“I don’t believe I have had a group that was so interested in what we are doing at the tissue culture lab. They were attentive and had questions about everything,” said Wiecko. She is one of the main people responsible for writing the grants and creating the lab.

“We were amazed with the spectacles of nature happening in the tissue culture laboratory! The Orchids and Tropical Exotic Plants Club members were inspired by Ms. Alicja Wiecko to learn more. Half of us signed up for an Orchid Grower Certificate course,” enthused Monica Guzman. Another club member, Antonia Evarifto said, “Such a pity that Alicja is retiring, but thank goodness she conducted that workshop before she is gone!”

Guam Orchids and Exotic Plants Club members from left: Imee Tuazon, Mary Reyes, Lou Jean Borja, Alicja Wiecko, Mae Hanna, Mary Aguon, Tony Aguon, Monica Guzman, 
Yeon Suk Park, Jane Story.

When visitors come to the nursery they will find thousands of orchid seedlings planted in small pots and hundreds of medium-size and mature orchids growing in larger pots. Some orchids have already produced seedpods, which are ready to propagate on a special medium where they will eventually germinate.

In the laboratory growth room shelves are crammed with hundreds of containers holding miniature Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium seedlings growing on agar. The tiny plants produced by the tissue culture team are free of viruses.

If you would like to learn how to grow healthy orchids in the nursery, or how to propagate them in the laboratory through tissue culture, you can sign up for a free course to learn the basics of growing orchids “in glass” and receive an “Orchid Grower” certificate. 

For more information, please contact Ricardo Lizama, at (671) 300-7974.