# phal flasks....



## biothanasis (Jun 17, 2011)

Hello,

I am thinking of getting a couple of phalaenopsis species flasks. It is the first time I am doing this and have no idea. If you could give any advice on how to treat them I would very much appreciate it... (Should I pot them with the agar? Should I pot them individually or as a compot? Should I use fertiliser and if yes, how often? etc.)

Thank you for any tip you might tell me..!

Cheers


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## Sirius (Jun 17, 2011)

Just yesterday, I potted up my very first flask of Phalaenopsis bellina. I will tell you what was passed on to me by Peter from Big Leaf. Open the flask, and very carefully separate the seedlings while rinsing the agar off the roots. It falls right off really, just be careful not to break the plants as they are really tender little devils. I put mine in compots of six with high quality sphagnum moss. Wet the moss with distilled water, and then wring it out so it is just damp. Don't bury them. Fill the pot with sphagnum, set the plants on top of the moss, and then cover the roots lightly with more moss. Then, place your compots inside a terrarium or other enclosed space so they get decently high humidity. Gradually vent the top over the next few days and let them harden off slowly. If any start to show signs of rot, pull that plant and discard. Treat the babies with fungicide if necessary, but not preventatively. 

That is what I was told. Maybe some more people will also chime in, because I would love to learn how other people do it.












There are actually 37 babies in this photo. I have one more compot of four seedlings that were runts. They may not make it, but I didn't have the heart to cull them. They are in a separate enclosure.


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## NYEric (Jun 17, 2011)

Per the suggestion of someone in upstate NY, I rinse mine off with hyfrogen peroxide after washing off the agar. However, I recommend getting stuff in compot, harder to kill! :wink:


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## biothanasis (Jun 17, 2011)

Thank you both for the advice. This is somehow what I had in mind approximatelly. 

Sirious thank you very much for the photos too. But how do you keep watering? Isn't there a possibility of crown rot?


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## Paphman910 (Jun 17, 2011)

They look beautiful! Keep it warm and bright to encourage growth. Provide a bit of air circulation with a small fan nearby.

Paphman910


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## paphioboy (Jun 17, 2011)

Nice healthy looking bellinas... I nearly lost all of the hybrid phal seedlings I deflasked early this year.  I guess I kept them a bit too wet when the weather turned cold. Only have three left...


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## Sirius (Jun 18, 2011)

I am going to water mine carefully, trying not to get water in the crown. Other than that, I am not going to baby them too much. They will grow with the rest of my Phalaenopsis as soon as they are hardened off. I think warm and humid is the key.


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## cnycharles (Jun 19, 2011)

you got your bellina flask from peter lin? whenever I'm looking for phal species flasks I don't find them or maybe it's just the particular species i'm looking for in the past (don't have room for more, now other than for ones I have already purchased (smile))

thanasis, you should email brett here about phal species as he has access to some nice ones in thailand. i've purchased phal lowii and later will have some yellow phal stuartiana, corningiana and purple tetraspis that are supposed to be very large in flask! one of the vendors he knows has a very long list of very nice phal species


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## biothanasis (Jun 19, 2011)

Thank you sirius... 

Charles, that is a great idea...Thank you very much!!! Brett is the member with the username s1... something?? I do not remember names well  Please let me know so that I contact him


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## cnycharles (Jun 19, 2011)

yes, s1 something was what I remembered as well, so


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## biothanasis (Jun 19, 2011)

cnycharles said:


> yes, s1 something was what I remembered as well, so



:rollhappy::rollhappy: ok!! I'wll find him...hehhe


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## cnycharles (Jun 19, 2011)

I did a search and I think it's s1214215


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## bigleaf (Jun 19, 2011)

This is cool. Thanks for posting, John. It's neat to see your seedlings grown elsewhere. I like to pack my seedlings like 8 per 4 inch compot. The seedlings do better this way. First 2 weeks humidity is critical. In about 4 weeks when the seedlings are harden - then I could spread out the seedligs to individual 1.5 inch pots. and put the smaller ones back in 4 inch community pots.


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## Sirius (Jun 19, 2011)

That's good to know. I was concerned about overcrowding, but next time I will put them 8 or so to a pot. I am still waiting on a new grow light to come in, and then they will be moving to a shelf where I will gradually up the light levels a bit.


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## biothanasis (Jun 19, 2011)

Charles...Thank you a lot... 

Bigleaf good tips... Thank you..!


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