Restarting flasking after 20 years

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littlefrog

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So... Been wandering through search results for a while now and some of it is quite old. Not nearly as old as the last time I flasked seriously. I had quite a bit of success in graduate school flasking paphs and phrags, but that was 20+ years ago. I also had an entire research hospital's worth of equipment, but I can fake that part.

I have a few questions:

1) What media (that I can purchase in the USA) gives you good results? I used to use Sigma P668 + banana, but I can switch. There must have been some advance in the last two decades. I could make my own but I lack an analytical balance and can't afford one - so pre-mixed is probably the easiest way to start.

2) Where do people buy those nice plastic wide-mouth flasks - the ones that Orchid Inn's plants come in (I think they come from Mrs. Root). I have a hundred or so used ones but I suspect I'll need more... Plus it is quite expensive to buy them with plants in them. ;)

Thanks for any info you care to share.

Rob
 
I have started flasking for the first time recently. As far as I can see there is no advance in the last 20 years. I guess P668 + banana is still a good medium for Paphs.
I also would be interested to know where to get this kind of flasks that Sam Tsui's seedlings grow in. But I guess this kind of flask will not be available in Europe.
 
I put in an order to Orchid Source in Jan 2016 which was never shipped. I never got a reply to my emails or even a phone call. I had to get my money back through Paypal. I'd like to know what happened to them, since I like their medium and have ordered from them a couple of times before with no problem.

Now I order from P668 Phytotec. They also have containers.

https://phytotechlab.com/equipment/culture-vessels/plastic-culture-vessels.html

The Orchid Seedbank also sells medium

http://www.orchidseed.com/media/media.html
 
Just use regular deli containers. You can get them cheaply off Ebay. Surface sterilize with H2O2.

I would spray the inside and outside of the tubs, snap the lids on, and place them inside a big plastic bag (which I would spray H2O2 into again) and then seal the lot and leave it in the sun. 100% sterile on use. I never had any problems using the tubs so long as I was careful to sterilize the outer surface of the bag when taking it into the hood.
 
Do you vent the deli-containers? I have access to more of those than you might be able to conceive of - we use them for dart frogs.
 
Is Orchid Seedbank still a thing? I haven't heard from Aaron in years and his website is pretty out of date...

Thanks
Rob

I put in an order to Orchid Source in Jan 2016 which was never shipped. I never got a reply to my emails or even a phone call. I had to get my money back through Paypal. I'd like to know what happened to them, since I like their medium and have ordered from them a couple of times before with no problem.

Now I order from P668 Phytotec. They also have containers.

https://phytotechlab.com/equipment/culture-vessels/plastic-culture-vessels.html

The Orchid Seedbank also sells medium

http://www.orchidseed.com/media/media.html
 
Aaron sells on Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/usr/ajorchids?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

When I was using the deli containers I didn't vent them. The poly plastic allows for some exchange of O2 and CO2. If you need to vent, heat a piece of metal in a flame and punch a hole in the sterile tub and then with sterile fingers apply a sterile band aid over the hole in the tub. You need the little round band aids.

Hope that helps.
 
Funnily enough the container Sam uses is produced by Labserv here in New Zealand.
 

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