Help me become an expert at reflasking....
 

I guess I should have posted this on the propagation forum.....:scratchhead:

I reserved a flask of Laelia purpurata var. carnea from the Meyers conservatory. The webpage indicates that they remove the plantlets from the flask and send them to you in a sterile packaging. is this recommended?


Now. How do I go about growing these things??? Is this process the same for EVERY orchid??? Once the plants are out of the flask, do you put them in wet moss? is the moss fertilized or not? How often do you mist/water? fungicide or bacteriacide or not? Light requirements?

I've been reading up on this and I'm slightly confused. Some people recommend spraying fungicide etc. to kill the nasties, other sites indicate that this may be harmful to the plants.

As for fertilizer, do you super-fertilize (meaning use a stronger ratio of fertilizer) or under-fertilize? KLN, MSU or S.T.E.M?

Also, I'm not too sure about the community pot thing. How big/small does the tray need to be? i purchased a propagation tray online, along with the dividers (the plastic inserts divide the tray into 72 parts and a dome to check humidity. Do I need to purchase a humidity meter? if so, where can i find one? Do I really need a propagation mat--this to me looks like a heating pad--but then most sites don't mention this.

I know I'm asking like a zillion questions, but I want to start off on the right foot when/if I get the plants.

Thanks!!!:bowing :bowing :bowing :bowing :bowing :bowing

First, L. purpurata will grow nicely and adjust well out of flask - that's a HUGE help. Also, Troy really grows some beefcake seedlings so that helps too. He sends them already de-flasked and kept sterile, so there is no need to spray the seedlings with anything.

I normally treat the media with physan beforehand at the dosage on the label. I let it soak, then rinse well. So, now you have clean seedlings and clean media. Now I soak it in my normal fert soulution (125 ppm MSU plus a few drops of KLN). Just a nice, weak, balanced fertilizer is fine. I water every time with 125 ppm N as per the label directions.

You don't need a mat, just don't set them on the floor of your basement. You don't need a humidity meter, the dome will keep it at 95+ percent. You don't need to compot them, it's just preference. Use your tray for the nice ones and try a compot for the runts. See what works best for you.

Light is pretty easy. You're not getting blooms anytime soon, so don't overdo it. Start with Phal light and creep up to low Cat light over several months just to be safe. You'll do just fine, just trust your orchid instincts. ;)

Royal,

Thanks for your very thorough explanation. So I should use moss, no? Does one always use moss for seedlings?

Moss is fine. Whatever works for you, really. I use sphag for seedlings sometimes, but with Cattleyas I'll often use just a fine bark mix. It's just that under my conditions sphag doesn't do too well.

But even with the sphag, I'll treat it with normal strength physan and then rinse it several times. Then the last soak is in fert + KLN.

I see. OK. Thanks for clearing that up.

I just received notification that two of the flasks I reserved are being readied for shipment. Wish me luck!! And, of course, thanks for your help! I'll keep you updated. :)

Oh, you'll do fine. Have fun, you will be pleased with Troy's plants.