# Just had a slight bit of sucess with flasking at home :)



## Dane (Apr 6, 2013)

I have tried flasking about 3 times until i noticed this ! GERMINATION !Finally 

This is a cross that ive just sown of Bc. Marina Hatney x C. lobata var. alba
Hopefully it turns out nice












What do you think?


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## John Boy (Apr 6, 2013)

I'm so impressed!!! You seem to be using a banana-based-medium there? How dow you go about your media? Ready-made or using what's handy? Seeing what you do down there, makes me wanna spend my next holiday in S.A. to come and meet you. Once you hit the paphiopedilum pods, and have your own bench, (and there's not much doubt that you'll get one!), and you have learned what there is to learn (the fiddly bits I mean) you'll come up with flasks like this:

Paph. sanderianum






Paph. leucochillum semi album back-cross


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## Dane (Apr 6, 2013)

John Boy said:


> I'm so impressed!!! You seem to be using a banana-based-medium there? How dow you go about your media? Ready-made or using what's handy? Seeing what you do down there, makes me wanna spend my next holiday in S.A. to come and meet you. Once you hit the paphiopedilum pods, and have your own bench, (and there's not much doubt that you'll get one!), and you have learned what there is to learn (the fiddly bits I mean) you'll come up with flasks like this:
> 
> Paph. sanderianum
> 
> ...



WOW! Your slippers look so healthy in that flask! You must be a pro at flasking!

Im using home made medium, because no one in SA sells ready made medium


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## John Boy (Apr 6, 2013)

That's what I figured! If you want: drop me your postal address in a PM, and I'll stick you a liters worth portion into an envelope, so you can try how the ready made professional stuff works for you. It's no big deal, since I'll weigh it all out, and stick it in an envelope.  Have you got more of these lobata alba seeds available, so you can redo the sowing?


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## Dane (Apr 6, 2013)

Thanks, ive got the parent plant "Cattleya lobata alba" so i can just reform a pod again. Ive polinated many of my plants like Ansellia Africana, Cymbidium memoria Emilia earheart, Dendrobium fimbriatum var oculatum x Den. fimbriatum 'yellow form', a Restreria tricoglossa pod and vanda ticolour var suavis cross.


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## Justin (Apr 6, 2013)

congrats!


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## Dido (Apr 6, 2013)

lloks great your flask, are some of this leucochilums to spare


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## paphioboy (Apr 6, 2013)

Very good attempt!  and John Boy, your flaskings are just beautiful! I have not seen such gorgeous root hairs on paph seedlings


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## NYEric (Apr 6, 2013)

John Boy said:


> That's what I figured! If you want: drop me your postal address in a PM, and I'll stick you a liters worth portion into an envelope,



Are we talking about shipping an unidentified powder across borders here!? Really!?


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## John Boy (Apr 7, 2013)

No Eric, it will be identified, and will be just a small envelope. Noowone will give a monkeys.


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## Trithor (Apr 7, 2013)

Dane, you can try sigma-aldrich, they are in South Africa, problem is to get them to process your order is not too easy. Seems like they ignore you untill you place a big order. I would offer for you to use my laminar flow, but I am far enough away that I might as well be in another country from you.


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## Dane (Apr 7, 2013)

Trithor said:


> Dane, you can try sigma-aldrich, they are in South Africa, problem is to get them to process your order is not too easy. Seems like they ignore you untill you place a big order. I would offer for you to use my laminar flow, but I am far enough away that I might as well be in another country from you.



My brother is moving to Johannesburg some time this year, so maybe i'll come checkout your setup when im on holiday their


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## TyroneGenade (Apr 7, 2013)

Hi Dane,

Buy your medium from Western Orchids www.westernorchids.com.au . They ship to South Africa and its what I use. You need a company name to order from Sigma. Read this thread: http://www.ukorchidforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=1292 You don't need a laminar flow.

You REALLY do need coconut water to germinate the seeds well. Some seed will germinate on banana but I get much better germination on coconut water. You can freeze it away in 10 mL amounts and use it as needed.


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## Rick (Apr 7, 2013)

Good work guys.:clap:

Keep showing the progress.


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## Dane (Apr 7, 2013)

This is what i use for fasking, as a laminar flow cabinet is so expensive


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## Dido (Apr 7, 2013)

Not bad idea, it could work...


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## NYEric (Apr 7, 2013)

Very cool stuff guys!


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## TyroneGenade (Apr 8, 2013)

Dido said:


> Not bad idea, it could work...




I think we have seen the evidence that it does...

Dane, that is a neat idea. Are you using hydrogen peroxide for surface sterilization? How are you sterilizing your medium: pressure cooker or Tyndallization?

If I ever don't have access to a laminar flow (I work at a uni in the bio labs) then I might just go with this method. It is much lighter than a glass fishtank.

Oh, with the Paphs, always try to sow a green pod. It is just so much easier and the risk of contamination is just so much less.


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## Dane (Apr 8, 2013)

TyroneGenade said:


> I think we have seen the evidence that it does...
> 
> Dane, that is a neat idea. Are you using hydrogen peroxide for surface sterilization? How are you sterilizing your medium: pressure cooker or Tyndallization?
> 
> ...



I first sterilise my flasks in the microwave just to remove anything that has been left in the flasks, i normally fill about 3 cm with water and put them in the microwave for about 3min to boil. Then after ive made my medium i put it in the oven at 160'C for about 30 minutes with the lids loose on top of the flasks.Then i allow them to cool and i quickly open the oven and tighten the lids.

I sow all my pods "greenpod method" as it allows greater sucess

I had to teach my self how to set this up from scatch, ownly had the agar recipe


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## chrismende (Apr 8, 2013)

Very cool! Must try it myself!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cnycharles (Apr 9, 2013)

very cool is right. I appreciate inexpensive ingenuity. those root hairs are amazing john boy (the seedlings too)


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## eggshells (Apr 9, 2013)

Dane said:


> This is what i use for fasking, as a laminar flow cabinet is so expensive



Nice, what do you call the flange? and what is the diameter.??


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## TyroneGenade (Apr 10, 2013)

I use 3% hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle to surface sterilize my plastic (food) tubs. The snap fast lid, I feel, is more bacteria/fungi proof than the screw caps. Also, the plastic allows for some gaseous exchange. Unless you get a pressure cooker to prepare your medium then you are better off with the method you are using. I can simply autoclave medium and then pour it into the sterile tubs.


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## biothanasis (Apr 11, 2013)

Very nice effort!! Keep up!!


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## Dane (Apr 14, 2013)

biothanasis said:


> Very nice effort!! Keep up!!



Thanks


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