I think the idea is to sprinkle the "seeds" on the top of the medium. So what is the name of the seeds?

They are supposed to be 100 Pahpiopedilum Exul (lady slipper) seeds.

I have recently been doing research on growing from seed and its my understanding that you let the media set up and become a gel then place the seeds on top of the media...I found some useful videos on you tube. I searched sowing orchid seeds and found some good videos...just out of curiosity what are you going to use for your flasks?

Well I bought 1.5PT glass bottle of VOSS. It's some Norwegian water. I might use that and just try to sterilize around the lid-area really well.

I've said it before " all the great orchid Hybridisers must have started somewhere". Getting the seed to germinate is the first step. Then you have to replate ie thin out the seedling so that the tiny plants have room to grow. This stuff is an art form, some flasks have beautifully grown evenly spaced plants, others are a mess. My orchid growing buddy who has done lots of hybridising sends all his pods off to a laboratory.
Have you found out how many years from seed to flowering for Paph.exul?
My understanding is that Phalaenopsis are fairly quick while it has taken eighteen years to see the first flowering on Dendrobium speciosum var. capricornicum after I deflasked the plants.
Good luck in the adventure.

Well I'll be happy just to have one or two healthy plants that I can say I started from seeds. Yes ideally a flower would be nice. I'll check how long it's supposed to take.

Arthur,
Taking a flask of speciosum on in my perception is a daunting task requiring the absolute most amount of patience. 18 years to the first flower. Maybe 22 years to see the plant in full bloom? Whoweeee! How many plants did you raise at once? How much space was needed? How many do you still have? Did you move you living space in those years? Any other comments of note in regards to this 2 decade trek?

I imagine due to the time involved that very few people have taken speciosum from seed to flower. Amazing!

So does anyone know why the videos I've looked at use hydrogen peroxide to clean the seeds? I mean I guess that could kill fungus or germs or whatever but do I want that in the flask?

You are talking to an absolute Novice when it comes to flasking.......But all you want to grow in the flask is the seedlings, no mold, no bacteria. So the medium is sterile and you have to keep it that way otherwise the whole project will be ruined.
The various recipes for the medium contain nutrients for the growing plantlets, those same nutrients will be heaven for anything else that gets in the flask.
Do a lot more reading and good luck!

Cooper as I understand it you only need to use the hydrogen peroxide if you are using dried seeds or a seed pod that has cracked open. Yes the peroxide is for sterilizing. If you use a green seed pod or one that hasn't cracked open the peroxide isnt nessesary. You do not pour the peroxide into the medium you need to filter the seeds out of the peroxide then carefully place the seeds onto the medium making sure not to contaminate them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjrO4_CJuW4
I'm not sure if I did that right but that hopefully is a link to a video that shows it perfectly with dried seeds.if not search 'sowing and sterilizing orchid seeds from dried seed pods onto agar sowing media'. Hope that helps

Here is a link that might be useful: sterilizing dried orchid seeds

Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 and just breaks down into water and oxygen.

2 H2O2 -> 2H2O + O2

Yeah you're right nil13. It just seems weird to put seeds into a chemical like that- kind of unnatural. So I guess you just let the seeds sit in the stuff without a cover for an hour or so? Then put them in the flask after it's broken down to water?

Dendrobium speciosum var. capricornicum AM/AOC x self is a miniature orchid, not a giant like some varieties of speciosum.
There are some positives in making your own crosses or buying an established flask from a nursery in that you can sell some of the babies after you have deflasked and established them in 2inch tubes.

But it probably is not a good policy to cross any old orchid with any old orchid because the chances of getting good results are much reduced.

Any stray orchid pods found in my collection are discarded.

Wonder what the success rate in nature is where those tiny orchid seeds have nil or almost nil starch reserves and they have to land in the right place and find a friendly fungus to survive?

So the medium I order much to my surprise was a powder. It did say that it had a thickening agent in it. I figured I was supposed to mix it with water but it's still a liquid not a gel. Now what?

Not sure what you got exactly but it sounds like what I got as well. Mine says it's a 1 - liter pre pack so I'm going to mix mine with 1 liter of water just at boiling point. Then you pour it into your flasks and allow it time to set up (into the gel) I'm assuming the heat either makes the water sterile or sets up the gel agent not 100% sure ...all while maintaining sterility. I'll attach the video I watched that helped me.

Here is a link that might be useful: orchid seed germination

The hot water dissolves the agar, which then sets...sort of like jello. In order to truly sterilize the medium, you need to autoclave it (usually at 121 degrees C)...but if you don't have one of those a pressure cooker works too....or you can just skip that step and see how well you do - chances are you'll get a few flasks that are contaminant free.

