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A real headbanger
Okay, I got bold or stupid and decided to try my hand at some flasks.
I've read articles, chapters, and advice at different websites. Everybody has their own techniques, but I thought I had everything right. I sterilized the medium, rinsed the agar, soaked the seedlings in physan 20, protected them from too much dry air while they got hardened off a bit, etc. They've been planted and look pretty bad. It's been two weeks. Except for one. I found a stray today that had gotten tangled up in my mop up rag left laying in a stainless sink. The stray had tumble weeded around and was trying to grow to a dish cloth that I had used to mop up spilled water, fungicide, plant food, and coffee. I honestly think I over handled the plants while taking every precaution. But a dish rag? Darn it, what happened to the need for sanitation, air movement, light, and drainage? There is no justice. |
A real headbanger
Nancy G. wrote:
Okay, I got bold or stupid and decided to try my hand at some flasks. I've read articles, chapters, and advice at different websites. Everybody has their own techniques, but I thought I had everything right. I sterilized the medium, rinsed the agar, soaked the seedlings in physan 20, protected them from too much dry air while they got hardened off a bit, etc. They've been planted and look pretty bad. It's been two weeks. Except for one. I found a stray today that had gotten tangled up in my mop up rag left laying in a stainless sink. The stray had tumble weeded around and was trying to grow to a dish cloth that I had used to mop up spilled water, fungicide, plant food, and coffee. I honestly think I over handled the plants while taking every precaution. But a dish rag? Darn it, what happened to the need for sanitation, air movement, light, and drainage? There is no justice. Don't give up hope yet, it can take a while for a compot to get established. And it is always a bit risky, anyway. Keep the humidity up (that is why the dish rag plant is doing well, I bet). -- Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a) See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more orchids, obtain more credit |
A real headbanger
Nancy: Rob is correct to say don't give up hope. We generally managed to
keep about 50% alive, to blooming-size, using the methods you described. But, as you've noticed, it requires "overhandling." We've had much better success rates by NOT rinsing the agar, NOT soaking in fungicide, but just plopping the contents of the flask, agar and all, into a prepared compot. This usually requires breaking the bottle [hammer, towel to wrap the bottle while breaking to avoid flying glass fragments -- it's easier to hit the big end, on a quart bottle -- and spatula required]. We keep them shadier than their adult "cousins" for a few weeks, and if the roots don't look good, we may spray the resulting compot(s) with Superthrive or KLN -- no other special treatment. Kenni "Nancy G." wrote in message ups.com... Okay, I got bold or stupid and decided to try my hand at some flasks. I've read articles, chapters, and advice at different websites. Everybody has their own techniques, but I thought I had everything right. I sterilized the medium, rinsed the agar, soaked the seedlings in physan 20, protected them from too much dry air while they got hardened off a bit, etc. They've been planted and look pretty bad. It's been two weeks. Except for one. I found a stray today that had gotten tangled up in my mop up rag left laying in a stainless sink. The stray had tumble weeded around and was trying to grow to a dish cloth that I had used to mop up spilled water, fungicide, plant food, and coffee. I honestly think I over handled the plants while taking every precaution. But a dish rag? Darn it, what happened to the need for sanitation, air movement, light, and drainage? There is no justice. |
A real headbanger
Nancy, I feel your pain. I usually follow the compot theory at
http://www.ladyslipper.com for how I deal with compots. One of the locals says this method works for everything BUT phallies, so you have to wash off agar etc for phallies... but YMMV, LOL!! Once again, whatever works for you, works for you (I'm going to make a pin that says that, one of thse days) In the meantime, I decided, in the midst of the most horrendous heat California has ever suffered in my lifetime here (since 1962), to set a few pods. Of course 1 of the 4 has failed already. What was I thinking? (WWIT?) One of these days I'll have the answer and will be bodily accepted into heaven, no purgatory involved, without having to pass 'Go' without getting $200. Spam will be deleted K Barrett Kenni Judd wrote: Nancy: Rob is correct to say don't give up hope. We generally managed to keep about 50% alive, to blooming-size, using the methods you described. But, as you've noticed, it requires "overhandling." We've had much better success rates by NOT rinsing the agar, NOT soaking in fungicide, but just plopping the contents of the flask, agar and all, into a prepared compot. This usually requires breaking the bottle [hammer, towel to wrap the bottle while breaking to avoid flying glass fragments -- it's easier to hit the big end, on a quart bottle -- and spatula required]. We keep them shadier than their adult "cousins" for a few weeks, and if the roots don't look