Deflask? Mold and tumbled flask problems

[claytonkroh]

I have a cattleya flask that appears to have developed a spot of mold inside it, which I’ve been watching carefully for the past week. It doesn’t appear to have progressed yet, but I don’t know if I can see everything that might be going on inside. I’m also not sure if the plants are large enough to safely deflask yet.

I’ve attached a few pictures of the plants and the mold spot. You may also notice that the flask took a tumble, and so some of the plants have been tossed about on top of others. There are a few browned leaves as well on a few.

I’m in the process of assembling a glove box I can use to replate, but I hadn’t planned to have it ready for anything yet (I was hoping these plants would go along happily for a while longer and get larger). I also have not done a flasking or replating yet, so everything I know is still theoretical for me.

Do you all have advice on what I should do?
1) Are these large enough to deflask into a compot with reasonable rate of success?
2) Should I get my glove box done and attempt a replating now?
3) Is there another action I should take?

Thanks for your help!

[Carebear2]

It's all theoretical for me too so I'm sure you have researched it more than me.

Here is a half hour video on replating YouTube

however if you have mould that is a problem. I think you would need to disinfect with a very mild 0.1% hydrogen peroxide solution first. (ie soak the whole lot)
0.1% is very easy to achieve with hydrogen peroxide dilluted down to 0.1% with distilled water however I rarely see people dilute peroxide. Up to you. Higher strength will probably kill the lot, 0.1% will be safe to use and will kill the mould.

They look a bit too small to pot up so you will need to make a new agar solution for them. All not very easy but they are too cramped and do need to be replated imo.

If you do relpate, remove any brown leaves in the process

[estación seca]

I have read here of people using a magnifying glass to focus the sun into the flask and cook the entire mold spot.

[Fairorchids]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I have read here of people using a magnifying glass to focus the sun into the flask and cook the entire mold spot.

My dad used this approach very successfully. You might cook a couple of seedlings, but you save the rest of the flask.

[isurus79]

If the magnifying glass method doesn't work, I recently had a similar situation occur where I needed to make an emergency deflasking. The plants are now out of flask for about 6 weeks or so and only 3 have died. The plants were at the same stage as yours. Here's a video I made about it: YouTube

[claytonkroh]

Thank you all for the helpful information! I'll try the magnifying glass thing first. Thanks for the video,
@isurus79! That gives me hope that if I have to deflask them, I might be able to keep them alive

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by claytonkroh

Thank you all for the helpful information! I'll try the magnifying glass thing first. Thanks for the video,
@isurus79! That gives me hope that if I have to deflask them, I might be able to keep them alive

You're welcome! This reminds me that I should do a follow up video!