Cheap Orchid Flasks?

[Fairorchids]

You can also buy flasks from Meyers Conservatory.

There you are in effect buying from the lab. Most of their flasks are $40 (flasks with 16--25 seedlings). BUT:

• The seed is donated by many growers (mostly hobby growers). Thus, you have no assurance that the pod & pollen plants were of high quality.
• The one time I bought from Meyers, they deflasked prior to shipment (instead of sending me the flask intact). The seedlings were too small (I would have left them to grow on in the flask).

[stonedragonfarms]

Interesting thread; it reminds me of a discussion in the FB Species Hobbyists Page [and an earlier one in the Terrestrials Group]
In a nutshell, there's quite a large number of hobbyists that are interested in hybridizing or selfing plants in their collections, but find twin obstacles in the lack of easy to understand, step by step flasking process information & access to the knowledge and materials needed to be successful.
Over and over, the arguments that I see are largely based in economics--often something to along the lines of, "It would cost me $X to teach you this, and given the length of time, you're going to lose interest..." or "My time is more effective used doing this other thing [...rather than teaching/explaining things to you...]"
Eventually the originators of those threads have both said screw it and gone it alone--documenting their processes and pitfalls to help others.

[estación seca]

Sterile technique is not easy to learn, and almost nobody could learn it well from a book. I would look for a microbiology course with lab sessions at a local community college.

[Fairorchids]

Considering how little most of the labs/flaskers charge for the their services, it flat out is not worth anyone's time & money to start learning and investing in the equipment.

While the sterile technique is one thing, there is also the other four phases to the process:
A. Providing mother flask with proper conditions, while you wait for the seed to germinate.
B. The replate process.
C. Providing replate flasks with proper conditions, while you wait for the seedlings to grow to a size you can deflask.
D. Deflasking, and caring for these very small seedlings (it takes 12-18 months to get them to a size anywhere near what is needed to treat them similar to NBS/BS plants).

In my breeding program, I concentrate on using good parents, and then the deflasking process. I can't invest the time in the middle stages, when there are professionals who are willing to do it for the price they charge.

If anyone wants to learn how to deflask & caring for freshly deflasked seedlings, they can download a PDF from my web site:

Fair Orchids

Select: FO, Growing Orchid Seedlings from Flask, rev. 2

[katsucats]

Species Flask List

There are flasks from 60 up. I'm going to sort of disagree with something. I've seen video tutorials of flasking and it doesn't look as impossible as everyone is suggesting. There are also orchid bloggers casually doing it. Granted I'm not speaking from first hand experience.

In my opinion, if anyone wants to try their hand with this, just seed some of your orchids next time they flower, or buy a self-seeding species like Epidendrum nocturnum. Buy or build a glove box. Have at it. You have unlimited tries for free (besides an inordinate amount of time) until it succeeds.

As for deflasking, aside from the more attention seedlings need, it's not that different. There are less spare resources if the medium dries out (i.e. so it shouldn't). But I'm also just getting started with this myself, so we'll see.

I left my nocturnum pod on the plant too, so I'll see if I'm feeling up to task when it's ripe.

[Fairorchids]

Ordinarily I do not sell flasks. However, based on the interest expressed in this forum, I will let those who are interested pre-order flasks from the pods I am sending to the lab in 2021. It will be mostly Cattleyas (including some slightly oddball crosses), to be followed with a couple of Vandaceous pods later in the year.

My lab promises:
Standard flask is plated with 35 protocorns, 24 seedlngs promised.
Hobby flask is plated with 13 protocorns, 8 seedlings promised.

I have just received confirmation that FO-275 & FO-278 are germinating.
I am sending FO-281 & FO-305 to the lab tomorrow.

Photos and pre-ordering instructions can be found here:
Fair Orchids