Poor man flasking experiment

[Forever-mango]

Yes, home made alright. After seeing someone post about using coco chips as a medium for their Crucifix orchids, i tried it out. Instead of adding the parent plant's roots in the mix, i just left it plain coco chips. This experiment was just for fun and it worked. On the 23rd of July 2010, i cracked open a green pod from my Purple Crucifix orchid and gently sprinkled the green seeds into the flask of moist coco chips. I then shut the lid tightly and place in on a shelf that receives morning sun and about 7 hours lighting from my Metal Halides I use to light up my fish tank. My room stays an average 25*C all year round because of my computer.

And today which looking at the flasks, i noticed some changes in the green seeds. Some turned yellow which some growing. The biggest seedling is producing a pair of tiny leaves









So far im quite happy with the results. I will try it with dry seeds when the next pod is ready.

Will update after a few weeks on the growth.

Cheers
Stephen

[jimmy0123]

Congratulation!!! It is very interesting since it is not going to hurt much in the pocket. Do you sterilize it at any stage? Have you try with other species of orchid yet? Looking forward to your progress

[Forever-mango]

I only just used boiling water to sterilize the bottle, but other than that, no. Quite happy no bacteria or fungus yet. So far this is my first flask ive tried. But will try others later on

[trinigirl]

Those are some awesome results. I would be very curious to see you try with other genera as well.

[exasperatus2002]

Congratulations! Keep us posted.

[tangers40]

absolutely keep us posted! this is exciting. i am interested in flasking but am afraid i couldn't afford it, especially since i'd be experimenting with it on my NoIDs. if this works, i bet i could try this instead!

[Ron]

Originally Posted by Forever-mango

Yes, home made alright. After seeing someone post about using coco chips as a medium for their Crucifix orchids, i tried it out. Instead of adding the parent plant's roots in the mix, i just left it plain coco chips. This experiment was just for fun and it worked. On the 23rd of July 2010, i cracked open a green pod from my Purple Crucifix orchid and gently sprinkled the green seeds into the flask of moist coco chips. I then shut the lid tightly and place in on a shelf that receives morning sun and about 7 hours lighting from my Metal Halides I use to light up my fish tank. My room stays an average 25*C all year round because of my computer.

And today which looking at the flasks, i noticed some changes in the green seeds. Some turned yellow which some growing. The biggest seedling is producing a pair of tiny leaves


So far im quite happy with the results. I will try it with dry seeds when the next pod is ready.

Will update after a few weeks on the growth.

Cheers
Stephen

So simple and looks very effective,very well done, can you keep us updated.
Cheerio

[edgy]

Congrats Stephen....looks like it's working out so far....I'm about to try one of these experiments myself. Keep us posted!

[orchids4me]

Very interesting !!!! Congrats stephen!!!!!!! Keep us posted I too am interested if it works with other types as well.

Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Oh I forgot to ask, did you sterilize the coco chips also or just soak them before use? You didn't add anything to the coco chips is what I'm gathering correct ?
Thanks
Emmaye

[Peekapoolady]

So you Flasked them on the 23rd of July? This is very interesting! Can't wait to see how they turn out! Great job!

Peekapoolady

[zaeem]

Congrats! You have real success.

[LouisW]

Cool! Way to go for it! Im inspired!

[Forever-mango]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Oh I forgot to ask, did you sterilize the coco chips also or just soak them before use? You didn't add anything to the coco chips is what I'm gathering correct ?
Thanks
Emmaye

Hello Emmaye, with the cocochips, i soaked them a few times before using them. And the only thing I added to the coco chips was a little water rain water.

Originally Posted by Peekapoolady

So you Flasked them on the 23rd of July? This is very interesting! Can't wait to see how they turn out! Great job!

Peekapoolady

Hi mate, yes thats correct. Its been a good 8months now. Hope all goes well

[Peekapoolady]

Justs wondering if you could post a new picture? Would love to see how your flasks are doing!

Peekapoolady

[Forever-mango]

A little update. Most out of all the seeds in the particular seed pot, i have a total of 30-40 seedlings starting to germinate. I was able to put all the seeds that was on the side of the flask into the moist media, and they have increase in size in the fast few months. Every month or so, i will open the top of the flasks to allow some fresh air into the flask, somehow no contaminations has occured. So far so good. I tried to get other seed pods but most have failed, need to work on that. But other than that, im very excited with the results.













Cheers
Stephen

[Peekapoolady]

Thanks for the updated photos! I will be following your progress as I'm looking to try this myself. Great job!!

