Newbie-Deflasking

[Rad3Dad]

Hello Everyone,
I recognize a lot of you from other forums, so I know I am at the right place for some excellent advice.

I really need some step by step help in trying to save some freshly deflasked orchids I won on ebay. I really had no business bidding on them, without knowing how to care for them, but I did... and now I have two zip-lock bags with these baby orchids in them. Encyclia tampensis and Cattleya intermedia v amethystina

The seller said I should remove them from the bag and spread them out on newspaper. Then spray them with sugar water, and let dry for a few hours. Then place them in a clay pot with sphagnum moss and keep them damp, but not soggy.

I have searched a few sites that give some varied guidance on this subject, but none have mentioned sugar water. So now I am confused and need someone to walk me through this.

I know to expect losses with deflasking, but If I can get some of these to make it, I would be thrilled, and would love the learning experience.

Please forgive me for my impulse purchase of these. I don't usually take on the challenge of caring for something with out doing my homework first. But the more I learn about these, the more I see that this isn't something you can learn overnight.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

[Ray]

Mike,

Forget the sugar water. I used to recommend the use of a sugar and nutrient soak for desiccated, bare-root arrivals, but some folks with far more scientific knowledge of plant physiology than I told me that it throws off the osmotic balance, so would actually draw water out of the plant.

As the plants have been in 100% humidity for all of their lives - up until now - they cannot function well in the dry environment. I suggest putting them in a large pot of sphagnum and enclosing the whole shootin' match in a clear plastic bag to simulate a mini-greenhouse. I accomplish that with clear domes over standard nursery trays:



Keep them at about 70°F in filtered light (direct sun will turn the mini-greenhouse into a mini-pressure cooker). Fortunately, both plants can be treated similarly.

Once you can see that they are resuming growth in the sphagnum, you can "harden" the seedlings by opening the "greenhouse" for an hour a day. After about a week of that, start gradually increasing the time (I double it at each step) it's open until they get used to the "normal" environment they're now in.

[Rad3Dad]

Thank You Ray,
Sounds, and Looks like you have shared some proven experience with me.

The "pic is worth a 1000 words." It really helps out to see what your talking about.

I potted them in sphag before I read this, following part of a websites instructions, in layers of moss, plants, moss...in some clear dixie cups w/ holes around the bottom edges. I used the clear pots, so I could keep an eye on the root development.
Then placed the pots in a dry plastic tub inside an empty aquarium with about an inch of water on the bottom of the tank for humidity, and covered 80% of the top, for ventilation. I will go ahead and seal off the top compleatly, and just open it a couple times a day for air excange.

I skipped the sugar/water treatment. I'm glad I did, thanks for the clarification on that.

There was quite a bit of seedlings in the Enyc. of sizes from 1/4 up to 4 in. leaves with strong root growth. The catt. had some good size to them too, just not nearly as many plants.

A few more questions now,
I'm assuming that it will be 2 to 3 weeks before I should start to see some growth, and start lowering the humidity??? Or would it be a longer/shorter time frame?
What triggers you to mount or pot up your seedlings after there hardened off?
Thanks again for all your help!

[Ray]

Actually, if they are in a tank, and there's not too much breeze around it to draw the moisture out, you may not need to completely seal it up. Likewise, they will basically "harden up" naturally.

Temperature and light will likely be the determining factors on when you'll see new growth, so just keep an eye on the roots. When you're sure you've observed appreciable growth, the larger plants will likely be ready to move on and out of the tank. I like to use the "3-inches of roots" gauge - if the actively growing plant is large enough (your 3"-4" encyclias are probably there), if they have 3" of total root length (3 x 1" or 1 x 3"), it's time.

As to whether to pot them or mount them, that depends on your gowing environment, as both plants can do well either way.