can you use a flask seedling for tissue propagation?

[OrchidNurse]

I don't know if this is possible so I thought I would ask. I wanted to try to propagate from a tissue culture and wondered if you can use a seedling (since it should be sterile in the flask) as a source for tissue propagation. If so, Would you section it or just leave it as is. The flask would be Phalaenopsis type.

[OrchidNurse]

Well I gave it try with one of the smaller seedlings in the flask. We'll see what happens

[magooba]

Best of luck with that !! How did you go about it ?! seedlings are generally fairly sensitive, so if they survive the shock you could end up with very resiliant plants!

[Brutal_Dreamer]

keep us posted!

Cheers,
BD

[Becky15349]

Hi there! I studied plant propagation via tissue culture in grad school, and I think this sounds like something you ought to be able to do; I think you'll have greatest success if you make sure your sections include a bit of meristematic tissue - either the apical tip were new leaf shoots would be forming, or root tip....usually you need to have meristematic cells w/ the ability to reproduce into various types of cells in order for the cut sections to actually grow.

Since you did say that you put the entire seeding into flask, I think it ought to do well - if you do decide to take it out and section it, just make sure you've got some meristematic tissue in your sections and you'll be reproducing orchid babies before you know it!!

To my knowledge, orchids are not like begonias....what I mean by that is, if you take a begonia leaf and cut small squares of it (squares that include a section of the central leaf vascular tissue that runs down the center of the leaf) and place it into sterile culture, you'll actually get small plants that start to grow on the edges of the cut near the central vascular vein....but I don't think orchids will do this, unfortunately...at least I've never seen it done, but never say never! :-)


Hope that helps! If you need any more help, feel free to PM me!

~Becky

[sand_tiger86]

It's too bad orchids don't go african violets on us...stick a severed leaf into the pot and you have a new plant! Roots all by itself.

[OrchidNurse]

I did the tissure culture using the seedling from a flask I had just received. I did segment the crown area as you suggested Becky and that is what I have in the culture. I know the chances of this being successful are nil but I wanted to try it anyway. I did 3 jars and one so far has been contaminated. Two are still viable since 8/29 when I actually did it. I will definately let you all know what happens. I found a new way to propagate phal stem nodes in peat. I'm trying that now too. It seems way too easy but you never know if you don't try !!!