Norito Hasegawa flask

[papheteer]

About 3 months ago I received a Norito Hasegawa flask from a local vendor that imported it from Taiwan. When I deflasked them, they were very "tall" and lanky. And lots of spaces between leaves, maybe about 1/2" each node. Also lots of brown leaves at the bottom of each seedling. I just washed most of the agar and potted the whole lot together at the depth they were in the agar. Maybe a tiny bit deeper. Fast forward to today and they haven't really grown. Could they be diseased? What does the presence of lots of brown leaves mean? Any suggestions as to what I should do next? Thanks!

 

[ehanes7612]

lots of brown leaves means they were kept in flask too long
etiolation (lengthening between nodes is common also)..have they grown any?..usually you will get a chubby first leaf out of apex but that can take several months

 

[Justin]

Sounds normal, they were just left in the flask too long.

You should remove the brown leaves.

Are new root tips growing yet?

Watch for any root buds on the stems and at that point that you should add some sphagnum or fine bark so that the new roots will be in contact with some moist media.

 

[papheteer]

lots of brown leaves means they were kept in flask too long
etiolation (lengthening between nodes is common also)..have they grown any?..usually you will get a chubby first leaf out of apex but that can take several months

New leaves are forming on some of them but they are just about to come out.

 

[papheteer]

Sounds normal, they were just left in the flask too long.

You should remove the brown leaves.

Are new root tips growing yet?

Watch for any root buds on the stems and at that point that you should add some sphagnum or fine bark so that the new roots will be in contact with some moist media.

I see roots trying to grow from every node. But some nodes are 3" above the media! I can't add anymore media as that will bury some smaller plants. Should I just separate the seedlings? Is it ok the bury some leaves?

 

[PaphMadMan]

As long as they have some roots in the media I wouldn't worry much about the roots coming out above it. As long as some of them have signs of root or leaf growth I wouldn't disturb them at this point. They hit a pause in growth when they were held in flask too long and they just need a little time to take off again. Watch closely for any kind of rot, or use some preventative anti-bacterial/anti-fungal if you are so inclined.

 

[Cheyenne]

Maybe other people have had a different experience but I have not had luck with the tall lanky plants in flask when I potted them at that level. I got a few parvi flasks(micranthum and armeniacum) that were in the same situation. I did as you did and they also were not growing well. After a few months I repotted them and some of the flask roots had died and they did not send out many more. But as you said tried to send them out higher above the media. I potted them again burying many leaves and only leaving the top two leaves or so stick out. They grew fine and normal growth from that height. Then I repotted a year later I cut off the elongated part that was still left under the media. Hope that helps.

 

[Ozpaph]

As long as they have some roots in the media I wouldn't worry much about the roots coming out above it. As long as some of them have signs of root or leaf growth I wouldn't disturb them at this point. They hit a pause in growth when they were held in flask too long and they just need a little time to take off again. Watch closely for any kind of rot, or use some preventative anti-bacterial/anti-fungal if you are so inclined.

I agree. That's what Id do, too.

 

[fibre]

Maybe other people have had a different experience but I have not had luck with the tall lanky plants in flask when I potted them at that level. I got a few parvi flasks(micranthum and armeniacum) that were in the same situation. I did as you did and they also were not growing well. After a few months I repotted them and some of the flask roots had died and they did not send out many more. But as you said tried to send them out higher above the media. I potted them again burying many leaves and only leaving the top two leaves or so stick out. They grew fine and normal growth from that height. Then I repotted a year later I cut off the elongated part that was still left under the media. Hope that helps.

I prefer to do it this way too. The old leaves are not as useful as the new roots will be so I put those seedlings very deep into the mix and let only 2-3 leaves above the media. Works well for me.

 

[PaphMadMan]

Maybe other people have had a different experience but I have not had luck with the tall lanky plants in flask when I potted them at that level. I got a few parvi flasks(micranthum and armeniacum) that were in the same situation. I did as you did and they also were not growing well. After a few months I repotted them and some of the flask roots had died and they did not send out many more. But as you said tried to send them out higher above the media. I potted them again burying many leaves and only leaving the top two leaves or so stick out. They grew fine and normal growth from that height. Then I repotted a year later I cut off the elongated part that was still left under the media. Hope that helps.

If I was deflasking these seedlings I would probably plant them deeper too, but the question was what to do now that they are already potted up shallow. I still say, if they're showing some signs of growth wait and see. There is some risk and perhaps limited benefit to ripping them up just to plant them deeper at this point after they have begun to establish themselves.

 

[Cheyenne]

If I was deflasking these seedlings I would probably plant them deeper too, but the question was what to do now that they are already potted up shallow. I still say, if they're showing some signs of growth wait and see. There is some risk and perhaps limited benefit to ripping them up just to plant them deeper at this point after they have begun to establish themselves.

It is my opinion that the seedlings will not send out many roots from the small area that is down in the media. They will usually try to send them out at the nodes up higher closer to the growing point. That has just been my observations on tall lanky plantlets from flask being paphs or phrags. If they are buried deeper they will send out many more roots then they will send out right now. Yes they may stall after you repot them again, but they are not growing that great right now, right? But after they get a few good roots they will pick up speed but if they can't grow roots they will stall eventually anyway. I take the route that even if you loose some of the small ones you bury it is for the good of the majority. In a year you will probably end up throwing the small ones out anyway.

 

[fibre]

It is my opinion that the seedlings will not send out many roots from the small area that is down in the media. They will usually try to send them out at the nodes up higher closer to the growing point. That has just been my observations on tall lanky plantlets from flask being paphs or phrags. If they are buried deeper they will send out many more roots then they will send out right now. Yes they may stall after you repot them again, but they are not growing that great right now, right? But after they get a few good roots they will pick up speed but if they can't grow roots they will stall eventually anyway. I take the route that even if you loose some of the small ones you bury it is for the good of the majority. In a year you will probably end up throwing the small ones out anyway.

Exactly my observation and what I would do.

 

[Justin]

Exactly my observation and what I would do.

i agree with cheyenne and fibre.