I like The Garden, produced by the RHS. After a year or three it got a bit samey so now I just look at the back numbers. Guess I'll join up again when I've got bored with those.

I also quite like the expensive glossy ones but I never buy them, I just read them at the dentist's. After you've seen the pictures there's not much content to them.

I only buy the other ones (soft covers, flat caps, Alan Titchmarsh, grow-your-own-giant kiwi fruit types)if they've got a decent free gift.

You could ask on the orchid forum about specialist mags.

If you want a good magazine purely on Orchids then I'm afraid there isn't monthly one, or even one available for the general public. The best I can offer is join the Orchid Society of Great Britain they publish a quarterly journal (quite scholarly though).

I don't bother with any gardening magazines anymore, too much dumbed down information and adverts for my taste, I'd rather save up the money and buy some decent books.

Hi do you know a web address or something to join the orchid soceity? Seems alot of hassle as i am only interested in the little advertisements at the back so i can the nutreints gel to grow seeds on. I was told the back of the orchid mag, as every where i find that sells the stuff is always aboard surely they must do it here to. Would you believe i brought a mag last night and there was a total of 131 advertisements in the mag and a total of about 10 things to read which were terrible. thanks for the help.

i have found this reciep on line i have never tried it

Banana puree 100 g
Agar 12 g
Sucrose 15 g
Vitamin B tablets 300 mg
Distilled water 900 mL
what type of orchids are you thinking of growing?

What you need is something called Knudson's Formula.

Growing orchids from seed is not really something to be taken on by inexperienced amatuers, it rarely works and is a costly process. To do the job properly you need autoclaves for steralising everything and laminar flow cabinets, light and temperature control etc. Different orchids need different media too.

The stupid thing about it is i do have a Knudsons formula packet mix with some little bottles of other ingrediants. But i dont know how to mix it up, i guess this is the problem buying aboard, i have afew types of seeds to have ago at.
The media i have is for explant pieces and the bottles is the hormones but i dont have a clue how much to mix with the packet etc.
Just at the moment i am spending a fortune trying to find a good supply but really all the hassle getting it aboard is really not worth it.
TO STEVETHELIZARD: do you know what formula this is for is it a general orchid seed media? I have pently orchid seeds and hood and equipment to do it ( i brought a home kitchen culture kit from aboard) so maybe worth atry with afew types of seeds.
Thanks for all the imput and if you want to add anything feel free always open to someone elses thoughts etc.
HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT NEW YEAR..

From what you have said it would appear the 'kit' you have is for meristem/tissue culture and not for seeds.

Hormones are used as a growth medium for the excised plant pieces, which I guess is what is meant by 'explant pieces', this won't work for seeds.

It is a very expensive process to do properly, I know, I have a tissue culture set-up and it's neither cheap to set up or to run. With the chemicals you need to use, there is no way I would consider doing it in a kitchen, but each to their own!

There are lots of sites which give masses of information if you google, but here is one which gives a good basic guide.

Here is a link that might be useful: Orchid Invitro germination

I don't know if this would count or even be helpful, but I know of an Orchid Forum you might be interested in.

Here is a link that might be useful: The U.K. Orchid Forum

Thank you for all your input and abig thanks for the orchid forum link, the really silly thing is i have registered on the uk forum but never even thought to ask their, thats because i have always had such a good response on G.W cheers .

Good idea, then; after all. I know not a thing about orchids myself so am basically no help with them; but I know many people who love them and have all sorts of info regarding same. Just ask me about sweet peas though! Heheh. I am real fan of those.

The best mag. for me is Gardens Illustrated HUGELY expensive but you can get it half price if you look. The pictures are excellent (not so with other mags.), there is no dumbing down, but its not too technical either. It also has a good international look at current events etc. horticulturally speaking. I enjoyed my first years subs thro my credit card offering it for @99p. One DRAWBACK - no Alan Titmarsh- ah well you can't have EVERYTHING!

it is a general orchid seed media i have lost all of my links so i cant be of more help with specific media i used it since to germinate a few dactylohriza fuschii but i did add some root from one growing in my garden i hope the funghi was prescent i used lots of small containers so i got at least one batch with no contamination i used a pressure cooker to steralize everything, a fish tank on it side with a clear polythene sheet fixed over the opening the inside steralized with citricidal or a dilute bleach solution, with well washed hands cut 2 crosses in the polythene just before you start working.
I know it sounds amature but i dont have access to a lab and i dont have a reserch budget so i have had to improvise i have found it works with a little experimenting and it doesnt cost a huge ammount of money.

i think the after care is going to be more fun

good luck with the orchids
steve