Transplanting orchids

[maryriddle]

We are lucky enough to have thousands of common spotted orchids growing on one small meadow on our farm. I want to increase the numbers in another meadow which has only a handful. I plan to collect and scatter seed in the autumn. Can I also transplant some? And if so when would be the best time to do this? Any tips on transplanting gratefully received.

[Amy]

Bumping for you, Mary
(As an aside - BBC Norfolk Countryside Hour Extra Purest Green at 8.33-9.50 mentions some interesting points re orchid seed: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09mpctz)

(An article from Bewdley Orchids: https://www.rareplantfair.co.uk/news-an ... ur-garden/ seems to imply that transplanting could be difficult as they hate disturbance, but possible - as they grow them up from seed to sell as garden ready plants i.e. transplants:

".....Although many species can quickly set up colonies when conditions are suitable, most are slow developers and need a long undisturbed period of growth before they flower."

It is the time that it takes for orchids to flower in the wild which can be their downfall. Any disturbance during their development can cause the untimely collapse of a wild population. This disturbance can come in many forms, such as changes to land use, ploughing and herbicides, but also pressure from visitors to an area inadvertently treading on the plants..."

((Pheasants or deer are nipping off the flower and seed heads from mine, so lucky you having thousands!))

Hopefully someone here will be able to answer your query soon or perhaps you might ask an orchid seller for advice.

[maryriddle]

Thank you Amy, those links are very interesting. I'll try transplanting some in the autumn and see how they do. We too have seen flowers munched , I'm pretty sure by deer. I was excited to find a single Southern Marsh Orchid near a small group of Commons that disappeared overnight.
I agree with the article that orchids seem to hate any disturbance. The meadow where they are abundant is on a hillside cut off by a stream and woodland and I suspect has never been touched. Other meadows which are classed as semi improved are very species rich now, but have only a few orchids on the field margins. Hopefully over the years we can reestablish them.

[Steve Pollard]

Mary - to my mind, for plants like orchids that don't spread vegetatively, it makes no sense to transplant them when you have a source of seed that you can move and scatter easily. Your best bet would be to take a handful of dry spikes over each year.- stake a good patch of them to make them easier to find in late-Summer, if necessary. If the new field is suitable for them to grow, the seed will germinate and the plants will establish, but it will take 3-5 years. Good luck!

[maryriddle]

Agreed. Just being impatient!

[Robin]

I am reading Pam Lewis's book "Making a wildflower meadow" at the moment and she has successfully transplanted orchids (she doesn't say which species). She says "we carefully lifted the orchids with as much soil as possible, hoping to keep their essential associated fungi intact" (p. 87).

Incidentally, this is an excellent book for those who favour a more interventionist style of meadow management. She seems to be out there every day, digging something up, mowing or planting! It's useful because she has many different soil conditions - wet, dry, clay, chalk - and gives advice on how to deal with each.

As Steve says, spreading the seed would be a lot easier.

[maryriddle]

Thank you Robin, I'll order that book. She sounds like a woman after my own heart!

[Colin Close]

Hi, I have recently joined the forum and noticed this thread. Though what I have to say is not about transplanting but propogation I nevertheless thought it might be of interrest.
Recently I was lucky enough to help mow the Coronation Meadow at Highgrove House. I spotted a number of Orchid seed heads and asked one of the gardeners there if I could take a few. I had a conversation with him about the Orchid population of the meadow and he said it was steadily increasing and that it had nearly doubled each year over a couple of seasons. I asked how this had been acheived and he happily shared his experience. Part of the trick it would seem is that plants have a mychozzorial relationship with funghi in the soil thus planting seed along with the necessary funghi to establish the relationship is the key to successful propogation. The method used is to collect the seed heads and dry them. Whilst they are drying fresh soil is collected from molehills in the locality of the Orchid population. This soil is very finely seived and then the content of the dried seed heads are mixed with it. The resultant mix is then spread to new areas of the meadow.