Removing Orchids from flasks
PREPARATION
There are several plants in each flask. Large flasks sometimes have 20 to 50 plants, and small flasks up to 5 or 10 plants.
Prepare sufficient quantities of the following items BEFORE opening the bottle:
1. Small pots, either clay or plastic. The advantage of plastic pots is that they retain water whereas the clay pots dry out and are better suited to humid environments.
2. Fertilizer, general growing foliar fertilizer, diluted to half strength
3. Fungicide made into solution with strength according to manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Small pieces of broken clay pots and/or charcoal for drainage. Adding some charcoal is preferred as this also helps to sweeten the medium.
5. Spagnum Moss with or without tree fern as media. Break the moss and fern into small pieces and soak in the fertilizer solution for 10 minutes.
6. Water. If using clay pots, soak in water for approximately 10 minutes.
REMOVING ORCHIDS FROM FLASK
1. It is usually necessary to break the glass bottle to remove the orchids. Try to break the bottle near the top rather than the entire bottle to avoid broken glass being mixed in with the seedlings. One way of doing this is to place the bottle in a bucket of water and break under water. The glass sinks, separating it from the orchids, with less chance of glass remnants causing a cut. Alternatively wrap the bottle in paper or a towel before hitting the glass near top of bottle. Squat specie containers do not need to be broken as plants with agar can be tipped out into clean water.
2. Clean the seedlings under gently running cold water. Be sure to remove all agar (jelly) from around the roots as any residue will invite fungal infection. Try not to handle the roots with fingers.
3. Soak the seedlings in fungicide solution for approximately 10 minutes and then leave to dry for a further 10 minutes.
4. While waiting for the seedlings to dry, prepare the pots by placing pieces of clay chip and/or charcoal on the bottom with a layer of small tree fern pieces on top. Shred the tree fern and mix with sphagnum moss or use moss alone as the top layer.
5. Place the seedlings carefully on the moss and lightly cover the roots with a fine layer of moss, leaving the main stem of the plant free of any media.
6. Place the pot in a shaded area and mist spray with a solution of fertilizer and fungicide. In a dry climate it is best to place pots in a closh or use an aquarium with a glass top that can be slowly adjusted to allow gradually increasing airflow.
7. Ensure the seedlings do not dry out over the first few weeks by misting them occasionally with water. They must not get too wet. Do not put in direct sun.
8. Alternatively for a single pot, it can be placed in a clear large plastic bag to maintain humidity for the first two weeks. There must be enough air inside so it does not remain too misted. After 2 weeks punch 2 holes in the bag and over a period of a month gradually increase the holes in the bag to allow more air from the outside to enter. This method will allow the seedlings to acclimatize gradually. It is however very important not to allow the plants to get too wet as this may lead to fungal infection.
9. Spray fertilize once every 2 weeks with a dilute fertilizer solution. After three months this should be able to be increased to weekly spraying.
10. Fungicide and insecticide will need to be added to weekly foliar spraying once plant is established- usually about 3-4 months.
CARE OF SMALL PLANTS FROM COMMUNITY POTS TO SINGLE POTS
Seedlings need to remain in their community pots until they have several roots well established and their leaves are firm and 5-7.5cm in length, depending on habitat of genus. At this stage the plantlet’s roots will be entwined and will need to be gently disentangled to separate the plants.
Prepare 75mm pots with small pieces of charcoal and tree fern mixed together.
Plants need to be soaked for 5 minutes in fungicide as before then individually placed in separate pots. Place a small amount of the community pot moistened spagnum moss on top to retain moisture, or this can be mixed throughout the other ingredients.
Use a fine foliar growing spray weekly with added insecticide and fungicide 1-2 weekly depending on conditions. In the tropical climate weekly spraying is recommended.
Plants must not be in direct sunlight. Ideally they need to be under shadecloth where there is gentle ventilation. A closed glasshouse can be used in cold climates but must have airflow to prevent fungal infection. Teperatures between 15’ and 28’ give best results for most tropical orchids.
Orchids grow in many different climates and conditions. The above information relates to the handling of the genera and species sold from Bali Orchid Garden up to the stage of their initial transfer from community to individual nursery pots.
See article on Orchid Care for more information about growing more mature plants.
More detailed and specific instructions for other orchids and climates can be found in many orchid books.
A good website of interest for hobbyists is: www.bribieislandorchidsociety.com
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