Another Deflasking project

[cloudswinger]

Apparently I copy FlaCo, since I've done the log in a pot and now a deflask. It was a ebay purchase - Renanthera citrina (US though, not an international purchase), and they deflasked to a baggie for shipping. So all I did was make up some compots. I didn't take pictures of the plants in the baggie. I was going to keep up the humidity with a container, but since it seems there is some debate about whether that is necessary, I've been leaving them out, at least the ones in the real pots. The ones in the largest container are the littlest ones, and that container is the most airtight, so I can keep the highest humidity with that one, although I used the stick to prop the top open a little. The other clear square(berry box) case has holes along the top and bottom, so is already vented. Those are the mid sized ones.

[articuno75]

Nothing wrong with being a copycat. How can you expect to learn otherwise?

I've done my share of copycatting and I give praise to those who shared the ideas. (Anton I love the stockings for the mounts )

[patticake]

How cute! I love baby orchids!! I can't wait to get my flasks back-(18 mos!) I like how you potted them up-

[cloudswinger]

18 months?! I had a baby in less time than that! So far I think buying flasks is the furthest I'll go toward the seedling process. I am tempted to try flasking, just for the experimental sake, and just because I had fun in microbiology and playing around with agar and whatnot. But I already have too many biological experiments around the house(mostly in the fridge).

[cloudswinger]

Ok, so it's been a week, and there's some mold in the largest, highest humidity container. I've lost some of the littlest plants, but most of the ones in that box are rather questionable anyway. There's plants with like 1/4 in leaf spans in there. As long as it had some root, I stuck it in there.

I'm trying to grow plants without using a lot of toxic chemicals, and so far it's been doable. The other ones in the vented boxes are doing fine. I think they've started to acclimate and grow. I've found some more little vented food containers that would work well too. The little berry box is a little shallow for a few of the plants.

[awaxa]

Hi cloudswinger,
Please don't get me wrong when I say that I feel that the seedlings that you compotted were a little too small, unless, of course, if there was contamination present in the mother flask.
Usually, the seedlings should have been allowed to grow a little larger before com-potting. If so, then they will be stronger in order to overcome the transition of being in a sterile condition to one that is very though.

[patticake]

Originally Posted by cloudswinger

Ok, so it's been a week, and there's some mold in the largest, highest humidity container. I've lost some of the littlest plants, but most of the ones in that box are rather questionable anyway. There's plants with like 1/4 in leaf spans in there. As long as it had some root, I stuck it in there.

I'm trying to grow plants without using a lot of toxic chemicals, and so far it's been doable. The other ones in the vented boxes are doing fine. I think they've started to acclimate and grow. I've found some more little vented food containers that would work well too. The little berry box is a little shallow for a few of the plants.

Sounds good to me! Having increased humidity as well as ventilation makes sense. Good luck! I'm pulling for ya!

[Greenhouse Gal]

Are you using any fertilizer or worm tea at this time? Please keep us posted.

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by awaxa

Hi cloudswinger,
Please don't get me wrong when I say that I feel that the seedlings that you compotted were a little too small, unless, of course, if there was contamination present in the mother flask.
Usually, the seedlings should have been allowed to grow a little larger before com-potting. If so, then they will be stronger in order to overcome the transition of being in a sterile condition to one that is very though.

Yes, well, they were shipped to me deflasked to a plastic baggie, so I had no choice in that matter. The seller said there was about 15 seedlings, which I do think I got of good size. There were about another 20 smaller ones, which are the ones that are questionable.

I'll probably use regular orchid fertilizer I've had at a very dilute ratio.

[FLaCo]

Originally Posted by articuno75

Nothing wrong with being a copycat. How can you expect to learn otherwise?

I've done my share of copycatting and I give praise to those who shared the ideas. (Anton I love the stockings for the mounts )

A little late on the thread but I have to agree with Jenny. I feel flattered when people use my ideas and continue or make them better. That is the reason why I post my threads, so I can share.

One thing I noticed is about seedlings is timing. The only ones that made it were a few big ones that I had. My plan for my next set is to deflask around late summer entering fall. Bacteria and May and Junes showers really ate at my seedlings.

Good luck!

[cloudswinger]

So late summer would be about now? I'm kind of questioning myself about doing this in the peak of hurricane season, but at least it's warm and the air circulation is good.

