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Thread: How hard is it to deflask

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  1. #1

    Default How hard is it to deflask

    Hi all,
    I have only been growing orchids for about 6 months but i have been bitten by the bug and i have been tempted to buy a flask many times but have stopped myself for the simple fact that i am worried i wont know what to do, so my question is how hard is it to deflask mini cattleyas and should a beginner give it a go.
    Sarah

  2. #2
    Real Name
    Bruce Brown
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    Cattleyas & Slippers
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    Mar 2003
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    Default

    Hi Sarah,

    De-Flasking is not too hard if the plants are large enough to remove. Many vendors who sell flasks will not ship the flask to you until they are ready to be moved to compot. There are a few articles in our orchid article library that you should review for more information. It could help you decide what you would like to do.

    Cheers,
    BD

  3. #3
    Real Name
    Cindi
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    Under Lights
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    Catts
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    Nov 2007
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    Central Iowa
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    Default

    Go for it Sarah! Let the babies grow as large as you can stand to wait before deflasking...that time in a bottle gives them their best start in life.

  4. #4
    My Grow Area
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    Jul 2009
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    Amherst, MA
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    Default

    It's really not difficult at all. I've got some pictures of deflasking a mini-catt cross on my blog at IDabbles: orchid cross Forgot to take pictures last month, but they're doing fine. A mini-catt flask would be a nice choice, since you can start looking for the first blooms in two years. Go for it.

  5. #5

    Default

    Thanks all the one im looking at is Thw Dals .Emperor 'Lester Lai ' HCC/AOC X Sc Lana Coryell 'David ', it is a smallish flask with only 15 plants so i think it wouldnt be to hard, the vendor has told me they are ready to pot up straight away, one other question is do i have to pot into spagnum as i have alot of trouble with spagnum and have almost rotted one of my plants, my favourite mix is perlite and vermiculite which most of my plants are in and i will be transfering the rest of my collection over once it is time to pot them up further
    Sarah

  6. #6

    Default

    Hi all, just letting you all know that i decided to go ahead with the flask it will arrived later this week, i will let you know how i go
    Sarah

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
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    Default

    One thing I can tell about deflasking is that most tutorials advise to open the bottles with orchids in the the caveman manner…

    If somebody wants to open the flask not this way:
    ]

    but rather this one:



    he`d maybe find this video useful... Video shows an additional way to cut/open the orchid bottles carefully.


  8. #8
    Real Name
    Trish
    My Grow Area
    Windowsill
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    Jul 2010
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    Iowa
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    232

    Default

    Sarah,
    I know my answer is a little late (Ive been so busy the last few months that every time I manage to log on OT, it says "new posts: 2000+") and I hope your seedlings are adjusting well. If sphagnum doesn't work well for you with larger plants, I hope you decided not to use it for your flasklings. That was my biggest mistake with the flasks I did last fall.

    I had planned to use a fine coconut chip mix, but several friends told me that sphagnum has some growth promoting property, so I chickened out and used sphagnum on 2 flasks of phals, 1 catt and 1 encyclia. Apparently, the magical growing qualities of sphag only activate if you can find the happy medium between soggy and crispy, which still eludes me. After they suffered a couple of months, I finally transplanted everything into my originally planned mix. The phals and encyclias are doing well, but only one sad little catt remains.

    I am definitely getting a soldering gun for my next deflasking attempt!

  9. #9
    Real Name
    Ted Davis
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    Here in Thailand most private growers, myself included just break the bottle. I say bottle because most of the growers (in the jungle areas) grow in square whiskey bottles that are readily available from every drinking establishment around. They make their own stoppers and reuse them. I do feel that using a glass cutter is a more civilized way of doing things, but in the deep jungle and hills those are difficult to come by.

  10. #10
    Real Name
    Kelly
    My Grow Area
    Outside 24/7
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    spatulata dens, catt all., van
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    central FL
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    Hmmm... I've been very seriously considering getting a/some dendrobium flasks to try my luck with- only things stopping me are $$$ and that winter's coming and I'm an outside grower, though I've even been eyeballing grow houses and might have a line on getting a proper greenhouse. i've been afraid of the teensy things and have never even had a compot, though I've gotten very tiny newly separated seedlings and less than an inch single growth no roots separated keikis to grow.
    Does anyone else inexperienced want to post their experiences with deflasking? I'd love to hear them!

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