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Thread: deflasking issues - please stop me from killing them all

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  1. #1
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    Talking deflasking issues - please stop me from killing them all

    Hi all,

    New orchid grower, new poster here.

    as a background for new grower-

    I grow my adult plants in a shade house with 70% cloth on top and 50% shade on sides. I grow light lovers (Cattleyas and Dendrobiums etc) on the top benches and my Phaps and Sarchs under the benches where its darker.

    The shade house get good light and plenty of air movement and I have a fogger and mister that keeps the floor wet humidty high. I am having great success so far.

    However, I am having dreadful luck with deflasking. I have lost every seedling from the three flasks i have bought over the last 2 months.

    I sterilized my medium in boiling water and worked off of a clean workspace. I deflask the seedlings into 50 mm pots into small bark and perlite.

    I then place the pots in a small mini portable plastic green house and put the whole lot near to an inside window which emits diffused light. I typically leave one vent open. I also spray with a fungicide once they are potted up.

    Within the hour, and without fail, all the leaves turn mushy brown and go limp and floppy. Nothing i do saves them and so far it has cost me quite a bit. they were flasks of Dendrobium Kinganium and Dendrobium Farmeri, Dendrobium speciousum.

    Obviously I am doing something wrong. Some have said that my problem has been with lack of air movement within the confines of the box/dome.

    I was advised to forget the humidity box and just place the seedlings in my shade house under the bench with the Phaps where its humid closer to the floor. keep them moist etc.

    We are entering a cooler period heading into autumn and would assume that this would be a good time to try putting the seedlings straight into the shadehouse,

    Can anyone help a struggling newbie with this? I have another flask on its way so I really want to have a few wins. any help or sage advice appreciated,

    cheers

    Adrian

  2. #2
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    Ryan Walsh
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
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    Adrian,

    Within an hour is really really fast, making me suspect something aside from fungal contaminant. I honestly can't imagine a fungal contaminant that would transform a healthy seedling to brown mush within an hour. Even in perfect laboratory settings on nutrient plates at perfect temperatures fungal cultures take 48 hours to really take off.

    You mentioned diffused light but how diffused? Flasks are typically grown under low light conditions like shop lights. Bright light coming through a window, plus the heating effect of the window and mini greenhouse really seem like the culprits here.

  3. #3
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    I would follow the advice you were given "I was advised to forget the humidity box and just place the seedlings in my shade house under the bench with the Phaps where its humid closer to the floor. keep them moist etc."

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan.Walsh View Post
    Adrian,

    Within an hour is really really fast, making me suspect something aside from fungal contaminant. I honestly can't imagine a fungal contaminant that would transform a healthy seedling to brown mush within an hour. Even in perfect laboratory settings on nutrient plates at perfect temperatures fungal cultures take 48 hours to really take off.

    You mentioned diffused light but how diffused? Flasks are typically grown under low light conditions like shop lights. Bright light coming through a window, plus the heating effect of the window and mini greenhouse really seem like the culprits here.
    Hi Ryan, the window is in the kitchen which faces onto a covered pergola and gets no direct sun. I would describe the light as semi-bright and is bright enough to light up the kitchen quite well without the need for lights during sunny days. I put the box away from the window against the edge of the sill. next time I might put it straight into the shade house under the Phap bench where humidity is high and light reduced. Another option would be to put them in my bathroom where light is diffused through an opaque window.
    I just want to find one method that works for me and then stick to it.

    wish me luck !

    cheers

    Adrian

  5. #5
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    Kjeldsen Affoon
    My Grow Area
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    Trichocentrums,Local Species
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    Yep in d greenhouse with the paphs is ideal...forget bout dat box or ur bathroom...apart from them wiltin within the hour...u may need to make sure u do not cover them too deep in the potting media cuz later on they may rot..
    Posted via Mobile Device

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by King Kjeldz View Post
    Yep in d greenhouse with the paphs is ideal...forget bout dat box or ur bathroom...apart from them wiltin within the hour...u may need to make sure u do not cover them too deep in the potting media cuz later on they may rot..
    Posted via Mobile Device
    Thanks KK. looks like I will try that and see how I go. I have a flask of Laeila anceps on its way and have heard they are pretty hardy. here's hoping.

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