| Cynthia's advice is good. For beginners you should realize the difficulty in growing any orchid from a flask.
Commercial growers grow their's in a "laboratory" not really a lab but an area very different form a greenhouse. The conditions they need are very different.
I am a commercial grower and find that the reduced price of a flask is not worth the effort. Four inch tall plants can be bought retail for under $4 and are a lot less work.
For a hobbyist the idea of buying 25 plants in a flask at about $1 each retail does not seem to be a bargain to me. This is a hobby and I am not suggesting that hobbyist should not buy a flask but everyone should realize the difficulties and decide if they want the challenge.
With any young plant the growing condition needs to be very consistent. Moisture needs to be consistent or the plant dries out. The plant lives but what you do not notice is that the plant is stunted for a while. A plant that should flower in four years can take 8 or more if the growing conditions are not stable.
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jerry  |