[dankr]

This is awesome!
Thanks for the post, photos and updates!

[Celcat]

I will be very excited with these results too!! This is fantastic!
Looking forward seeing your progress!

[orchids4me]

Wow this is exciting !
The dry seed with tap water nothing yet over here happening .... I'm going to try with some rain water another batch with dry seed next rain passes through here.
Your look fabulous!!!!!
Good growing!
Emmaye

[tangers40]

this is awesome! glad to hear you're having success, mango!

[Forever-mango]

Thanks guys, i think keeping it indoors and under lighting give it a boost in growth.

Will update every few weeks depending on the amount of growth

[Brisbanite]

Good on you Stephen, good old Aussie.

[Forever-mango]

Growth has really sped up for the seedlings with most growing their first leaves. The largest 2 growing their second leaf. The success wasnt great but have around 25 germinated seeds. I wonder how long will they be ready to deflask. I have made another few pods and waiting for them to bulk up.

[Peekapoolady]

Looking forward to seeing new pictures when you get a chance! Thanks for sharing!

[AnamariaM]

Congrats Stephen. You must be very excited getting such great results. Thanks for sharing.

[BGGraham1]

Hi Stephen. I just ran into this thread today. How is the progress on your seedlings?

[Ron]

Very nice, best of luck with them.
In the old days they use to springle the dry seed around the base of the plant, just leaft it on top of the potting mix, seemed to work Ok for them although not many seeds germinated.

[sakura_usagi]

i wanna see pic results >_<

[sakura_usagi]

Ok, so.... ? If i may.
What type of medium would i need, 2 flask phalaenopsis orchid seeds? (ospex1.0)
&
What kinda lighting will they need in there jared meda?

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by sakura_usagi

Ok, so.... ? If i may.
What type of medium would i need, 2 flask phalaenopsis orchid seeds? (ospex1.0)
&
What kinda lighting will they need in there jared meda?

Google orchid seed bank project its Aaron Hiks site look up media its p668 I think something like that ospex1.0 is the re plating media. On the site he has a special note about Phals and Paphs and media. By the way Phals are germinated in darness....after is a different story but go to his site and get the listing and right media for Phalaenopsis.
Good luck

[switchblade]

thanks for the info I am gnna try this today.

[John Moss]

I got some info that might be tossed around a bit.

One year I had some seeds from Lc Trick or Treat and I was going to send them to a lab, but instead I thought I would try a method that I thought might work.

I sawed up a coconut tree, or part thereof, and collected the saw dust, which I soaked in milk, which I placed in a jar that had been sitting in the sun for months. I broke open the pod when it was nearing the burst stage and sprinkled seed onto the saw dust in the jar and sealed it then left it to sit on a window sill out of the sun but facing the north (below the equator).

It was not too many weeks and the seeds began to germinate and after about 2 months of growing rapidly in the jar I opened it up and put the growths onto a bed of peat moss ( I got this from a pack of jiffy pots that I soaked and broke up) which had a covering of more coconut saw dust on top and again I sprayed milk over the top and planted the growing LCs into the medium and they just started growing.

I was fairly amazed at the ease and the result.

Whatever happened to them I do not know because it was not long after that I sold off my orchid collection and moved to another state.

[terra_australis]

Originally Posted by John Moss

I got some info that might be tossed around a bit.

One year I had some seeds from Lc Trick or Treat and I was going to send them to a lab, but instead I thought I would try a method that I thought might work.

I sawed up a coconut tree, or part thereof, and collected the saw dust, which I soaked in milk, which I placed in a jar that had been sitting in the sun for months. I broke open the pod when it was nearing the burst stage and sprinkled seed onto the saw dust in the jar and sealed it then left it to sit on a window sill out of the sun but facing the north (below the equator).

It was not too many weeks and the seeds began to germinate and after about 2 months of growing rapidly in the jar I opened it up and put the growths onto a bed of peat moss ( I got this from a pack of jiffy pots that I soaked and broke up) which had a covering of more coconut saw dust on top and again I sprayed milk over the top and planted the growing LCs into the medium and they just started growing.

I was fairly amazed at the ease and the result.

Whatever happened to them I do not know because it was not long after that I sold off my orchid collection and moved to another state.

Interesting... what did milk bring to the equation? I have only ever heard of it being used to encourge the rapid growth of moss.

[John Moss]

Well, in my understanding at that time, milk is a known medium for the production of microfloral bacteria and I assumed correctly or not that this would aid the food supply and fungal nutrient for the breakdown of husk and growth of seed sprouts.

