Summer Project 2014

[shushu45]

hi everyone!!

As I learn more and more about orchids and how they grow. I was thinking of a project to do when I am out of school for the summer and though of trying to grow orchids from seed.

I have looked at many different sites, including here of how to do so.

What I want to know is that what medium works beat for u all?? Can I use canning jars for the mother flask and the replates or do I have to use something else?? Plastic or glass, which works better?? Artificial or natural light?? And any advice would be greatly appreciated.
And a list of stuff I would need to make my sterile box.

Thank you all for looking.

[OCRC_Dir_China]

There are a broad range of formulas; used to make vitro that is used for orchid seed propagation. Many are basic and many are complicated and require much preparation and stock solutions; that must be made in advance; and being able to measure correct weight of each chemical; all substitute chemicals the molar weight becomes the concern. Some chemicals that should be cold filtered for the sterilizing processes instead of being heated. Chemical quality and chemical access is always a major concern; are you going to green pod sow or dry seed sow? Distilled water becomes a concern a single distilled and many times we use double distilled water for our vitro. Some seeds need less thought and some seem to need allot about what it will take to get them to germinate. Speed of germination and percentage of germination can vary do too many factors.

Now for good all-around formula really becomes and matter of opinion; I like MS, MS1, Knudson, Knudson C and one of my personal favorites Knudson C ( Arditti 1982 modified) are good vitro formulas.

I posted some easy basic formulas in the Social Group area Flasking ect….

Light requirements for mother or replate flasks some need light period others need total dark period to germinate in. We use two 40 watt standard florescent tubes about 30cm above the flask and usually 16 hour photo period.

As for a sterile box there are many do it yourself plans but use with caution; I read one that said he used alcohol spray to sterilize his home made glove box. Then he said that he uses an alcohol lamp inside his home made glove box. I guess that I was absent that day in school because we were taught alcohol fumes and open flame can be a bad thing; and he is doing it in a confined space none the less.

If you use canning jars I don’t foresee a problem until it comes time to replate; because at that time ventilation becomes an issue for seedling respiration and your lids have no hole or filter lid.

I teach my students always think as if you are working for a company; time is money, mistakes and waste cost the company money, any low germination rate can become unprofitable, All polluted flask cost the company money, any seedlings that dies cost the company money; and my favorite if you keep costing the company money; soon you will be out of a job.

I hope that this little bit of information can help you; I wish you well with your project.

[shushu45]

Originally Posted by OCRC_Dir_China

There are a broad range of formulas; used to make vitro that is used for orchid seed propagation. Many are basic and many are complicated and require much preparation and stock solutions; that must be made in advance; and being able to measure correct weight of each chemical; all substitute chemicals the molar weight becomes the concern. Some chemicals that should be cold filtered for the sterilizing processes instead of being heated. Chemical quality and chemical access is always a major concern; are you going to green pod sow or dry seed sow? Distilled water becomes a concern a single distilled and many times we use double distilled water for our vitro. Some seeds need less thought and some seem to need allot about what it will take to get them to germinate. Speed of germination and percentage of germination can vary do too many factors.

Now for good all-around formula really becomes and matter of opinion; I like MS, MS1, Knudson, Knudson C and one of my personal favorites Knudson C ( Arditti 1982 modified) are good vitro formulas.

I posted some easy basic formulas in the Social Group area Flasking ect….

Light requirements for mother or replate flasks some need light period others need total dark period to germinate in. We use two 40 watt standard florescent tubes about 30cm above the flask and usually 16 hour photo period.

As for a sterile box there are many do it yourself plans but use with caution; I read one that said he used alcohol spray to sterilize his home made glove box. Then he said that he uses an alcohol lamp inside his home made glove box. I guess that I was absent that day in school because we were taught alcohol fumes and open flame can be a bad thing; and he is doing it in a confined space none the less.

If you use canning jars I don’t foresee a problem until it comes time to replate; because at that time ventilation becomes an issue for seedling respiration and your lids have no hole or filter lid.

I teach my students always think as if you are working for a company; time is money, mistakes and waste cost the company money, any low germination rate can become unprofitable, All polluted flask cost the company money, any seedlings that dies cost the company money; and my favorite if you keep costing the company money; soon you will be out of a job.

I hope that this little bit of information can help you; I wish you well with your project.

Thank you soo much for replying.

Wow alcohol really??!! Wow. I go to school next to the local hospital (the hospital owns the building the school just rents a few room from them) and so I know someing about how to sanitize my equipment. We use in out lab a simple 1:10 bleach solution. I read online when sterilizing the glove box use a 1:4 dilution. Isn't that kind of strong??

Oh I forgot to ask also how and what do u use to sterilize the seeds with??

Again thank you for the information!!

[OCRC_Dir_China]

The sterilizing of a Lamar flow hood and compared to a simple homemade glove box a 1:4 could be just right.

Mix a 5 to 10% solution of distilled water with one drop of clear liquid dish washing soap. Put a small quantity of dry seeds in the blood vial; then and the sterilizing solution not more than ¾ full. Insert a wad of cotton wool place the blood vial cap back on and hand agitate for 3 to 5 minutes works for most seeds. Uncap take the forceps and gently grab and push the cotton wad down to the bottom but leave a small water gap between the seeds and the plug. Now poor out the solution and add just straight distilled water for the seed rinse again only to about ¾ full. Now pull the cotton wad back up to the top and recap and agitate again; repeat this process of rinsing 2 or 3 times. Now the seeds are ready to sow; I use a common eye dropper to suck up a small amount of seeds and squirt them as evenly as possible over the surface of the vitro. All this must be done under aseptic conditions.

For green pod just trim off any dead material but try not to cut or trim that would allow an opening into the seed capsule. Use again 5 to 10% solution as for dry seed but let it set in the solution for 20 to 30 minutes then place it into 70% alcohol for around 3 minutes then flame it. Now you are you can cut it open long ways and use the seeds right onto the vitro; must be done under aseptic conditions and tools used must be sterilized before use.

This is all basic information; the more dirty the seeds the longer you must sterilize them; but any time you sterilize seeds you will kill some in the process.