good, we may spray the resulting compot(s) with Superthrive or KLN -- no other special treatment. Kenni "Nancy G." wrote in message ups.com... Okay, I got bold or stupid and decided to try my hand at some flasks. I've read articles, chapters, and advice at different websites. Everybody has their own techniques, but I thought I had everything right. I sterilized the medium, rinsed the agar, soaked the seedlings in physan 20, protected them from too much dry air while they got hardened off a bit, etc. They've been planted and look pretty bad. It's been two weeks. Except for one. I found a stray today that had gotten tangled up in my mop up rag left laying in a stainless sink. The stray had tumble weeded around and was trying to grow to a dish cloth that I had used to mop up spilled water, fungicide, plant food, and coffee. I honestly think I over handled the plants while taking every precaution. But a dish rag? Darn it, what happened to the need for sanitation, air movement, light, and drainage? There is no justice. |
A real headbanger
K Barrett wrote: One of these days I'll have the answer and will be bodily accepted into heaven, no purgatory involved, without having to pass 'Go' without getting $200. One Feast of the Assumption is enough or too many already. J. Del Col |
A real headbanger
Nancy G. wrote: Except for one. I found a stray today that had gotten tangled up in my mop up rag left laying in a stainless sink. The stray had tumble weeded around and was trying to grow to a dish cloth that I had used to mop up spilled water, fungicide, plant food, and coffee. we want pictures. :) --and remember Al's holy ghost orchids, which bypassed the whole flask thing and simply grew wherever they landed in the greenhouse. it's starting to sound like letting a pod dehisc inside a plastic baggie with some damp sphag in it might be the best bet. :) --j_a |
A real headbanger
we want pictures. :) I'll consider picts. Right now they look really pathetic. BTW, the flask I was mentioning was a tolumnia hybrid. Lots of really tiny plants. W(TH)WIT!!! I tried them because I've mounted keikis from my tolumnia prionochilum and those are really tough. There is a BIG difference between even the smallest of keikis allowed to grow in the same conditions as the mother plant and a flask received in the mail. The flask was good and the plants healthy looking, until I mauled them. I could probably videotape a serious comedy on "How not to do Orchids" or "King Kong Takes up Tatting". The tolumnias were the 6'th flask I'd done. The first was a hobby size of Phal. violacea, the others were paphs and phrags. There is no comparison between four types of plants. The phals were the easiest and all 5 plants are doing well. Phrags and Paphs have those fuzzy roots that are nearly impossible to get apart enough to separate, sort of like trying to slide velcro. Another complication being different suppliers...All flasks are not created equal. 2 flasks of phrags were primo, still tricky to separate but have hardened off and are starting to show new growth. The other 3 (a different supplier), another story. The plants looked good with the exception of 1 the agar had broken down and the plants were bruised and covered with slime. However the second was totally overgrown in the flask (leaves folded down from touching the top of the flask, lower leaves turning brown), the third a trifle overgrown but not to excess. During the 3rd flask (the best of the 3), I was nearly in tears and handled them in larger clumps and less concerned with completely rinsing. By then I was afraid if I didn't get the job finished and walk away, I would throw the whole mess in the trash. They look much better than the first two. If any of the original seedlings survive long enough to grow a new division it may not be a total loss. Theoretically I may still have some phrags and that is the price you pay for experience. After the last fiasco, I've considered changing my name in the group. If the dedicated growers put 2 and 2 together, no one will sell me orchids. As far as pics go, I wish I had gotten the look on T.'s face when he came in a week later and found new wire racks, grow lights, and 2 shelves for my new seedlings. --and remember Al's holy ghost orchids, which bypassed the whole flask thing and simply grew wherever they landed in the greenhouse. it's starting to sound like letting a pod dehisc inside a plastic baggie with some damp sphag in it might be the best bet. :) If you have a link for that story, I'd appreciate it. If not I'd like to hear the story. Thank you, Nancy |
A real headbanger
Nancy G. wrote: If you have a link for that story, I'd appreciate it. If not I'd like to hear the story. Thank you, Nancy i can't find al's original post, but look at number 3 (gene's) in this thread; 'bout sums it up. :) http://groups.google.com/group/rec.g...1 491dd5606f0 (and i have no idea if that link will work. :) --j_a |
A real headbanger
i can't find al's original post, but look at number 3 (gene's) in this thread; 'bout sums it up. :) http://groups.google.com/group/rec.g...1 491dd5606f0 (and i have no idea if that link will work. :) --j_a Perfect, thanks for the link. Nancy |
A real headbanger
thx. al said his hanging phal equestris, which was dead in the sights
of the fan, ended up looking like a chia pet. :) --j_a |
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