We use wooden toothpicks to transfer pollinia. The best time to pollinate your orchid is when the flower is about 3-4 days old. Move the end of the toothpick into the flower an pull out the pollinia. Sometimes the pollinia does not stick on the tootpick. In this case you should use a forceps to pull them out. In the next step remove the anther cap and place the pollinia on the stigma of the other flower, as close as possible to the entry of the stigma channel. Last but not least write down the pollination date and the name of the secound plant.

With some examples we want to show you the common way to label seed capsules and plants.

When you put the pollinia on the stigma of a flower, the pollen produce tubes, which grow through the stigma channel to the femal ovule in the ovary. As soon as the tubes arrive in the ovary ovule get pollinated and seeds start to develope. Sometimes the pollination fails and the plants drops the capsule. The following table lists how long it takes from pollinia transfer till the ovule gets pollinated.

The seeds inside the capsule have finished their development about 3/4 of the time the capsule needs from pollinia transfer till releasing the mature seeds. If you want to sow green capsules (in vitro) you can harvest them after this time. It´s very important that the green capsule has no holes or places where fungi could reach the seeds otherwise they are not free of contaminations (fungi, bacteria, ...).

For sowing dry seeds just wait till the capsule starts to open (dehisces) and then harvest it.