Flasking (about, not how to)

[pikkumyy]

Hi all,
i'd really like to know about flasking, i read up about how it is done, but then the trail seems to dissapear and come back again at the de-flasking stage.

I've heard the terms "mother flask" thrown around a couple of times and i was just wondering what it meant?

also, most flasks say the rough number of plants in the flask, but im sure that thay dont count each individual tiny seed, so do they thin them out, or do they go from one flask into many (im assuming this is where the "mother flask" comes in)

any info would be great.

[Musika]

Same thing with me! I think it would be great if someone could give an in depth step by step on the whole thing, and explain some wording.

[terry_sealey]

When the seed is first sown then this becomes the 'mother' flask. The number of seedlings in it will depend on how much seed was sown and the viability of that seed.

When the seedlings are large enough then they are scooped out of the mother flask and transplanted into fresh flasks (which usually have a different medium) where they are spread out to give them more room. So at this stage the 'mother' flask becomes many re-plate flasks. At this stage it may well be possible to count the plants in the re-plate flasks.

The seeds may well be re-plated more than once as they grow.

[Dendian]

The step-by-step process of the flasking is covered in another thread - and is a very involved process... most terminology is covered by our Orchidgeeks Dictionary. Check out those threads.

Michael, I think you figured it out, I will just confirm your knowledge. The seeds are originally put into what is called the mother flask - they are not counted... a year or so later (depending on the plant and its growth rate) the mother flask is divided into replates (smaller counted flasks) and that's where they try and count approximately how many plantlets they put in. They are then grown for an additional time (8 months or so) before being sold for deflasking. Depending on the plants - there may be an additional replating - some plants spend 3 or more years in flasks before they can come out into the open.

I posted same time as Terry.. good to see we agreed

[pikkumyy]

cool, thanks guys that really clears things up for me.

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by Dendian

The step-by-step process of the flasking is covered in another thread - and is a very involved process... most terminology is covered by our Orchidgeeks Dictionary. Check out those threads.

Michael, I think you figured it out, I will just confirm your knowledge. The seeds are originally put into what is called the mother flask - they are not counted... a year or so later (depending on the plant and its growth rate) the mother flask is divided into replates (smaller counted flasks) and that's where they try and count approximately how many plantlets they put in. They are then grown for an additional time (8 months or so) before being sold for deflasking. Depending on the plants - there may be an additional replating - some plants spend 3 or more years in flasks before they can come out into the open.

I posted same time as Terry.. good to see we agreed

Heres a pic of my mother flask from the step by step thread. When the baby orchids are really small & refered to as protocorns, imo, they kind of look like algae in the flask from a distance.

[pikkumyy]

wow, they don't look anything like the adults, this is going to be really cool, im going to do it with some seeds that terra_australis sent me

[orchidea]

This is a facinating stuff to me. I am about to flask bunch of seeds. I just finished creating a little lab in my house from the fish tank.........

I would like to know where is this "step-by-step" instructions on how to flask in this forum. I couldn't find it......

Could someone point to the right post.....PLEASE!
Thanks!!!

[Dendian]

Oh dear... go look at exasperatus2002's signature line..

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by Dendian

Oh dear... go look at exasperatus2002's signature line..

you beat me to it. lol

[terra_australis]

Originally Posted by pikkumyy

Hi all,
i'd really like to know about flasking, i read up about how it is done, but then the trail seems to dissapear and come back again at the de-flasking stage.

I've heard the terms "mother flask" thrown around a couple of times and i was just wondering what it meant?

also, most flasks say the rough number of plants in the flask, but im sure that thay dont count each individual tiny seed, so do they thin them out, or do they go from one flask into many (im assuming this is where the "mother flask" comes in)

any info would be great.

Well it's like this - when a mother flask loves a father flask very much...

[orchidea]

Originally Posted by Dendian

Oh dear... go look at exasperatus2002's signature line..

I did follow that one for a while now. But it doesn't tell you step-by-step how to flask seeds, or I am missing something here...... I think the seeds were sent out to the lab....
I was wondering if more people were able to sow seeds at home with some good results here on this forum. I found one thread, but I thought maybe there are more.........
Well, I'll have to start home flasking next weekend for the first time, threads or not......... I finally received bunch of seeds today, plus I have my own Psyc seeds. My mini lab is ready, tools and pressure canner are ready, so just wish me luck.........

[terra_australis]

Originally Posted by orchidea

I did follow that one for a while now. But it doesn't tell you step-by-step how to flask seeds, or I am missing something here...... I think the seeds were sent out to the lab....
I was wondering if more people were able to sow seeds at home with some good results here on this forum. I found one thread, but I thought maybe there are more.........
Well, I'll have to start home flasking next weekend for the first time, threads or not......... I finally received bunch of seeds today, plus I have my own Psyc seeds. My mini lab is ready, tools and pressure canner are ready, so just wish me luck.........

Yeah, I've done my own. It isn't really that hard, you just need to work cleanly. I more or less followed the process on the threads in the flasking section with a few short cuts. Had a couple of flasks contaminated and then some have simply not germinated - probably the seed was too old. One lot of Den. speciosum is coming along nicely and I have a flask of Thelymitra just starting to put leaves out.

[rcb]

Orchidea - I think this site gives a nice step by step process.

