germination medium

You should ask the seller what the recommended mix is. I see on the label that it is called a "1 liter pre-pack" so I would guess that you would mix it with 1 liter of water... probably distilled. It looks like that is from AJ Orchids which is Troy Meyer

 

That is from Aaron Hicks. It looks like it is Phytotech 668, a standard epiphytic medium. They have a catalog with lots of technical information in pdf format. It is too big for me to attach here. You can send me an email address and I'll send it to you or use this url which will bring it up. https://www.google.com/search?q=productos.rdmed.es/Phytotechlab/00-Introduction.pdf&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

The media preparation starts around page 20.

 

You will also need agar to make this gel. I used to use agar from the health food store, but it can vary from batch to batch so now I use tissue culture grade. If you didn't get some of that I can send you some when you are readyl. You can make a half batch if you have a good scale. Also, you can freeze the unused portion if you separate it before sterilizing/autoclaving/pressure cooker.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to both bleach and hydrogen peroxide. In the end I would recommend you start with the bleach. For my flasking I use polypropylene deli containers. Most markets with sandwich or deli counters will be willing to sell you a few. You want to be sure that they are the kinds that can go in the microwave and have the number five on the bottom. You can use screw-on lids as long as you can find plastic and hopefully ones that are transparent so the light will get through. I would stay away with cotton stoppers. I don't use any kind of vents on my flasks and after six years haven't found a reason to start.

Do you know how you are going to sterilize the media and flasks? I know some people do it in a microwave but I've never tried this. A pressure cooker is a much more certain thing.

 

Go with the pressure cooker if you have access to one. The microwave is a bit iffy from what I understand and you want to eliminate as many variables as possible.

 

The only time I tried flasking (about 14-15 years ago) I used a dry cleaning bag with the top taped closed. I sterilized the inside with bleach, wore sterilized gloves, etc. It was very cumbersome because the wet plastic film would cling to everything. It would have worked better if I had some frame or objects inside to hold the top up like a tent. If I was going to do it again I wouldn't use a bag.

For flasks I used containers that were sold as orchid flasks. They had a screw top but had a hole for a cotton plug. I didn't know better . Anyway, to make a long story short ... I achieved germination in 3 flasks and had little protocorms forming then eventually had some kind of contamination invade and take over, probably because of the cotton plugs. It was a fun experience, I learned a lot but did a lot wrong. For now I am content with letting others do the flasking.

How ever you do it I think it will be a good experience and hopefully reward you with seedlings.

Marni, thanks for clearing that up. ajorchids on Ebay ocassionally sells some of Troy's flasks so I assumed it was Troy's Ebay user name. Are Troy and Aaron partners in the flasking venture?

 

Kelly, I know that Aaron sells his own flasks on ebay sometimes. I don't think there in a partnership between them, at least I've never heard any mention of it.

 

By the way, I would recommend Aaron's book:
Asymbiotic Technique of Orchid Seed Germination Paperback – 2009

by Aaron J. Hicks (Author)