Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices
Login
User Name
Password   


Registration is FREE. Click to become a member of OrchidBoard community
(You're NOT logged in)

menu menu

Sponsor
Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.

Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices
Many perks!
<...more...>


Sponsor
 

Google


Fauna Top Sites
LOG IN/REGISTER TO CLOSE THIS ADVERTISEMENT
  #1  
Old 01-26-2022, 08:32 AM
Patrick_C Patrick_C is offline
Jr. Member
 

Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 1
Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices
Default Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices

Hello!
I bought two Phalaenopsis orchids a few years ago when I was living in Florida, and have managed to keep them alive since with new blooms about once a year every spring. I recently tried my hand with propagation and successfully pollinated one orchid from the pollen of the other. I currently have several flasks in a windowsill with some protocorm growing on the side walls, but I think that is where my success is going to end.
I notice the mixtures in my flasks are too liquid-y, I have been told it should be the consistency of pudding, but I am unsure how to achieve that consistency.
My flasks consist of P668 media, distilled water, coconut water, and guar gum for gelling. I notice even with ice cold water and my kitchenaid mixer with the wisk attachment on the highest setting, I can only get so much guar gum into the mixture before it starts to clump up, even with the guar gum and P668 mixed together to keep the gum from gelling prematurely.
Do you all have any suggestions on how to achieve the proper consistency with the mixture in my flasks? Is there a better gelling agent to use? I also notice that the mixture appears gelatinous before it goes into the flasks and into the pressure cooker, but after it has been sanitized, the consistency falls apart.
Thank you all very much for your help! I apologize for the length of my post.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-26-2022, 09:19 AM
Ray's Avatar
Ray Ray is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: May 2005
Member of:AOS
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 14,790
Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices Male
Default

I thought agar was the gelling agent of choice.
__________________
Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast
FIRSTRAYS.COM
Try Kelpak - you won't be sorry!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-26-2022, 01:12 PM
estación seca's Avatar
estación seca estación seca is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jun 2015
Zone: 9b
Location: Phoenix AZ - Lower Sonoran Desert
Posts: 17,757
Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices Male
Default

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Most people prepare the medium hot to boiling, pour and let cool. I've never used guar. I don't know whether it ever gets firm(ish) at room temperature.

I would stick with agar. It's easily available and definitely gel at room temperature.
__________________
May the bridges I've burned light my way.

Weather forecast for my neighborhood
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-26-2022, 03:58 PM
Dimples Dimples is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jan 2022
Zone: 9b
Location: San Diego
Posts: 847
Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices
Default

The quote below is from this article (<-- hyperlink) that discusses thickening and gelling agents in food.

"Hydrocolloids that are commonly used as thickening are starch, xanthan, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, gum Arabic and cellulose derivatives. The gelling type hydrocolloids are alginate, pectin, carrageenan, gelatin, gellan and agar."

Seems this is an "all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares" situation.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-26-2022, 09:35 PM
Fairorchids's Avatar
Fairorchids Fairorchids is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2013
Zone: 7a
Location: North Plainfield, NJ
Posts: 2,791
Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices Male
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimples View Post
The quote below is from this article (<-- hyperlink) that discusses thickening and gelling agents in food.

"Hydrocolloids that are commonly used as thickening are starch, xanthan, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, gum Arabic and cellulose derivatives. The gelling type hydrocolloids are alginate, pectin, carrageenan, gelatin, gellan and agar."

Seems this is an "all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares" situation.
I have no idea who wrote that. I have never heard of anyone using anything but agar.
__________________
Kim (Fair Orchids)

Founder of SPCOP (Society to Prevention of Cruelty to Orchid People), with the goal of barring the taxonomists from tinkering with established genera!

I am neither a 'lumper' nor a 'splitter', but I refuse to re-write millions of labels.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-26-2022, 11:35 PM
Dorchid's Avatar
Dorchid Dorchid is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Mar 2020
Zone: 5b
Location: Colorado
Posts: 672
Default

Did you happen to catch the article title? Has nothing to do with media prep.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-28-2022, 06:10 AM
Fairorchids's Avatar
Fairorchids Fairorchids is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2013
Zone: 7a
Location: North Plainfield, NJ
Posts: 2,791
Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices Male
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorchid View Post
Did you happen to catch the article title? Has nothing to do with media prep.
Just followed the link. It has to do with thickening of food products, not sowing orchids!
__________________
Kim (Fair Orchids)

Founder of SPCOP (Society to Prevention of Cruelty to Orchid People), with the goal of barring the taxonomists from tinkering with established genera!

I am neither a 'lumper' nor a 'splitter', but I refuse to re-write millions of labels.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-28-2022, 09:54 AM
Dimples Dimples is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jan 2022
Zone: 9b
Location: San Diego
Posts: 847
Medium Thickness in Flasks / Good Flasking Practices
Default

While the article is related to thickening food it is useful to see that guar gum is not a gelling agent, it is a thickener. Agar will form a gel. The OP’s results are consistent with the thickening properties of guar gum. If they want a more gelatinized flask media they should switch to agar as you all suggested.

Plus, distilled water, coconut water, and a gelling agent are all foods, so the article topic is relevant. What the coconut jello is used for afterwards makes no difference to how the ingredients interact when mixed.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 01-28-2022, 11:41 AM
Dorchid's Avatar
Dorchid Dorchid is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Mar 2020
Zone: 5b
Location: Colorado
Posts: 672
Default

LOL
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
consistency, flasks, guar, gum, notice


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Medium for (Cattleya) seeds? camille1585 Propagation 2 03-16-2009 11:25 PM
Good potting medium for vanda in West Virginia kanikedude03 Beginner Discussion 31 11-13-2008 02:49 PM
Bad Medium, Good Intentions AaronM Hybrids 11 05-29-2008 10:59 PM
FLASKING SEEDS IN LIQUID MEDIUM adriponic Propagation 5 10-12-2007 01:17 PM
Flasking medium chart for species. Charles Propagation 1 10-07-2007 09:31 PM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:34 AM.

© 2007 OrchidBoard.com
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.37 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

Clubs vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.