Seedling care

[RoseSD]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

In general, seedlings straight out of flask should be cared for differently from mature plants of the same genus:

1. They need constant & high humidity:

I use a mix consisting of chopped spaghnum + seedling size (1/8"-1/4") bark & charcoal, in 4:2:1 ratio.

I then place the compots in flats with clear plastic domes.

2. They need significantly lower light than larger seedlings or mature plants.

For Paphs, if you grow adult plants at 1200-1500 footcandles, keep recently deflasked seedlings well below 1000.
After 6 months or so, they can graduate to 1000-1200.
After 12-18 months, they can handle 1200-1500.

3. They need higher temperatures than more mature plants. I keep my trays with domes on a heat mat for at least one year. Caution: On the heat mat, they dry out faster - even with the dome cover.

Why do seedlings need lower light than bigger ones? Don't they need it to grow?

---------- Post added at 12:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 PM ----------

Also, could someone give a general guideline as to when to start giving fertilizer to seedling size orchids?