Hybrid Question

[TheNewGuy]

Along the lines of hybridizing, do many of you all here create flasks of seedlings in their own homes? How do you create the sterile environment to do so?

[Ray]

I send mine to Kelsey Creek Labs.

As far is patenting is concerned, I think that in the US, patenting only prevents the asexual reproduction of plants without payment of royalties, that is cloning and dividing. Sexual reproduction - even selfing - is going to lead to a new set of genes, so falls outside of the patent.

[maitaman]

Flasking at home is easy if you use a semi-sterile method - which means a somewhat lower level of secondary factors (primary is, basically, sugar) and a less ionized set of nutrients/slower ion-movement solution. It's why the cornstarch method works so well in a semi-sterile situation (plus is cheap).