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Old 13-02-2011, 07:38 AM
coykiesaol coykiesaol is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Dec 2010
Posts: 76
Default 10-Step Orchid Propagation

Orchid propagation is a process by which orchids are grown. There are different ways to perform orchid propagation. One of the easiest ways to propagate orchids is by using the stem of another orchid. Below are the guidelines on how to perform this specific method of orchid propagation:

1. Prepare the following materials:
- Rectangular plastic tray
- Spray bottle
- Square flasks where cuttings will be placed
- A soft toothbrush
- Labeling materials
- Tweezers
- Distilled water
- Dish washing detergent
- Sterile culture tubes that have stoppers
- Rack
- Cotton
- Agar agar

2. Prepare the medium for propagation
a. Boil the mixture and fill the culture tubes with it at a depth of about 1.5
inches.
b. Place the tubes in a pressure cooker and cook them for 15-20 minutes.
The pressure cooker should have an internal pressure of 15 PSI.
c. Mix water and bleach with a 3:1 ratio. Then, add in 2 drops of dish soap
to it. Apply some of this mixture on the inside surface of the rectangular
tray and pour the rest of it into the empty spray bottle.
d. Repeat step C using a different ratio. Water to bleach ratio should be 9:1.
Add another 2 drops of dish soap and place this new batch of mixture into
square flasks.

3. Spray the solution from the spray bottle inside the flask case. Dry using
sterile towels.

4. Place the flasks, tubes, stoppers, tweezers, blades, and rack inside the
flask case.

5. From your existing orchid collection, choose one that has started to flower
or is budding and halfway to flowering. With a sterile blade, cut its stem
and place it on the tray.

6. Brush the stem from the top to the bottom with a clean, soft toothbrush
and place it back on the tray.

7. Place the tray with the stem inside the flask case and prepare it for
propagation with the following steps:
a. At one inch above the cut that you made (and below the bud), cut the
stem once more. This time, cut at a slanting angle.
b. Remove the bud's covering and place the stem inside the square flask.
Let it soak for 15-20 minutes and shake the flask every five minutes.
c. Keep the tubes at room temperature so that the stems won't expand
or contract within them.

8. After 15-20 minutes of soaking the stems, use the tweezers to get them
from the square flasks and insert them into the culture tubes. Make sure
that the bud touches the medium inside them.

9. Label the tubes to identify which type of orchid is inside each tube. Place
the tubes inside the rack and place the rack inside the growing room.

10. Within a few weeks time, you will be seeing small leaves begin to grow from the stems. By the time that the leaves have grown to at least half an inch and it has roots that are also half an inch at length, take the buds out and plant them in little pots. Water them right after and constantly do this to keep them from drying out.