Here is some great information on sterilizing you seeds and sewing them: You can make your own glove box directions are on youtube.

Flask/Medium Sterilization: The flasks & media need go be sterilized before they can be used. A simple pressure cooker works fine for this. Caution: Using a pressure cooker is potentially dangerous, so fully read manufacturers instructions before using. Prepare the flasking media per instructions, and pour into flasks. How much depends on what type of flask you are preparing. For sowing, 1/2 inch (~12.7 mm) of medium will do. For replate flasks, 1 inch (~25.4 mm) would be better, as the plants will be in these flasks for a longer period and use more of the medium for growth.

Prepare pressure cooker. Pour 1-2 inches (25.4-50.8mm) of water into the bottom of the cooker. Lightly place the lids on the flasks, and set them into the cooker. Secure the lid of the cooker and place on high heat until the pressure relief valve activates. Lower the heat and sterilize for 15 minutes @ 15 psi. Let the cooker cool, or carefully release the pressure and carefully remove the lid. If any of the lids have fallen off the flasks, carefully put them back on and secure them. Remove the flasks from the cooker and let cool. After cooling, they are ready for use.

Seed Sterilization: Once the pod has split or opened, the seed must be assumed to be contaminated. Before it can be sown, it has to be sterilized. To do this, take the seed and place it in a vile, or test tube inside the flasking case. To this add a 5% bleach solution with a drop of dish soap as a wetting agent and agitate continuously for 10 min. Just before the end of this time, decant off the bleach solution and add some sterilized distilled water. Agitate for about 1 min, and then decant once more. Repeat this step one more time. If you don't use a pipette, pour off all but a small amount of water, so you can pour the remaining water and seed into the flask. If a pipette is used, then just leave the water in the vile, and let the seed settle to the bottom. I prefer to use a pipette, as it offers more control.

Seed Sowing: There are two procedures for seed sowing. One is the green-pod method. This is the easiest, as you don't have to sterilize he seed. The second is the dry-pod method, done with the above procedure.
First you must prepare the case for your work. Place all the tools, flasks, and other equipment you will be using during the flasking process inside the case. Spray a fine mist of 10% bleach solution all over the inside of the case, including the flask tops. Let set for 5 min for it to take effect. Using the pipettete, suck up a small amount of seed and some water. Crack open a flask, insert the pipet into the flask without touching the sides. Eject the seed, and water into the flask. Re-stop the flask, and swirl the mixture to spread the seed around. Do the remaining flasks.

Green-pod sowing involves taking a seed capsule that hasn't opened up yet for the sowing process. Put the pod in the glove box, and soak it in the 5% bleach solution for about 5-10 min. Scrub the outside with a toothbrush during this time. Rinse in sterilized distilled water. Slice open the pod, and scrape the seed into the flask. Or you can scrape the seed into a vile of sterilized distilled water, and use a pipette to put the seeds into the flask. This will eliminate much of the fibrous material that's in the pod getting into the flask.

Flask Care: After the flasks have been sown, place them under fluorescent lights for 8 hours per day. Do not try to simulate daylight hours. This creates problems with the growing seed. Seeds should start to green in about 4-6 weeks. Some seed may take longer.
If mold, or other contaminates start to grow, it's best to just throw the contents out. But if the seeds are of particular value, you can go back in and remove the contaminates. Remove the spot, plus 1-2mm surrounding it. Place a drop or two of 5% bleach in the hole that's left. Keep in mind, that every time you go back into the flask, you increase the chance of contamination.

Replating: After the protocorms have reached a workable size, it's time to replate them onto the final medium.
Place inside the case both the mother flasks, and the replate flasks, replating tools, a container of 10% bleach solution, and one of sterilized distilled water, a spray bottle of 10% bleach solution. Place the re-plating tools in the bleach solution, and let soak for 5-10 minutes, then rince them in the distilled water. Remove the stopper from the mother flask, and the flask to receive the replate. Scoop out a small amount of protocorms with one of the clean tools, and place them in the replate flask. Don't spread them too heavy, as the young plants do not do well competing for the same space. Sterilize the tools often to prevent contaminating the replate flasks. I use a new tool for each flask I re-plate. After you are done, replace the stoppers tightly. Place them back under the light, and watch them grow up!

Resource used: http://www.lincolnorchidsociety.org/flasking/#clean

PS. I used this procedure myself in making the flasks up with the agar. I have not sown my seeds yet as they are not ripened just yet. They are just beginning to turn a lighter green color and have not split yet.