Home Orchid Flasking

[terra_australis]

One of the recent flasking threads actually had links to a couple of good videos which stepped right through the process....

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by orchidea

I did follow that one for a while now. But it doesn't tell you step-by-step how to flask seeds, or I am missing something here...... I think the seeds were sent out to the lab....
I was wondering if more people were able to sow seeds at home with some good results here on this forum. I found one thread, but I thought maybe there are more.........
Well, I'll have to start home flasking next weekend for the first time, threads or not......... I finally received bunch of seeds today, plus I have my own Psyc seeds. My mini lab is ready, tools and pressure canner are ready, so just wish me luck.........

You are correct I had sent mine to a lab. It was my only pod & I didnt have the pollen plant anymore to try again if I messed it up.

[orchidea]

Originally Posted by terra_australis

One of the recent flasking threads actually had links to a couple of good videos which stepped right through the process....

Thank you terra, it was my thread, and I did watch all the videos I could find...
I think I watched Frank's video on youtube 25 times at least.......
I also have read all I could find on the WWW.....:)
Well, I guess I am ready.....

[terra_australis]

Well then, I guess you are! As I mentioned in that thread, I'd personally be doing the sowing inside a glove box or laminar flow cabinet otherwise you're just asking for contamination. I just built a simple one out of a clear plastic storage crate with a couple of holes cut in the front. I then duct-taped a pair of rubber gloves into the holes to allow me to work cleanly. I've seen some people just use a box turned on its side with a sheet of clear plastic hanging over. Didn't sound clean enough to me but it depends how dusty your workspace is.

With the glove box I just put everything I need inside (flasks, syringes containing seed in hydrogen peroxide, a spray bottle of bleach and a few clean paper towels). Everything inside is sprayed with bleach, I cover and leave for about 10 minutes then sow flasks one by one trying to leave lids off for as little time as possible. Once done, everything gets sprayed down with bleach again and left a while. I then take everything out and wrap the tops of the jars with cling film or tape to prevent particulates getting under the rim of the lid. These go in the cupboard for 4 weeks or so until germination is evident.

[orchidea]

Originally Posted by terra_australis

............ syringes containing seed in hydrogen peroxide............

Thank you terra so much! That's actually what bothers me a bit. I would like to replace bleach (1part to 9parts of autoclaved water) with HP. I have read that you don't need to rinse it 3 times if you sterilize seeds in it. Would you tell us how to dilute HP and how long to adgitate the seeds in the syringe with HP. I know that rinsing is not important as HP disappearing real fast.....Wich sounds like a better way to go eliminating few steps where contamination can happen. But that's only if HP works to sterilize the seeds. Some people use bleach for a reason, I guess it's a stronger agent agains contamination .....

[terra_australis]

Originally Posted by orchidea

Thank you terra so much! That's actually what bothers me a bit. I would like to replace bleach (1part to 9parts of autoclaved water) with HP. I have read that you don't need to rinse it 3 times if you sterilize seeds in it. Would you tell us how to dilute HP and how long to adgitate the seeds in the syringe with HP. I know that rinsing is not important as HP disappearing real fast.....Wich sounds like a better way to go eliminating few steps where contamination can happen. But that's only if HP works to sterilize the seeds. Some people use bleach for a reason, I guess it's a stronger agent agains contamination .....

I also don't like using bleach for sterilising seed because it is messy and you need to rinse with sterile water... but how can you ensure that your rinse water is completely sterile? That's why I opt for using H2O2 straight from the bottle (I think it is a 3% solution from memory) for sterilising seed. I save the bleach for sterilising my glove box and equipment.

Here's my process... don't credit me for this as I simply took some ideas from other flasking threads:

1. Put seed in a medicine cup and soak overnight in a sugar solution which will activate fungal/mould spores and make them easier to kill with the sterilent.

2. Pour off sugar solution and rinse with a little distilled water. Pour off all the water.

3. Add a couple of drops of isopropyl alcohol or methylated spirit. Leave for a couple of minutes. This helps sterilise and can also help evaporate the remaining water.

4. Add about 2mLs of H2O2 and suck up the cup contents into a 5mL syringe.

5. Hold syringe upright and expel all the air. Now stick your finger over the end and pull the pluger down to the 5mL mark to create a vacuum inside. This will make the air trapped inside the testa expand and it will be expelled from the seed. Release the plunger so that the sterilient will flow into the now empty testa. Repeat 3-4 times to make sure.

6. Transfer to glove box.

When I sow it is simply a matter of holding the syringe with the tip pointing downward and allowing the seed to settle toward the tip before gently squirting a couple of drops into the waiting flask. The H2O2 might also help sterilise the top of the agar if contaminants have been accidentally introduced at this point.

H2O2 tends to break down quickly once it is in solution with water and is exposed to light. That is why it is sold in opaque bottles. You just end up with water and a bit of extra oxygen inside the flask.

As you can see there's no nasty chemical residue that needs to be rinsed and less posibility of introducing nasty spores.

[orchids4me]

Orchidea....
You do rinse 3 times with autoclaved distilled water after using 1pt bleach and 9 pts autoclaved distilled water. I re watched part 3 tonight and caught that you do rinse.
Double check (don't kill the seed ) got your back