Compots

[bench72]

Well done McJ!

great pictorial too!

Makes my effort at deflasking so much messier! Although I haven't had the nerve to uncompot yet...

I think a glass of port (?) must be the key to all this work!

[Piper]

Well I think deflasking would be messier, Tim. I chickened out on that step. When the grower offered to compot for me, I thought, "Heck yeah!"

Don't wait too long to uncompot. I thought longer would be better for the plants. They'd be a big bigger and stronger, etc. But the roots sure get tangled. And they didn't grow down nearly as much as they grew sideways, more tightly woven with one another. I was a bit alarmed to find the start of mushy softness. I know I didn't overwater, so I can only guess that the tight mat of roots didn't allow sufficient air to get to the roots, and they were starting to think about rotting.

I also suspect some of the runts were competing for resources and should do much better potted out individually. Just some random thoughts.

McJulie

[Gin]

I found that some of the old baby roots will go south .
Mine were equestris . This was several years ago ... some grew fast and were quick to bloom ,some slow a couple have not bloomed yet , think that is what happens when we buy seedlings and they sit and sit and don't bloom or grow fast , guess they are like a litter of puppies some are just stronger than others . Good Info. Mc Tired Gin

[Piper]

Ok, Tami,

I have two compots, one each of relatively new crosses of long-petaled Phrag hybrids. Yesterday's marathon was potting out Phrag. Devil Fire. Registered in 2000, my cross was made with Phrag. Grande 'Vista' 4N x Phrag. warscewiczianum. Having written out most of the 33 tags, I can finally spell warscewiczianum!

The second compot is of a new cross, yet to be registered. It's Phrag. Gracie x Twilight 'Rising Rocket' 4N AM/AOS. Gracie was registered last year and is Phrag. Dana Hutchinson which is czerwiakowianum x lindeyanum x caudatum. The overall cross is:

caudatum 25%
besseae 25%
longifolium 18.75%
lindleyanum 12.5%
czerwiakowianum 12.5%
longifolium 6.25%

It should have medium long petals with the red from besseae.

The sequence for growing orchids from seed is:

1. Pollination
2. Seed pod matures this typically takes many months
3. Harvest pod and flask seeds using sterile conditions
4. Germination
5. Replating, as seedlings consume plating medium this step typically takes many months
6. Unflasking and compotting seedlings
7. Uncompotting and planting seedlings individually
8. Growing into early adulthood this typically takes 1-2 years
9. Adulthood and first blooms! can take 3-10 years from pollination, depending on the genus - Phals are fast, Paphs are slow.

I have a seed project going from two Cattleyas I crossed last March, and will be updating that thread shortly, as we're only a week away from harvesting the seed pods. Aaron, the Minister of Silly Flasking is helping me with that. So that covers steps 1-5.

I bought these compots just out of flask, so while I didn't have to unflask them myself, the seedlings were that young. I left them in the compots for about two months. These are quick growers, though. I'd expect some genera like Paphs would take longer.

Now that they're potted individually, they'll want more gentle conditions until they grow a bit larger. Less light and less fert than mature plants. I also don't think I'll introduce wet feet that is, leaving them sitting in water, which most types of Phrags love! until they're a bit larger. No wet feet for the Gracie cross, by the way - caudatum and its hybrids prefer their potting material slightly drier than other Phrags. I'll wait until their leaf span is 6-8" before I give them full light, and regular Phrag treatment.

Hope that answers your questions!

McJulie

[Tmai]

Thanks, McJulie.
I do have a another question:
What is plating, and what is the 'material' consumed?

Thanks for sharing this project with us, and good luck with your phrag jungle!

Tami

[Molly Taco]

Sounds like you have worked really really hard this evening and deserve a big scotch. Your kitchen looks a lot cleaner than mine does when I am cooking a dinner.
Cin

[jowben1]

Your glass is only half full .......(or is it half empty) ???

[Alana]

I don't know if I would be able to keep up with all those little guys, but the reward of them in bloom would be well worth the time. Good luck with your private jungle