Welcome to the Orchid Garden! This month we will learn what to do with the babies we have been growing in our bottles for the past few months. If you missed the past two articles, Growing Orchids From Seed and Stem Propagation, you may want to first read them to learn how the orchids got into the bottles in the first place. Seedlings will need to spend close to a year in their bottle nursery before they are ready to be removed. When the leaves are at least three cm long and are touching the top of the flask or the roots have consumed the medium, it will be time to move them to a community tray which brings us to the purpose of this article.
Deflasking Seedlings
Cleanliness is very important! Waterborn pathogens (fungus, bacteria, etc.) is one of the main causes for seedling death. Using distilled or boiled water at the same temperature as the flask, fill the flask and gently swish the water around to loosen the babies from the agar mixture. Then, using a spatula or plastic knitting needle, untangle the roots and separate the seedlings. Carefully pour the seedlings into in a bowl of water. Wash as much of the agar off the leaves and roots as you can. Be very gentle, because the babies are very fragile at this stage. After cleansing, soak the little plants in a diluted fungicide solution such as Physan, RD 20 or Captian Powder. Remove the seedlings and place them on a clean paper towel or clean newspaper. At this point you can decide if you want to plant all of them or just the strongest ones.
Community Trays
You can use pots, but I have found shallow trays work much better for the little orchids first home. The seedlings will grow much better if they are kept together rather than trying to pot each seedling in an individual pot. Make sure the tray or pot is sterile. Fill it with a medium that will stay moist such as shredded sphagnum moss, fine bark, or small coco-chips. Gently wrap some wetted sphagnum moss around each seedling root system and place in the tray. When your tray is full, fill in around the little plants with whatever medium you have chosen to use. Do not over plant. Leave room for air and water to easily access each one of the plants root system.
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