Is this fungus in my flask?
 

Hello everyone!!

Not long ago I started experimenting with in-vitro propagation. This is one of my first flasks. As the date on the flask shows, seeds were put in on Dec. 8th. After almost 3 months and tons of seeds growing nicely I found this...(see picture attached)

The one on the right next to the glass is covered by a fuzzy white thing. I suspect it's some kind of fungus. I am very surprised that it appeared after 3 months. Is this common? Is there a way to fix this?

Thank you all for your help. Keep on growing these beautiful plants!!

Esteban

:bump:

I'm by no means an expert, I've never flasked before but I also think it would be weird for a fungus to take so long to grow. Also if it were a fungus wouldn't it be growing on the media? It seems to be coming out of the plant itself.

What kind of orchid are they? It may be normal for that species...

Again, not an expert but they look like they could be ready to be replated, so maybe replate them and keep those with the white stuff separate from the others and see what happens?

Hi Adriana,

It is a Phal Mini hybrid. I think it needs more time before it's moved as many of the protocorms are still too small.
You are right about the "fungus" growing on the plant instead of on the medium. I'll give it more time keeping a close watch and see what happens.

Cheers,
Esteban

Cool, good luck and keep us posted.

Also, what method did you use for sterilizing and sowing? Just curious.

As was said previously, mold would generally be on the medium where the food is. Some species have roots that are hairy. This is probably what we are seeing here. Since there appears to be a little die back, and it has been 3 months in flask I would say it is time to replate. :)

Thank you all for your input. According to the answers here and in another website, seems that hairy roots are about to develop.

Adriana,
A green pod was used. Tools and bag (I use a bed sheet bag with a zipper as "chamber" with gloves taped to it) were sterilized with 70% bleach and pod was drowned in alcohol for 5 min. No contamination so far on any flask. Used this method twice.

Thank you all :)
Esteban

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but it is a fungus and it probably started where the protocorm touches the media and is engulfing them.

I have flasked and raised many Phals and none of them have hairy roots. I've also had fungus show up three months after sowing the seed.

I do not know if you could open the flask, use a fungicide and put it back in the germination media.

Brooke

I tend to agree with Brooke on this one. You can start to see little root hairs forming on developing plantlets but that one in the middle looks really dense to be root hairs. Furthermore none of the other plants aside from those two are developing it. Also those two are at the edge, a prime place for contaminants brought in by the lid and then transported to the media via condensation. If the fuzz grows much bigger you will have a positive identification as a fungal contaminant. As far as getting contaminants this late, it's not unheard of and depends what your lids are and how they are wrapped. There really isn't a single completely airtight lid, most of them will breath if not wrapped as the temperature and pressure change inside and outside of the flask.

OK, will check it out every day and will let you guys know what happens.

Cheers,
E.