For myself, I do NOT do In-Vito culture, to much sterilization involved for the hobby's concern. I also do not apply anything artificial... no chemicals, fertilizers nor hormones in the reproduction processes... I just use high humidity and good old fashioned "Biospheres"... A biosphere is an continual replenishing environment that needs no maintenance ever, or much less frequently at least... Since orchid roots need a transfer of CO2 out of the medium and be replenished by O2 I grow out unfalsked plants and stem propagated Phals/DTPS/Phius in enclosed environments with the aid of live sphagnum moss that is readily available naturally in my state. In tern the plants get a constant supply of O2 during the time of photosynthesis (which I do under two 4', 40W t5's per 4' X2' bay). As with all plants, the processes are reversed during night, O2 is used in conjunction with sugars/starches to produce CO2 in the absence of light. To adjust for this factor I leave the lights on for 14~16 hrs a day <- this is a much debated topic with orchids, mainly in what amount of light becomes non essential to an orchid or weather to much light is detrimental to an orchid.,. After the original production of "keiki" and transfer to "biosphere" I have not lost a plant yet. Like I stated, this is only a hobby for me and I have only cloned about 200 or so plants in these means. Ray if you wish more info from my technique I would gladly send a PM.
Daniel the ones in soil may work but the ones in the H2O will look well for about 5 days or so and then liquefy within 8~10 hours from a massive bacterial/fungal infection... It is actually pretty informative to witness so leave 1or2 in the water and move the other 8. For experiment #3, Place the other 8 onto moss of sorts. Take a trek into nature and find a moss that readily grows in nature in Canada. Place this moss in the bottom of a 2QT(1/2 Gallon) clear container that can be sealed. Place the node cuttings on top of the moss and seal the container and place the container under fluorescent lighting (not in a window or any direct sunlight, sunlight will super heat the micro environment of the container well above the tolerance of any orchid). A note to the native moss, If at all possible search for native sphagnum moss, most other mosses(not all) will die out or weaken whereas the sphagnum will take well to the "biosphere and grow rapidly. The growth and health of the moss in this environment will intern effect the health of the young keiki that may form from the flower spike of your phal. If done properly, a "biosphere" can maintain the life of an orchid for a year or 2 without any maintenance(no need to open and re~water or fertilize)... This way of propagating orchids has a science to it, to much or to little water in the container can be detrimental.
|
Linear Mode