I'm on the hunt for another flask, since I have sooo much experience now

[cloudswinger]

ok, so it's about the 3rd week, I've moved most of the seedlings(all the ones in pots and the berry box) to a brighter area and so far so good. They dry out a lot quicker though, and pretty much need water every day. The last box is slowly losing little plants, and I just dumped H202 in all of the pots to kill some rot going on. But, one of the littlest plants(leaves are like 2mm!) is actually surviving, so that's kind of encouraging. I've been keeping all the lids open, so they're getting ambient humidity, maybe a little higher due to the moss, but not really high humidity. No more fungal growth in sight. There's one particular seedling that I think might be able to be potted alone, it's already got 2 growths and 4 good roots. There's such a range of sizes in the batch yet some of the bigger ones have succumbed, and some smaller ones are surviving.

Does this seem like a quick pace? I'm trying to get them acclimated to a more natural cycle of moist and dry during the day, which is what it is outside. I know they're babies, but how long do they need baby treatment?

[solay]

Good luck. Hope you get some good results at the end. Rot is such a problem with seedlings. That's why I don't think I'll try what you are doing anytime soon. Hope yours make it through.

[cloudswinger]

Ok, so I've just checked the roots of the biggest seedlings, and they're all pretty rotted. They all looked like they were growing, and are all green on top, but roots are pretty bad. I've decided to reduce the amount of moss around them, and hopefully some will recover. The moss is either wet or bone dry, and it's annoying. When the moss is wet, it's hard to dry quickly, and then some fungus grows on the roots. I'm not liking the moss right now. And I think maybe I should have taken them outside sooner.

And I've realized that I'd much rather practice raising seedlings with other peoples flasks. If this was happening to a flask that I'd waited 18 months for, I'd be much more upset. As it is, I'm tempted to buy another flask of the same species and start over, even though I still have a few plants.

[patticake]

Originally Posted by cloudswinger

Ok, so I've just checked the roots of the biggest seedlings, and they're all pretty rotted. They all looked like they were growing, and are all green on top, but roots are pretty bad. I've decided to reduce the amount of moss around them, and hopefully some will recover. The moss is either wet or bone dry, and it's annoying. When the moss is wet, it's hard to dry quickly, and then some fungus grows on the roots. I'm not liking the moss right now. And I think maybe I should have taken them outside sooner.

And I've realized that I'd much rather practice raising seedlings with other peoples flasks. If this was happening to a flask that I'd waited 18 months for, I'd be much more upset. As it is, I'm tempted to buy another flask of the same species and start over, even though I still have a few plants.

Well, it looks like I'll be waiting a long time, since my seed capsules were duds. I have some new capsules growing, so it's going to be about 2 years from now before I have any of my own babies!

[digitalgate]

I like to suggest, you take out of the moss. put it on pine bark with a thin layer of moss on top of seedling. It would be good for you to experiment with a larger number of cheap seedling, if you intend to learn the skill of raising seedling. You gain bad experience from
many experiment anyway.

[cloudswinger]

Ok, so things have stabilized. The biggest seedlings with rotted roots are hanging on, all the littler seedlings with rotted roots have died. So I guess it's good that I chose a vandaceous species to experiment. I think thinner leaved plants would have all died. I'm holding off on buying another flask of the same species, I think someone else should grow then since they are a rare species. I may be optimistic but I think I'll still get at least 5 to survive. I'll try again with a different species.

[cloudswinger]

Yay, there's growth! I've thrown them all outside, laying on top of a bed of moss with maybe a tiny little bit of the root in the moss. It's been raining almost every day, so the moss is soaking wet, but the roots are all green, and little leaves are growing. So, I think next time, I'm going to put them outside earlier. It's also a little cooler than it has been, mid 80s, so I don't have to worry about drying out as fast. I'm hoping they get some root growth before the dry season starts. I don't think I'd use moss for any other seedlings though, it's too hard to keep at a decent moisture level. It's interesting that the parts of the roots that are in the moss grow thicker and fuzzier, I assume to help keep the root aerated.

[girishgkulkarni]

What happened next?

[digitalgate]

you have to you fungicides and fertilizer. half strength. minimium twice a week.

[cloudswinger]

They're still growing. It's the dry season now so it hasn't been raining so much, so they're on a timer to be watered every day. I had it on a longer cycle, but the moss dried out about that quick. Roots are growing into the moss.

[patticake]

Cool! Thanks for the update!

[cloudswinger]

So I found this little guy in one of my compots... trying to keep moist during a very dry dry season. It's a Cuban tree frog. Other than that, everything is growing pretty well.

[lmartiny]

At least he didn't squish the plant. It is dry. We need rain bad.

[trinigirl]

HI, just wondering if you can give us an update on the seedlings. Hoping that the last few are doing well!

[cloudswinger]

It's a few years later, Mom has had health issues the past few years so I've been neglecting the orchids. But I'm back, and the seedlings have all survived and grown. I have a total of 4 left.

[newbud]

I'd/we be interested in some pics on how they're doing. I'm intrigued by your story and very much would like to see how things turned out. Thanks