My firsts flasks are arriving today. Hopefully they can go into compots soon but if not, and until then, any recommendations on light levels? They will be in the basement under grow lights. Thank you in advance.
Light level for flasks
- Thread starter Roots
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Less than 500 foot candles.
These Phrags were deflasked and placed directly as shown. 12" under the lights.
Thank you. The foot candles is super helpful. I am using the lights I normally use for garden seedlings and they are overkill. I didn't know how much to dim them. I will aim for less than 500 fc at the leaf level. No compots?
No compots. I deflask into individual pots unless the seedlings are tiny. Tiny plants I'll plant 3-5 per pot or discard them.
They definitely look happy enough in their own little pots. Hummm, another side by side comparison to run. 
Thank you for the help. Mine are going into compots today
Thank you for the help. Mine are going into compots today
If you have the time.....what do you do for/ about humidity when you first deflask?
After deflasking I water them in real well. Then cover them with a layer of moist paper towels. I keep the paper towels moist by misting for a couple days.
If the ambient humidity is high enough, 80% or higher I'll skip the paper towel use and mist the plants directly.
Wow!, okay, that is way higher humidity then mine have gotten. Thank you! I have my prop mats set so the root zone is about 70 F. Does that sound right?
70° sounds good. That's in the range the lab probably keep the flasks.
Humidity is the most important element for survival of the newborn flasklings. They developed in a glass womb protected from dehydration by the container's 100% humidity. In my experience keeping the seedlings wet by misting replicating 100% humidity is the pathway to 100% survival.
Humidity is the most important element for survival of the newborn flasklings. They developed in a glass womb protected from dehydration by the container's 100% humidity. In my experience keeping the seedlings wet by misting replicating 100% humidity is the pathway to 100% survival.
I have never heard of the paper-towel method... would you mind showing a couple photos? I have rigged up an enclosed terrarium where the plants sit in their pots above a water reservoir, opening it to air a couple times a day and gradually increasing for a few weeks. I would only ever deflask in spring when ambient humidity is high. This paper towel thing sounds helpful but I have to see it; do the paper towels touch the plants or hover above their foliage? I feel like paper towels would dry out quickly if misted, in my dry winter air... more specifics please? Thank you.
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
I covered the compot with plastic wrap(make a tent) for a couple of weeks after deflasking and gradually removed/opened up the plastic wrap...humidity is most important as Lance mentioned.
I am getting too impatient for tiny seedlings now...no time, no room, too old! Good luck.
I am getting too impatient for tiny seedlings now...no time, no room, too old! Good luck.
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Hummm, I think I definitely need to make some changes. Thank you for all the advice.
I know, when I look at the tiny Prince Edward of York sitting on my windowsill, I wonder if I will ever get to see it bloom. Still, I want to figure out how to make them happy at all stages of their lives.
Thanks to all of you for the suggestions on how to increase humidity.
I don't have a picture showing the paper towels. If the leaves are hard and strong enough I just lay the towels directly on the leaves. If the leaves a long and soft I put a few props the support them. The purpose of the paper towels is to reduce light and hold humidity around the plants and still allow air venting for only few days as the leaves adapt to drier air. If your environment humidity is low you would need to mist more frequently.
Maybe in your terrarium try adding an aquarium air stone in the water below. That would help raise the humidity and provide some air movement is the closed area.
A little air movement might help discourage fungal growth on the tender invitro leaves.
You could also try the "plastic bag method" for acclimation. I know it is pretty popular in the carnivorous plant hobby. Basically, in this context, you would pot up your flask into compots, and then place those pots entirely into large clear bags.
This next part varies from person to person on how they approach it...
Either slowly increase how open the bag is by opening it a little more every few days, OR take some scissors and hack away at the bag and cut little pieces of it away every few days until the pots are basically in the open and the plants are adjusted.
This next part varies from person to person on how they approach it...
Either slowly increase how open the bag is by opening it a little more every few days, OR take some scissors and hack away at the bag and cut little pieces of it away every few days until the pots are basically in the open and the plants are adjusted.
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
done that too...worked very well for me in the past--- just cut two corners of the plastic bag(I used the large freezer bag) to start with then use the bamboo skewers to hold the bag up...
I have all kinds of ideas. Again, I just really appreciate all the knowledge and support on this forum. I think it is too late to worry about adjusting humidity on my first flasks. Two of them seemed to transition well. One of them didn't seem happy when it arrived and has not gotten more so. Maybe if I had treated it a little more gently it could have recovered. Now I need to find a few more that aren't too expensive for my learning curve.
Thank you! That’s very helpful! I have my eyes on some flasks… I will definitely take your method and advice to heart!
