flasking of Mediocalcar decoratum

[HomeBiology]

Hello everyone. This is my first post, so let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I have a small collection of miniature orchid species, which I have started to collect in 2020. My favorite genus is Lepanthes and I want to try pollinating and sowing these in the future. But before I try flasking Lepanthes, I wanted to start with something that's easier to pollinate. And since my Mediocalcar decoratum is currently in bloom, I used this opportunity and pollinated two flowers. Now that the seed pods are growing, I wanted to ask you guys for advice.

1 - What kind of flasking medium would you guys recommend? I was thinking about using P723, since the manufacturer says, it's suitable for sowing epiphytic orchids.

2 - Does anyone know how long the seed pods might take to mature? I have looked at a database where such information is listed for a multitude of species, but none of the species in my collection were listed.

Thanks in advance!

[Ray]

Concerning when to harvest the capsules, keep a close eye on them. When either end starts to yellow, that’s the time to collect them for “green pod” sowing.

[HomeBiology]

Alright, thanks! I will keep an eye on them.

[tmoney]

as usual, i agree with ray in that the timing of capsule cutting should best be judged by you. our seed growing experience is limited, but anything we have found online has not jived with what we see in reality. probly due to specific conditions. but really watch them. a few have split on us before yellowing was “noticeable”. mr. fakename shared a trick with us to put a small baggie over the capsule when you think it’s getting close. thus, if it splits open you don’t lose the seed to the wind or the media. works like a treat.

as far as agar, got nothing for ya since we leave the flasking to the professionals. best of luck with the flasking!

oh, and welcome to the orchidboard!!

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

[Dorchid]

P723 seems to be working fine for me but it's the only one I've used so don't have anything to compare it to.

[HomeBiology]

Thanks for the advice! I will watch them closely and try my best. I should be able to flask successfully, considering that I have a laminar flow hood for mushroom cultivation.

[Dorchid]

You’re good to go. Deep petris are great for germination/initial vessel. Get some plant preservative mix to add to your media post autoclave. Eliminate Microbial Contamination with PPM