Common Spotted Orchid - 0.5g - Average 5000 seeds

The Common spotted-orchid is probably the most familiar of our wild orchids. This attractive perennial plant produces a spire of pale pink, two lipped flowers lined and blotched with dark purple and with narrow, usually dark spotted leaves it is unmistakably an orchid. It typically flowers from late May to August. Orchids have a somewhat complex biology, particularly with regard to regenerating plants from seed.  Raising orchid plants from seed in pots can be difficult and is a job for specialist nurseries or laboratories.  Fortunately, when orchid seed is sown into the right location ‘nature', in partnership with the orchid, takes care of the complex biology. With patience, it is possible to get results. 

Orchids have very fine dust-like seed that can survive about 5 years or more while dormant in the soil. When eventually seed germination occurs they must almost immediately form a close association with specific mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi are widespread in the environment as fungal networks in the soil or spores. The symbiotic relationship between orchid and fungi continues below ground for several years before the young plant emerges and is visible above ground.  Common spotted orchid typically takes 3-4 years from sowing to first flowering. Some orchids will take longer, depending on species and site conditions.  This process can take as long as 10-15 years, especially in younger meadow creation and restoration sites where it can take this long for the soil biome to mature and become suitable for orchid growth. 

This SEED IS SUPPLIED WITH SOIL GRANULES. This is because pure Orchid seed is extremely fine dust-like and is tricky to handle and liable to blow away in the wind. Therefore, this seed is combined with soil granules to aid handling and dispersal to the ground. To facilitate handling and sowing of such light dust-like seed, and to prevent it blowing away in the breeze, the Orchid seed will be received bulked up with a carrier that includes dry sieved soil granules taken from fields where the Orchids grow. 

Sow the orchid seed granules thinly over the surface of your chosen location. If it helps, you can further bulk up the volume by mixing with damp sand or compost before broadcasting. Once sown, rain will disperse and wash the seed down through the vegetation and into the soil. Here it can germinate and link up with the mycorrhizal soil fungus. There is no easy way of knowing if your site can provide the right conditions for Orchids, but you will never know if you don't give it a try. Some commentators note that Orchids tend to establish and grow best in short, open, flower rich swards on poor soils.

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