Deflasking Orchids

Deflasking is best contemplated when the seedlings are big enough to handle and they are also visibly growing in the flask. The weather should be warm to almost hot but you must remember to give extra care according to how hot it becomes. If there is extreme weather forecast in the few weeks ahead then it may be best to choose to wait.

After deflasking I like to treat them as cuttings for around 2-3 weeks after deflasking. That means an area that is bright, warm (but not extreme heat) and uniformly moist...but not soaking wet. With some simple adjustments most shadehouses can be setup to have a suitable spot. An automatic misting setup is probably the best extra addition which will enable this modified climate but take care not to err on the side of wetness with too much misting.

Remember that if seedlings are not growing when you take them out of the flask they are most often hard to persuade to start growing outside the bottle.....hence they usually die!

A couple of tips which may help prior to commencement

• Read a few articles on the subject first...try a search on google....
  deflasking orchids
• Look through your local library for relevant books
• Various authors will give various methods (Ian Walters tips)
• After you have read a few articles try to digest all that you have read and get clear in your mind the important points
• Finally formulate your own plan

Prepare a work area

A work area is required which has a few simple tools and equipment ready prior to flasking.

• A few sheets of newspaper to lay out to work on
• A clean sink with a firm fitting plug and a work area which is clean and large enough to fit all your equipment
• A shallow dish or tray with enough room to lay all the seedlings removed from the flask/flasks you intend deflasking
• clean sterile media suitable for potting your seedlings
• clean sterile pots
• clean plastic pot labels
• marking pen or pencil
• a small hammer and protective gloves and glasses for breaking glass flasks (see below)
• waste bin for all rubbish

Once you are ready to proceed

• Write a new label with the details contained on your first flask
• Remove the seedlings from the flask taking care not damage the
  seedlings

Notes for flask types: Modern screw top plastic flasks or tubes are relatively easy to manage however some suppliers use wide mouth bottles or even smaller very narrow opening medicine type bottles.

I suggest you only choose the option of breaking small medicine type bottles. To try to remove seedlings from these is nearly impossible and in any event the wrong way to proceed.

Try a wastebin (half-full of rubbish helps) lay the flask on the surface of some newspaper... and then with a small hammer OR perhaps a heavy (all metal) bread knife (handle end to strike the bottle) give the flask a firm sharp hit or two on the broad flat face (trying not to hit the bottle and go completely through the seedlings). Bad for seedlings is a hit on the head...there is a bit of a knack to doing this but just try to do the best you can.

If you do it right the flask will split and the seedlings can then be removed intact with the agar as a single unit. Sometimes after the first break you need to strike the bottle again if it does not break enough to allow the seedlings to be removed.

• Now in the sink with the mass of agar and seedlings supported in one hand (with care not to become cut by any remaining glass shards from previosly broken bottles)
• Run the water in the sink and adjust it to be warm by placing your hand in the stream of water. Leave the water running and put the plug firmly in the sink (DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP). Pick up the mass of agar and seedlings and place under the water flow and cradle the mass while letting the water flow over the seedlings and through your fingers washing the agar from the mass of seedlings. Leave the seedlings in a group if they seem to want to stay that way or if they fall apart thats fine...either way does not matter. Gather up any seedlings which escaped into the sink back into the bundle in your hand.
• Next place your plastic label and the seedlings on your dish or tray to dry off a little while the other flasks are prepared
• Empty the sink washing all traces of agar down the drain or larger chunks into the bin
• Repeat the above steps until all seedlings are to this point and always segregate each flask contents ensuring the correct labels accompany each group of seedlings
• Next step - Commence planting out the seedlings

Suitable seedling mix: My preferred mix is 1 part fine Debco bark to 1 Part fine Perlite. This mix should be pre-moistened to allow it to be used easily. I use 100 mm standard height pots 2/3 filled with approx. 25mm diameter sharp edged chunks of broken up (CLEAN/STERILE) styrene boxes (fruit boxes).

• Pre-fill the pot to 2/3 with the styrene chunks. Then cover the top of that with a layer of your potting mix to a depth of 5-10mm allowing enough room to plant the seedlings above that (they will finish level with the pots rim
• For seedlings which all become loose. Starting on one side of the pot using the moistened mix, build a wall of mix against the side of the pot and then add a row of seedlings arranged on the wall, close together, say 3-5 first row
• Then build another wall of mix and plant another row, etc, etc till the pot is full
• For seedlings which remained as a tight group. Just centre the group in the pot and fill around it with mix
• Add the plant label to the pot and set aside in a cool spot out of bright light
• Repeat for all seedlings

Variations: In some cases just place the seedlings on the surface of the mix and let them find their own way into the media. This works well with plants with small amounts of roots or those that are very thin and wiry. They seem to resent being put in the mix to any depth and would rather send out new roots to find the mix.

How do you decide which way is best for my flask of seedlings? Sorry but the answer to that one is you need to gain experience!

After Care

Take the seedlings to an area where you are able to water them well using a good quality soft rose type nozzle taking care not to disturb the mix or the seedlings too much. I usually water well until water is seen gushing from the drain holes and then again in 5-10 minutes possibly a little less water this time. Do not spray with fungicides etc at this stage. Fungicides are growth inhibitors and the seedlings have just come from a sterile environment and by washing them in clean, most often chlorinated water you are not dealing with a bunck of plants infected by fungi etc.

Choose an area to house your seedlings (or create one) which would be suitable for cuttings ie: warm sheltered and humid with good filtered light. 2-3 weeks. As soon as you see noticeable growth start to harden them off and put them in the same conditions (fertilizer etc) as everything else in your collection, maybe choose the "best spot".

The most important thing with freshly deflasked seedlings is to try to keep them growing for as long as possible (even winter). If they stop growing they are sometimes hard to get going again.

Good luck and have fun enjoying the challenge...it is all worth it when in 4-5 years you may flower them, and are able to pass some on to some admiring friends (or sell them here on the auction maybe). If the worst should happen, don't be disappointed, just mark it down to experience and try again after you have maybe looked at how others are doing it successfully.

Steve Wells