OK When it comes to deflasking everyones a bit different. I prefer to
use an inverted plastic pot with a sheet of plastic over the holes so
I can adjust the air inside in very small increments, seems to work
faster for me in my setup.
I have used the baggie method as well with very good results.
Some plants need to stay in the baggies for more than a month, some
only need three or four days. Don't just open the bagg more and more
evey day. You have to watch closely and adjust the opening on an as
needed basis for each compot,(sometimes within a 12 hour span) you
want the inside of your baggie to come close to 100% in the begginning
without making moisture on the bag walls, if it does, wipe off
imediantly and open the top just a touch more. The broader and larger
the leaf the less time it takes to become hardy in the new enviroment.
First off I would raise my humidity outside the baggie. At least a
constant 75+% It shouldn't drop below about 70% That way as you open
the baggie more and more it doesn't drop the humidity to low and cause
the leaf drop off. I would cut the neem oil spraying when they are
that young, or make it very very week solution. Same goes for the
supertrive and ironite, if you use it at all make it very very week. I
have deflasked many many seedlings and not put a bit of fert in the
moss for several weeks while they get used to the new home.I soak my
moss in a week solution of physon then rinse well before using. Witch
brings us to a question, What are you compoting in? I have found that
a very tall yet small pot with moss packed loosly and stopping about
1/2 inch from the top of the pot gives the plant a bit more moisture
because the lip of the pot is higher than the plant. If the pot is
deep then the roots can find there prefered spot, higher or lower in
the moisture.
The biggest thing is ROOTS If your getting plants allready deflasked
they may not have the roots needed to sustain after deflasking. I
order from all over the world and have found that alot of the time
plants are sent to early. I have a flask of Dens from Ausralia that I
ordered two years ago, they made up my order of a lot of flasks
(mostly Stanhopeas) in 6 months and sent them to me, then over the
next 12 months I deflasked them as the roots were strong enough to
suport the plants. This last one has been sitting on the shelf for 18
months now and is just about ready to come out.
As for your lighting, what are you deflasking? I am allmost
exclusively Stans so my compots are in the shade with just dappled
light coming thru leaves of mature plants. My Dens and Onc and Bulbos
get bright light (about three or four feet under a 400 watt MH that is
tilted slightly away from the shelf). Also I never let my seedling
moss get dry. I mist the moss every morning trying not to wet the
leaves but allways keeping the moss moist. If useing the baggie method
then you don't have to mist the moss every day cause it will stay very
moist in the bag for several days.
If you have problems with molding then I would try more air flow, but
while they are young its got to be moist air flow. I run a negitive
pressure room. The air is sucked out of the room allways(the air is
completly replaced every 10 mins. (yeh it uses more RO water in the
atomizers but it does wonders for keeping bugs and mold down) and the
incoming air is filled with moisture by atomizers at the entry points.
In a 10' x 15' room I have 4 ocilating fans running all at different
heights and in different areas and still there are rather large
microclimates in the space. The newest compots go in the moister
areas.

WOW, I just read my post. What a wind bag!
Sorry for the grammer and spelling but it's late and I aint correctin
it now. NOOK


On 8 Aug 2006 17:59:30 -0700, "Jack" wrote:

I will have to try adding soap.

The flasklings I take them out, they are shipped in twirl packs already
taken out of the flask, but are not washed, I seperate them and place
them in the compots that are already soaked with superthrive, 1/4
strength fert, and ironite transplant. I place them in 1/2 gal baggies
and spray them with neem oil. I open the baggies up more each day for a
week then put them in my grow rack on the next to top shelf with full
shading and a grow light, 2 40w flourencents. I water them when they
get dry and try to keep the medium universially moist, alittle dry
between each watering, about every 2 days. temp 75F, humidity 65% -
75% with a fan running on the shelf below them which keeps the air
moving. I don't think that I am over handling them. but some times I
think that I am letting them get too dry, but if I let them stay wet I
have problems with mold.


I Know that this a subject that has been covered before, but i think
that I am doing it right and still have greater than 50% fatality rate.

Jack