Sterile dry seeds methods

[NatalieS]

Interesting zxygu! I always thought hydrogen peroxide was much stronger than house-hold bleach. I'm wondering if there's some confusion about the term 'bleach'. Sodium hypochlorite is the main active ingredient of house-hold bleach BUT house-hold bleach generally also contains sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide delays the breakdown of sodium hypochlorite. I wish I knew more about this stuff, but that would tell me that house-hold bleach might act for longer on the seeds than say, Milton, which contains just sodium hypochlorite and becomes inactive much quicker.

[NatalieS]

Bulbophyllum orectopetalum protocorms after about 60 days, sown using vapour sterilisation. I used Milton, not house-hold bleach. I wish I had a better camera!

[roby]

Hi NatalieS

It seems that even Milton's is based poclorito sodium 2%, while the 5% chlorine bleach.
So probably with Milton you can lengthen the exposure time and less likely to die seeds.
thanks

[zxyqu]

Just general hydrogen peroxide you can buy at the store, and any general dish soap works for me. It's exactly what he does, but the addition of some soap really helps wash some of the crap off.

[Bloomin_Aussie]

Not just that... it acts as a wetting agent to stop the seed floating which helps the disinfectant do its job.

[Larssh]

Thanks both of you, mystery solved ;-) Iam trying to suck as much knowledge to me as posible.

[zxyqu]

I have no idea about the second one, but both 10% bleach and H2O2 should work for phals. I only sterilize the seed with the syringe technique. But I sterilize the bottles/media via autoclave or pressure cooker.

[netpumber]

Ok Thank you. I will only use 10% bleach because last year i tried it with an other terrestrial genera (Dactylohriza saccifera) and they got germinated.

[netpumber]

zxyqu what proportion in bleach you use?

[zxyqu]

What do you mean net? I use a 10% solution, though I admit I always try to be a little less than actually 10% (probably more like 9-10%)