Help with imported orchid!!! Please!

[Yanquister]

My friend recently went to Costa Rica, and knowing how obsessed I am with orchids, he bought one back as a present for me. However, it is nothing like I have ever seen. It comes in a gel filled tube and says it is a "Vitro" product. Does anyone have any knowledge of this? There aren't a great deal of instructions on the package and the Internet has been useless. Included is a photo to show you what it is.

Thanks in advance,
Joseph

[Wild Orchid]

Originally Posted by Yanquister

My friend recently went to Costa Rica, and knowing how obsessed I am with orchids, he bought one back as a present for me. However, it is nothing like I have ever seen. It comes in a gel filled tube and says it is a "Vitro" product. Does anyone have any knowledge of this? There aren't a great deal of instructions on the package and the Internet has been useless. Included is a photo to show you what it is.

Thanks in advance,
Joseph

From what I read, you'll have to deflask the plant at some time.
Here's one discussion on the subject.
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...king-when.html

[Wynn Dee13]

You have a seedling orchid in a flask. You will have to deflask it when it's ready. Read up on deflasking seedlings. Orchid seeds are sown on agar gel to sprout. It isn't the easiest thing to grow seedlings. I have grown orchids for over ten years and have killed pretty much every seedling I have deflasked. It can be done though. Good luck. There are lots of threads on here about the subject.

[brammn]

I've had mixed success with seedlings - I've tried 3 flasks twice, first time round things went really well and I'm pleased to say I have lots of baby Cattleyas, second time not so well, out of about 25 seedlings only about 5 are still going. I think the second time where I went wrong is I left them too long to acclimatise with the lid of the jar slightly open. I used the guidance on this site and it seemed pretty good Deflasking

If you think it would help I can post a photo of the 2 small propagators that I'm using for the seedlings.

[Yanquister]

That would be greatly appreciated! Pretty much the only thing it says on here is to plant it in preloaded sphagnum moss (that comes in the packaging) and that the orchid is a Brassia gireoudiana. If there's more than one in there I can't see it. I've looked up this type of orchid online and would REALLY love to make this work because it looks so beautiful but this is just so out of my area of expertise that I'm worried even after reading things.

[Wynn Dee13]

It also takes years for an orchid to get to blooming size but if you have the patients it's worth it. You already have the plant so give it a shot. You will at least learn something and you could end up with a beautiful plant!

[Yanquister]

I know I have a while to get to the point of flowering, and considering my love of orchids I will be more than happy to wait! But considering it was a gift and was imported for me, I want to do my best to keep it alive. I guess it's just nervousness since I have never done anything like this! Lol haven't had an orchid die on me yet, so hopefully my green thumb will hold out on this one too!