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To grow orchid seedlings from flasks has turned out to be quite a challenging endeavor. Like
all babies, they reed special and constant care, different feeding schedules, and though
from the same flasks - individual needs. Growing indoors now, under a controlled greenhouse
environment, the "special needs" are more apparent and more easily noticed. Plant size
differences, when removed from the flask, still remain. Those which were larger still remain
so. Though all have grown, those which were huskier and taller, still are. Seedlings were
planted in both plastic and clay pots, kept by container type and size in separate trays
(for cultivation purposes as advised by many seedling care articles). There does not appear
to be a difference in plant growth or plant size in the different types of pots.
A difference has been noted in individually potted plants vs. those placed in community pots.
The community pots have had fewer plant losses and seem to have gained more in size than
those in separate pots. Separate pots take up much more space and also require more
watering. Since the last report on our plantlets (written in September published in the
Oct.'96 newsletter), the seedlings have doubled in size - the majority now average a one
inch leaf span, the tiniest one-quarter of an inch, the largest three inches. This size
variance is in those deflasked in both April and August of 1996.
We have just moved the plants to a warmer, sunnier area and they rapidly responded to this
change in environment. All plantlets are now growing in a fine bark mix. This seems to suit
our growing conditions best. Sphagnum moss, though the most recommended, was replaced by the
fine bark when we made a growth comparison in mid-fall. With all the care involved in
growing such tiny plants, we will appreciate much more the blooming sized plants offered by
the commercial growers.
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George & Sylvia Walker
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