how does orchid flasking work

[orchididentification]

why does everbody say that orchids need a symbiotic relationship with fungus where in flasking it is sterile


what is the active ingredient in a flask which causes a orchid seed to germinate.

if sugar could you not just smear a bit of honey on a piece of bark and sprinkle seeds on it, supposing no fungus overcrowds it

[mook1178]

From my understanding, orchid seeds do not have the nutrients stored in the seed as in most plants. Therefore the fungus in nature provides the orchid seed with the nutrients needed.

The agar in flasked orchid seeds provides the said nutrients. Sterile refers to nothing living, ie bacteria, bad fungus. The nutrients in the agar do not disappear when sterilizing. I think it needs to be sterile because orchids take a long time to germinate and grow very slowly, that any bacteria or fungus would use the nutrients before the orchid.

[Ray]

Mook pretty much summed it up.

The mycelia of the specific fungus that literally infects the seed, pumps sugars into it to provide the fuel for germination.

In a flask, constant and extended contact with the nutrient-rich agar diffuses its way in.

[orchididentification]

What would you say the crucial ingredient would be in a flasking medium

If it is sugar what type is most reddily absorbed by the seed, sucrose, glucose, ect ?

[mook1178]

This I don't know, so I'm going to ask.

I'm an oceanographer, so mittens to me mean inorganic nutrients in nitrogen and phosphorus. Does the agar have sugar or N and P or all of the above?

[Fairorchids]

Originally Posted by mook1178

This I don't know, so I'm going to ask.

I'm an oceanographer, so mittens to me mean inorganic nutrients in nitrogen and phosphorus. Does the agar have sugar or N and P or all of the above?

The agar provides nothing, other than jelling factor for the liquid. All the nutrients have to be added separately, and in very precise measurements (which may vary, depending upon genus of orchid).

[mook1178]

Yeah, I understand that about the agar.

I may not have been clear. What are the actual nutrients? Is it nitrogen and phosphorus or glucose or a combination? Or something else?

[Fairorchids]

Look up Knudson formula C.

That shows the basics, but it is frequently improved upon by adding some ripe banana or coconut water.

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