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Originally Posted by dionysus  i don't have the money (or patience)really to order agar, and i can't find it in stores, so can i use like jello, super vitamins and fertalizer to make an agar substitute? this is my first time doing orchid flasking, so could you also suggest an easy type of orchid to start with? thank you very much! |
dionysus,
I agree with Tom. Since money is an issue with you, it's best to wait and save up, get the materials and equipment you need to do it right rather than waste what money you do spend on things like jello which aren't going to work.
I know you said you don't have the patience either but if you're going ot get into orchids you're going to have to develope some patience somewhere along the line. If you dont' have th epatience to save your money to get the proper equipment, are you going to have the patience to wait the year or more in-flask plus the 3-5+ years out of flask that it will take to grow the seedlings? Also have you successfully raised seedlings? That would be an important step before trying to flask your own orchids. What good is flasking orchids if you can't raise seedlings? Although your impatience will tell you otherwise, lack of knowledge and preperation is the fastest route to disaster with flasking.
Your question about which orchids are "easy" to flask suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of orchid culture. The reality of orchid growing is that every orchid can be "easy" or "difficult" to grow depending on how well you provide the cultural needs of the orchid. A good example is a Phalaenopsis. Many people on this forum do very well with Phals and find them "easy." What this means is that the conditions and care the members' provide are ideal for the Phals they are growing. There's somethign about my cnditions or care that isn't ideal for Phals and so I find Phals to be very "difficult."
Before attempting to flask any orchids, I aould strongly recommend:
1) finding out which orchids grow and bloom well in the conditions you provide (start saving your money for proper flasking materials).
2) raise a vew varieties of seedlings of the type of orchid you grow best (continue saving for proper flasking materials).
3) do your research and read a few different guides on how to flask (keep saving)
4) correspond/call/talk to people who have done flasking and ask lots of questions (keep saving money).
After all of this, then I'd think you'd be in good shape to try flasking your own orchids.
Good Luck and Happy New Year.