the seedlings to grow on until they are large enough to move.As you can see it is quite complicated.