Going to try it!

[Shannara]

I have decided I want to order a flask of orchids and try de-flasking and growing them!! I am excited and a bit nervous. I already have a tray with plastic inserts for them to grow in...I hope they are big enough. I also have a couple 3" clay pots.

I've been reading up on deflasking and saw a company who has great success using a Coir as the seedling medium and am going to try that. I plan on ordering the flask today and hope it will be here by middle of next week!

Any suggestions, ideas, or tips are welcome!

Shann~

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Having done this before, I would suggest ordering compots. It takes less time to get them to blooming size and usually they have adjusted to growing in a bark mix already. I loved getting flasks and de-flasking, but I am still waiting on some paphs that are now almost 6 years old. They look wonderful, but I want to see them bloom already. heheh...

Good luck to you. I know you will have fun and do great. So, I am going out on a limb here with a guess as to what you ordered: I would guess some Enc?

Cheers,
BD

[margo]

That is a big step! Keep us posted! Can't wait..... This is so exciting!!! Do you think you have enough patience?

[Lambert]

That's great Shann, and Spring is a perfect time to do this.
I have only deflasked once and to me, it was really about finding the right balance between medium, watering, light etc ...
and almost anticipating something that was not set up properly to correct it as quickly as possible before it went completely wrong.
Seedlings are unforgiving.
I saw very quickly that 100% sphag would not work for me and I potted them in a mix that would not hold as much water and compensate by watering or misting more often. (the smaller the pots the better for the same reason)
It is a SLOW process but to me it is worth it and justified because my seedlings are a cross that I would never find as blooming size plants.
(and I will have 25 of them someday!!!)

PS. Also I didn't discard the puny and weak looking ones as usually advised because I had read somewhere that the runts wind up having the best colorings.
(true or not .... who knows?)

[margo]

Me again… If mine are still alive you have nothing to worry about! Yep! I bought 4 flasks only 2 weeks after I got my very first orchid. I am only misting mine and keep the humidity high. I am scared to water them. Same as Lambert, I picked up every single one from the bath. If they want to live they have the right to do so…LOL Please PM me where are you thinking of buying your flask. If you want to see where I got mine from let me know- They have lots of Enc. (mostly Enc. and Catts.)

[Shannara]

Having done this before, I would suggest ordering compots

What constitutes as a compot? Currently all I have is a flat that looks kinda like this:



Mine has slots for up to 72 plants...should I return it?

Shann~

[Brutal_Dreamer]

A compot is where someone has de-flasked the flask for you and started all the seedlings growing in a 'community pot' together. It is the first step out of flask usually. Sometimes flasks have been left long enough that one may pot up the seedlings individually. Buying a compot will probably cost a little more than a flask, but it also speeds up the process.

cheers,
BD

[Shannara]

A compot is where someone has de-flasked the flask for you and started all the seedlings growing in a 'community pot' together. It is the first step out of flask usually. Sometimes flasks have been left long enough that one may pot up the seedlings individually. Buying a compot will probably cost a little more than a flask, but it also speeds up the process.

cheers,
BD

Oh I totally misread your other post...I thought you meant for me to order the flask and plant them in a compot!

The orchid I have my eyes set on is only available in a flask from what I can see. I will keep the compot orchids in mind for the future though!

Shann~

[Shannara]

Okay...I ordered the flask!!!!

The flask I decided on has the following cross in it:

Lc. Gold Digger X Enc. ochrantha

The parent blooms are supposed to look like this:

X

I am very excited!

Shann~

[margo]

Both great. Their chids will be definitely gorgeous! We may trade one day... by the end of the century...LOL