Idea for deflasked orchids

[exasperatus2002]

I was wondering if this would work with freshly deflasked orchids? You can keep the lid on while starting to harden them off & keep them in it with out the lid to help maintain even moisture?

Burpee Seeds and Plants for home gardens. Vegetables, flowers, herbs, annuals and perennials

[bloomorchidguy]

My thoughts are yes, provided you take a few things into consideration. I've used a similar setup in the past for my seedlings. Now I switched and went in a different direction based on cost verses the number of flasks I tend to deflask each year.

Things to remember:

1. Potting mix to maintain a good moisture level but not impede the capillary action.

2. Water temperature, the volume of water in the tray provided location temperature, and internal temp. will chill over time. Colder water at the root level will impact growth and setup a good environment to weaken the seedlings and make them violable to fungus attacks.

3. Water quality could also play a role, based on how often it is changed, salt build up, etc.

My advice try it on some seedlings that don't hold that much value to yourself first. I always tend to test seedlings from flask that are part of the same genera first. Then based on the outcomes, it determines the method that will be used with the critical seedlings. Experience and observation is the best way to define your method that will work. Once properly tested, reproducibility is the key to success with your method.

Troy

[exasperatus2002]

It will be for Hybrid Cattleya seedlings. Can you describe your set up? and if applicable any supplemental lighting used.

[koshki]

I bought one of these for my tomato seedlings a couple years ago.

Great idea, poor execution. The best thing about it is the wicking mat. It really worked nicely. But the rest of the setup is pretty flimsy. Removing my tomatoes was the most difficult part because the plastic is not rigid enough, and the whole thing flexed as I tried to remove the tomato seedling. I either lost the root or lost the potting soil, or both. I didn't try using it the next season.

It might be easier with orchids, depending on the type of orchid you grow, and what you have them in. Since they're not quite so fussy about being "unrooted" as tomatoes, it actually might work. You might also try using a different seedling tray, one that is more sturdy, if it would fit.


I just thought I'd let you know about my experience with that product.

[willowbanks]

Great for seed raising of other plants but you are growing orchids.

If your plants are ready to come out of flask, grow them on, don't put them back to the baby stage.

[Undergrounder]

It will grow orchids great, just use perlite instead of soil. Only problem as others have said might be the size of the pots (too small) and the flimsiness of those types of things. Instead, why not just pot them up in perlite and then sit all the plants from the same flask in a shallow tray of water.

[kmarch]

Maybe I'm too much of a traditionalist (or maybe too much of a control freak) but my opinion is that this system won't give you anything that normal pots, covers, and vigilant watering won't give you. I think I would prefer a system in which I could control all of the different elements of culture (temp, water, humidity, watering) myself.

[Brooke]

Kevin I'm with you. This is very important to Scott so I would do something that been proven over and over again to work.

Brooke

[Undergrounder]

Maybe I'm too much of a traditionalist (or maybe too much of a control freak) but my opinion is that this system won't give you anything that normal pots, covers, and vigilant watering won't give you. I think I would prefer a system in which I could control all of the different elements of culture (temp, water, humidity, watering) myself.

Originally Posted by Brooke

Kevin I'm with you. This is very important to Scott so I would do something that been proven over and over again to work.

Brooke

I wouldn't comment if i wasn't speaking from personal experience with wicking mats and water tables. The newly deflasked roots thrive in the wet environment that constant bottom watering provides. Growth rate is improved and incidence of root rot is less. Obviously you save a lot of time watering as well. They also transition seamlessly to S/H or sphagnum moss when they're a proper size.

[Brooke]

Great pics but I also wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't successful. You grow all your plants in the passive hydro system but for Scott to jump in and try something totally different with his own cross, might prove harder for him in his growing conditions.

If he gets more than one flask maybe he can try multiple methods to make sure he ends up with enough plants to see them to maturity.

Brooke

[Undergrounder]

I wasn't implying that you weren't successful in growing orchids Brooke!

You were implying that deflasking orchids onto capillary action wicking mats was unproven. So I was just trying to back up what i had contributed with proof. I don't believe it's risky or radically different in any way, but that's the position i've come to having done it for a couple of years. I can see why people would be skeptical or nervous of something they've never tried before - hence the photos.

[exasperatus2002]

Thank you all. Ive got 3 flasks on order of my hybrid. Im looking forward to successfully rearing them.

[Brooke]

Undergrounder I didn't say the capillary mat was unproven, I said "something that had been proven over and over again".

Good luck Scott, do you know when you get them?

Brooke

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Undergrounder I didn't say the capillary mat was unproven, I said "something that had been proven over and over again".

Good luck Scott, do you know when you get them?

Brooke

I wasnt given a date yet but check my step by step thread, I've got a pic of them after being replated the other month. Im assuming I'll get them this spring.
step by step...

[Brooke]

I familiar with your step by step thread - I've read it from the beginning.

Brooke

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by Brooke

I familiar with your step by step thread - I've read it from the beginning.

Brooke

Im hoping that I get them after the Longwood Gardens & Philadelphia flower shows this year. Im going to both & my wife is going with me to longwood. I'd hate to have her say I can only have one more orchid since I just got 75+ back from the lab!