Anybody do up their compots into S/H???

[Posey]

I was wondering if anybody ever tried putting plantlets right from flask to s/h compots? If so what type of plants and what was your experience with it? TIA

[Ray]

I've done cattleyas, phals, and pescoranthes that way.

I have done it as individual plants and as compots after rinsing the roots clean, but my favorite method is to put the whole agar block on top of the medium and bring up the level around the outside to the level of the top of the agar. As you water, it will dissolve and wash away, so fill in voids with the medium, and eventually the whole flask is a large compot.

[Posey]

Thanks Ray. That is a really neat idea. I've only done compots, sucessfully, with several vandaceous species and hybrids, stanhopea species, some catt species and some stanhopea species. I think I can do those kinda sorta, considering how long I have been growing adult orchids. HOWEVER, Rhynchostylis species just give me FITS, I can't seem to get them going,,, I started some in what I thought might be an improvement and moved them to s/h today. Not a fair test, as they weren't doing well,,but next time I will certainly try your suggestion of a full plug/compot with them.

I'm kinda wondering though,,what do you suggest if you get the plantlets from a source that sends them fresh outa flask and in a whirly bag so they aren't really grouped real well anymore?

[Ray]

You mean like Troy sends them?

I do my best to wriggle them around and separate them, the pot them normally in small groups - 3 to 5 plants in a 3.5" s/h pot.

[dave b]

I havent, but know of some who have. Here is a link (am i allowed to do this?) to a good grower who did up a large batch of kovachii.

New kovachii flasks -

[Des]

I plant out Cymbidium seedlings from flask into s/h. I recently stopped using compots , and now pot them individually into 50 mm pots .As we don't get those lovely S/h pots you have there I stand them in a tray with about 5mm of water I find that the plants grow very well.

[Undergrounder]

Ray i've always wondered about that agar plugging idea, i mean wouldn't the agar attract all kinds of moulds and bacteria to grow on it? If you accidentally let a breath of air into a flask the mould takes over so why isn't this a problem when you leave the agar in the compot?

[Des]

I can confirm that Rays method of leaving the agar around the seedlings works very well. I used to grow in coarse sand and the sand would take the place of the agar as it washed out . I never had any problems with fungus as the agar washes off after a few waterings, so the mould does not get a chance to grow. Also I use Sporekill in the feed water which eliminates any pathogens that are present .

[Ray]

Like Des, I've never had an issue with stuff growing on the agar. I have no idea why - probably something to do with the air movement and other environmental conditions outside- versus in the flask.

[AHAB]

Hey Ray,
How do you harden them off after deflasking?
Do you put them into a humidity dome?
How long?
Thanks,
Jim