First time flasking!!

[greengarden]

Eek! I just filled my first lot of flasks and they are in the cupboard cooling now... I hope I've done a good enough job of keeping them sterile!

I imagine if they are going to develop fungus because did a crappy job they'll do it fairly early? Am I best to wait a week or two before sowing my seed in case or should I sow it straight away tomorrow?

[TxRobNLa]

Did you sterilize the flasks in the pressure cooker after you filled them with media?

[greengarden]

I don't own a pressure cooker so I used a microwave method that I was recommended.

[NatalieS]

What method are you using to sterilise your seed?

I use the microwave method to sterilise the media as well. I don't bother to wait and see if there is contamination in the flasks though because I use the vapour sterilisation method for the seed. If you've gotten any contaminants on the surface of the media after microwaving, the vapour sterilisation method kills it.

So far, I haven't gotten any contamination from the media or the seed, only from not sealing the flasks properly. When that happens you'll see the contamination start around the edges of the media closest to where the seal was broken.

If you're not using the vapour sterilisation method for the seed then maybe best to wait and see if your flasks are clean. A week should be more than enough in my opinion but some people recommend two weeks.

[greengarden]

I'm using a perxide method that someone I know uses and recommends. I was very pleased to note that when I put some of the seed under the microscope after treating it the seed had shed it's seed coat and was loking lovely and full and green so hopefully I will get some good germination as long as I don't get any contamination!

[NatalieS]

I'm guessing you treated a test batch to see the results? I'm not sure how far in advance you can sterilise seed before sowing it. Ideally you should be sterilising it just before, or at the point of, sowing otherwise it can easily pick up contaminants again.

If you can store your seed for another week I would hold out and see if there's any contamination in the flasks. No use wasting perfectly good seed!