Care & Maintenance of Flasks
You sent your seed pod to be flasked, and you finally have your replate jars of babies back. So now what do you do? Where do you put the flasks? How long do you hold onto them before taking them out of the jars? How do you get them out of the jars? What do you do with them once they are out?
There are lots of answers to these questions, depending on who you ask. Below we have outlined how we do it. This is by no means the only way, and other ways are equally effective. We have found this method to work best for us.
Q: Where do I put my flasks while they are still growing?
A: Put flasks that are still growing somewhere where they will receive some light, but not in your greenhouse. The greenhouse is humid and has lots of air circulation, which is just what the flasks do not need. Mold spores are abundant in the typical greenhouse, and these spores can get into the jars even though the jars are sealed tightly and covered. Average house conditions are perfect for growing babies in flask, since they have all the nutrients they need in the agar and do not need lots of bright light. You may want to put them under a double strip fluorescent light in the house so you can control the level and length of light the plants receive. We have our lights on timers. Fourteen to 16 hours per day works well.
Q: How long do I watch the babies in the jars before taking them out?
A: Though tempting to take the babies out as soon as you see roots in the agar, the plantlets need enough nutrient reserves to survive deflasking. For many commonly grown orchids, the plantlets need to be at least 3 inches tall, with good root growth. You may notice as you watch the them grow that they may start to grow slower, or stop growing at all. This is also a sign that they are ready to come out, since they have used up all the nutrients in the agar and cannot continue to grow. Spring is an excellent time of year to deflask orchids, as new growth usually commences rapidly.
Q: How do I get the babies out of the jar without damaging the root system?
A: Some people say the safest way to get the babies out is to break the jar and pick through the broken glass. We've found that this damages the roots, and you have the broken glass to contend with. What works well for us is to open the lid, put warm (tepid) water into the jar to help dissolve the remaining agar and moisten the roots, swirl it around and pour it out. You may have to do this a few times to loosen the roots from each other and the agar. Then, gently shake the plants out. This method may break a few roots, also, but is no more damaging to the plant than smashing the jar, and there is no broken glass to clean up. Besides, the jars can then be reused or recycled.
Q: What do I do with the babies now?
A: Once the babies are out of the jar, we put them in a bowl of tepid water, with some sugar and/or Superthrive, and let them sit for 10-30 minutes. Some growers also add a fungicide at this stage, but we have not found this necessary. Then, we pot them in community pots containing either seedling bark, coconut core or other potting medium, depending on the plant. The next few weeks are the the most critical, as the baby plants acclimate to their new surroundings and start to photosynthesize. At this step mortality is highest. The greatest predictor of success at this stage is how often the grower looks at the babies. If you keep a close eye on the plants (several times per day if possible), they will tell you what they need. Once acclimated, they need the care any other orchid of their kind requires.