[sakura_usagi]

P-6668 (Sigma) or P-6668 (PhytoTech) XD And i have to add agar?
I watched a youtube tutorial on flasking, And he was using ospex1.0
He said it works very well.
I just want a simple list
Of what i need.
Getting rederected is just confusing. I'm new at this.
All i need is a media for flasking phal seeds.
And a guide line for lighting after the flasking process.
If anyone knows or can help
i thank you.

[sakura_usagi]

Yeah, I checked out Aarons site....
Needlessly complicated.
I'm going with my youtube vid.
Its easier to understand.
In fact he makes it look very easy.
But i still need those two ?'s answered.
Without reading things that contradict everything i already learned.
After the first attempt i can switch it up if i want.

[sakura_usagi]

One more ?
About sowing seeds.
I just watched a vid of a lady sowing seeds
So she cleans the seed sack. Then scoops out the seeds and without drying them begins too flask them.
My ? is.
Can that work?
I thought that in order for the seeds to take too the flasking meduim they had to go through the drying stage.
Yes? No? Maybe so? >_<

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by sakura_usagi

P-6668 (Sigma) or P-6668 (PhytoTech) XD And i have to add agar?
I watched a youtube tutorial on flasking, And he was using ospex1.0
He said it works very well.
I just want a simple list
Of what i need.
Getting rederected is just confusing. I'm new at this.
All i need is a media for flasking phal seeds.
And a guide line for lighting after the flasking process.
If anyone knows or can help
i thank you.

You can use phyto tech P668 or osp's brew called P668+B852
Check out this link it list many types of orchids and what to use
http://members.cox.net/ahicks51/osp/...formation.html
Good luck
Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by sakura_usagi

Yeah, I checked out Aarons site....
Needlessly complicated.
I'm going with my youtube vid.
Its easier to understand.
In fact he makes it look very easy.
But i still need those two ?'s answered.
Without reading things that contradict everything i already learned.
After the first attempt i can switch it up if i want.

If your are referring to FrankTrombles 3part. U tube videos I think he's making a re palte media for something else for the demonstration in the video on how to cook it up.. But he's using another batch he previously made of media. For the epidendrum seed he's flasking. Te list on the link to osp I put up ranks each of 3 kinds of media across the row of which work well for each type and there is a special note up top about phals and a not at the end for Paphs.
I had to read it a few times to understand what I was reading so I understand once you get the right kind. Then use the vidoes to to the technique.
Good luck!

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by sakura_usagi

P-6668 (Sigma) or P-6668 (PhytoTech) XD And i have to add agar?
I watched a youtube tutorial on flasking, And he was using ospex1.0
He said it works very well.
I just want a simple list
Of what i need.
Getting rederected is just confusing. I'm new at this.
All i need is a media for flasking phal seeds.
And a guide line for lighting after the flasking process.
If anyone knows or can help
i thank you.

Phyto tecs and Arrons media you just use one ltr distilled water and just bring to a boil and shut it off put depending size of jars how many ounces of the media into the jars after (cooking it) then you sterilize it with microwave, pressure cooker or auto clave after wards when it cools it gels up.
Check out the u tube videos. Under "orchid seed flasking" by Frank Tromble there are 3 parts (1,2,3, step videos)
His make it easy enough for anyone to understand how to do this.
And like I said he is using the ospex1.0 in the video you are mentioning.

[sakura_usagi]

thank you im go check out that site.
ummm any ider about the lighting?
I really do thank u for all the help.

[sakura_usagi]

i tried to load your site......
says not found? XD

[sakura_usagi]

& yes Frank Tromble, I have him on my Facebook.
I really did find that his vids were very helpful.
Without visual understanding, The terms and plant jarggin would confuse the crap outa meh.
I would never have felt learned enough too pull it off.
& I get what ur saying. Different seed medium, same technique.
Im still unclear about lighting and if drying seeds is needed.
Or can i take fresh seeds and go straight 2 flasking?

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by sakura_usagi

& yes Frank Tromble, I have him on my Facebook.
I really did find that his vids were very helpful.
Without visual understanding, The terms and plant jarggin would confuse the crap outa meh.
I would never have felt learned enough too pull it off.
& I get what ur saying. Different seed medium, same technique.
Im still unclear about lighting and if drying seeds is needed.
Or can i take fresh seeds and go straight 2 flasking?

that technique is called green capping. Some do this. I'm not familiar with this technique but forever mango did it here in this thread. I know you have to sterilize seed but not sure how that's done with green seed and how viable green seed is since some could not have developed fully in the process. :donttknow: