Flasking 101 - A how-to guide

[cricketerry]

I have just made my first mother flasks, with no contamination after 2 months, and the seed has germinated well. I decided to sterilize my seed using a 3% solution of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) rather than a chlorine based bleach.

The advantage is that you do not have to rinse the seeds after they have been in the H2O2. Hydrogen Peroxide will break down into water and hydrogen when exposed to light so I put my flasks under a bright light (but not hot) for 24 hrs after sowing and you can see the results in the pics. This shows the Cattleya seed and pod and the flask after about 6 weeks.

The other thing I was able to do using this method was to suck a small amount of seed +H2O2 into a dropper and put a couple of drops of the mix into each flask. A gentle movement of the flask then distributes the seed over the surface of the medium.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by mnoor

Being a complete novice to this orchids matters and out of curiosity, I hand pollinate 2 dendrobiums on 8 Jan 2009. Today, I have a seed pod that has split opened and there are many tiny orchids seeds dropped on some of the leaves. Upon realising it, I save the pod and kept in an envelope and store it in a refrigerator.

Accordingly, dendrobium seed pods will mature around 12 months. I am puzzled as to why my seed pod has opened up and released the seeds just within 7 months!

Allow me to describe the environment which my orchids are growing:-

1) I am staying in an apartment that is 10 storeys high.

2) Day temperature fluctuate between 28 - 32 degrees centigrade

3) There isn't much temperature fluctuation during the night as all my orchids plants are kept at my apartment's balcony, though it is opened in the night, the plants do not get any dew drops.

4) Humidity is very high at my place, 80% is common and if it rained, it can be 100%.

5) Watering is done once or twice a week depending on the days, if more dry days I will water it twice and will not water until the medium is really touch dry.

6) The seed pod is dry but the color is still green with some visible yellowish color indicating going to reach maturity.

My question is:-

1) Is the seed pod ready for flasking?

2) Can it be a hiccup in its maturity process that it is now split opened before maturity rendering it a useless seed pod?

3) Can it be because of the strong wind at my apartment that has caused the leaves frictionised the seed pod that cause it to split opened prematurely?

Any input is indeed, much appreciated. Sorry for this lengthy message.

Upon looking around the web and having my own Dendrobium kingianum seed pods mature. I realized that the maturation time for each species or hybrid of Dendrobium is different from one another. The statement that ALL Dendrobiums have seed pods that mature at 12 months is a generalization. These times are also not set in stone, there is some variation.

So instead of saying that they will mature at 12 months, maybe the author of the information should've said to be more precise, that the particular type of Dendrobium has seed pods that mature around the 12 month mark give or take.

For example, Dendrobium kingianum has for me matured at only around 3 months.

And yes, your seeds are ready to be sown.

[mnoor]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Upon looking around the web and having my own Dendrobium kingianum seed pods mature. I realized that the maturation time for each species or hybrid of Dendrobium is different from one another. The statement that ALL Dendrobiums have seed pods that mature at 12 months is a generalization. These times are also not set in stone, there is some variation.

So instead of saying that they will mature at 12 months, maybe the author of the information should've said to be more precise, that the particular type of Dendrobium has seed pods that mature around the 12 month mark give or take.

For example, Dendrobium kingianum has for me matured at only around 3 months.

And yes, your seeds are ready to be sown.

Thank you so much, this is a valuable info to me. I will start to look for the necessary items for the sowing and flasking.

[gixrj18]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Upon looking around the web and having my own Dendrobium kingianum seed pods mature. I realized that the maturation time for each species or hybrid of Dendrobium is different from one another. The statement that ALL Dendrobiums have seed pods that mature at 12 months is a generalization. These times are also not set in stone, there is some variation.

So instead of saying that they will mature at 12 months, maybe the author of the information should've said to be more precise, that the particular type of Dendrobium has seed pods that mature around the 12 month mark give or take.

For example, Dendrobium kingianum has for me matured at only around 3 months.

And yes, your seeds are ready to be sown.

I have to agree with you on this one. My Den atroviolaceum pod is going to burst any day, and it was pollinated March 30. They all differ. I've found that it's best to just wait until the pod splits. I've had occasions that I've flasked green pods, just to find out that the pod had slightly split, and contaminated the seed. Sometimes it's hard to tell if it has opened anywhere. At least if you sterilize the seed, you don't have to worry about contamination. Just my

[gixrj18]

Originally Posted by cricketerry

I have just made my first mother flasks, with no contamination after 2 months, and the seed has germinated well. I decided to sterilize my seed using a 3% solution of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) rather than a chlorine based bleach.

The advantage is that you do not have to rinse the seeds after they have been in the H2O2. Hydrogen Peroxide will break down into water and hydrogen when exposed to light so I put my flasks under a bright light (but not hot) for 24 hrs after sowing and you can see the results in the pics. This shows the Cattleya seed and pod and the flask after about 6 weeks.

The other thing I was able to do using this method was to suck a small amount of seed +H2O2 into a dropper and put a couple of drops of the mix into each flask. A gentle movement of the flask then distributes the seed over the surface of the medium.

I use H2O2 as a final rinse, with a 5% bleach water sterilizing solution. I use 25% for tool & box sterilization.

[mnoor]

Originally Posted by cricketerry

I have just made my first mother flasks, with no contamination after 2 months, and the seed has germinated well. I decided to sterilize my seed using a 3% solution of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) rather than a chlorine based bleach.

The advantage is that you do not have to rinse the seeds after they have been in the H2O2. Hydrogen Peroxide will break down into water and hydrogen when exposed to light so I put my flasks under a bright light (but not hot) for 24 hrs after sowing and you can see the results in the pics. This shows the Cattleya seed and pod and the flask after about 6 weeks.

The other thing I was able to do using this method was to suck a small amount of seed +H2O2 into a dropper and put a couple of drops of the mix into each flask. A gentle movement of the flask then distributes the seed over the surface of the medium.

cricketerry, thks for the simple write up. I just bought a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from a pharmacy. I would like to know whether is it necessary to dilute the H2O2 first before using it, and if so, at what % to the stock solution? The instruction at the bottle suggests to apply or use undiluted.

[cricketerry]

I use a 3% solution so you would need to look at the strength of the product you have bought. If it is 3% use it neat, if not then dilute it so that you end up with a 3% solution.

[Zozzl]

I have been wondering about trying H202 because I am concerning about the sensitivity of some of my seeds to the clorox and because rinsing them is tricky for me. Thanks for all the great info you guy!

Pat

[mnoor]

Originally Posted by cricketerry

I use a 3% solution so you would need to look at the strength of the product you have bought. If it is 3% use it neat, if not then dilute it so that you end up with a 3% solution.

It states 3% w/w. So I guess I can use it neat.

[Louis_C]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

I forgot to mention, there are two methods to in-vitro (flasking) sowing.

There's asymbiotic, which many people are familiar with.

Then there's symbiotic, which very few people (including me) truly understand. This is not recommended for somebody starting out.

Symbiotic in-vitro seed sowing requires you to understand the symbiotic relationship that orchids have with a certain kind of fungus generally called mycorrhizal fungus.

These mycorrhizal fungi infect the living root tissues of the orchid, and after a while, the orchid roots starts digesting the fungus.

In order to do the symbiotic germination method, it requires you to isolate the fungus and grow the seeds with the isolated fungus species. There can be trial and error involved with this as the relationship between orchid and fungus can be species specific.

If I want to isolate fungus what kind of agar plate o need? Is it just sugar and agar?