Unboxing and Flasking Orchid Seeds! | Home flasking - first attempt | Collaboration project!

Hi everyone, it's Annabel, welcome back to my channel!

Today we are unboxing a seed pod sent by Nina from Ninja_Orchids, which is Vanda denisoniana Dark Chocolate 'Star' x Vanda 'Dragon Fire Lip' - Nina renamed 'Leopard Yawn'. I then make my first attempt at flasking with these seeds, at home in a DIY disinfected closed 'Still Air' box. I will update as soon as something happens- good or bad!

Hope you enjoy the video!
Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction to Orchid seeds
05:00 Unboxing the Seeds
12:15 Stages of Seed Capsule formation
14:15 My DIY 'Still Air' Box
18:21 Setting Up for Flasking
18:45 Plastics Suited for Heat/Pressure Sterilizing
20:40 Preparing my Media
23:20 Pouring the Media
24:20 Sterilizing the Flasks in a Pressure Cooker
26:00 Placing Flasks into the box
26:40 Media Setting & Flasking prep
29:00 Disinfecting the Seeds
33:00 Placing Seeds into the Bleach Solution
34:00 Washing the Seeds in sterile distilled water
36:00 Ejecting Seeds into Flask
36:40 Summary and Result
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Recommended Videos & Links:
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Me unboxing Orchids from Nina back in February (Yes, I am terrible with timelines!! )

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❀ My Orchid Room ❀
UK Spare Bedroom *Currently Moving to a New House*
Temps- 18-35C
Humidity 50-75%.
Artificial lighting, supplemented with daylight
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✩ Plant Products I Use & Love ✩
Quick Disclaimer - These are products I genuinely love, buy and use- I wouldn't list something I didn't use regularly and purchase myself. I've provided links to try and make them easier to find, some of these are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of these products through the Amazon links below, I may get a small percentage towards future purchases, which really helps!

❀ Inorganic Media ❀
RHS Alpine Horticultural grit or washed gravel- non wicking pebble top layer
or IKEA
Perlite, Lava Rock

❃ Organic media ❃
Sphagnum moss by Besgrow
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💧Water & Nutrients🌱
Rain Mix:
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🐛Pest Control🐛
Systemic insecticide Bug Clear Ultra (5g/l Acetamiprid):

💡 Lighting 💡
Lower Light Orchids (Phalaenopsis, Oncidiums)

High Light Orchids (Vandas, Cattleyas)
Mars Hydro TS600

❃ Shelving ❃

✩ Pots ✩
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Cheaper alternatives to Elho outers:
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#Vanda #Orchids #Unboxing

[timdexter]

I'm so pleased to see someone else doing this.
It's very interesting to see the whole process for oneself, it definitely adds another dimension to our hobby, and besides, it's challenge that is hard to resist if you've done tissue culture work in a lab.

I had to have a few goes at this before I got it right, I even ended up making my own medium because the commercial ones didn't work that well. I was growing Neo seed and they like pH 5.0 and most media are 5.7 or so.
I finally got some Neo variety crosses deflasked and growing on.

A few things that might help. Firstly, there is a good little book that covers the basics and gives some options for seed sterilisation: "Growing Orchids from Seed" by Philip Seaton and Margaret Ramsay (2005).
Maybe you have already, if not, it's useful for practical tips.

I used a large (as in elbow room !) upside down storage box, but due to visibility issues like you have, I cut a rectangular hole and fitted a perspex "window" which has solved this problem. For arm-holes I just used cut-off sleeves from an old T-shirt, which I keep wet with 70% IPA. An hour or so before I start, I steam up the whole kitchen until the walls are almost wet, this helps reduce airborne fungal spores as they then stick to surfaces.

I noticed you didn't bother with venting the flasks, which might be a good thing ?
I've read debates on this and I don't know the answer, but apparently polypropylene will exchange gases if it's thin enough. So I'm interested to know if it works for you because I use the same type of PP container, and venting is a hassle.

Finally, be careful with cling film, there is a common household black mould that grows on it in humid conditions, and from where it will eventually grow through between the lid and the base. The same applies to parafilm. The black mould grows very thin (and slowly), so you don't notice it at first, but it's hyphae spread out quite far in this manner. It's really very annoying when you've got your babies growing their first leaves and roots, and then you get late stage contamination when you least expect it. If you keep the flask in a dry place with constant air movement you might avoid this problem. I grow in a closed, temperature controlled propagator, so I use micropore tape, the thin white stuff for wound dressing, I paint it with a dilute solution of copper sulphate and this stops fungi growing into the flask.

Good luck !

[aileenthygesen]

Very brave. I love to see update on those. Wether if its a failure or not. I am learning as you do it. Thank you for sharing😊

[jackhagenaars]

The home made box is brilliant....great video...I have made my own Phal crosses, but have never been brave enough to sow my own seeds...good on you.

[sheries]

Annabelle, I am so happy to see this video! Last month, I decided to try pollenating a couple of my orchids. I have seed pods now. I am very glad that you are a few months ahead of me and that I can learn from your experience with flasking. Please keep the updates coming. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge through your channel.

[zanevat]

Great video and a unique one for me. It was so exciting and interesting. Thank you so much for that experience! I hope we will see how the seeds progress and turn into little cute orchid plants.

[Ian-pfpw]

Nice this is a whole new side of the orchid hobby I’m not yet familiar with, I can’t wait to see the results of your hard work 🌸

[knotyeoldecrochet]

Wow! I really enjoyed this & learning how you went about it. I watched Nina's video the other day where she was preparing the pod! I thought she was talking about you! I am so excited to watch the journey & fingers crossed for lil green

[wandashaw]

How cool is this. Succeed or fail, this is awesome to see and experience! Thank You! Fingers crossed!😍

[jackiehill]

Wonderful video totally mesmerising. Good luck with the germination, I look forward to following the journey of these little seeds.

[joananderson]

Very interesting project! Good luck and happy growing! I look forward to watching your progress!

[reyreysgarden]

Pretty cool!!! Best of luck, can’t wait to see how this turns out!!!

[KP-gwzv]

fingers crossed that this first attempt will work for you. Love going on this journey with you. So exciting. Very interesting in how to flask seeds. Something I don't think I would want to do. Too much headache work. Looking forward to the updates and how they are germinating. Good information given so learned a lot. Thank you. Have a great day.

[svetlanajustniceorchids]

Hello! Very interesting project! Very exciting and waiting for the germination. Good luck!!

[joyrevert]

So fascinating. This is gonna be awesome 😎. Thank you for the adventure! Take care 👋

[liverocks]

Wow this is so interesting, I probably will never attempt this but I love to watch new interesting things. I applaud you for pushing your boundaries 👍🏼

[juliazolotareva]

EXCITING!!!! And super courageous! Fingers crossed for success! 🤞🤞🤞

[colleenneville]

Well done, Annabelle! This takes me back to my assistance with my Dad many years ago. As I worked in Microbiology we did the same thing, without the easy assistance of the internet and still managed to have success, also as you’re doing, a laboratory in a home kitchen. I’m looking forward to your results. Regards Colleen

[thefinitemike]

OMG you are my idol! Good job on the sterile working space for the seed pod flasking! Not only in follow through, but pure ambition really. I hope I can take the initiative if ever I have a seed pod. I may just seek out a flasking service Thanks for sharing!

[AttainableGreen]

I am so glad you’re doing this Annabelle! I am hoping to get into flasking seedpods this year...but getting everything together has been a hassle. I’d love to try once I get a viable seedpod grown. 😁 Can’t wait for the updates on this!

[TrishsOrchidLife]

What a brave experiment! Cannot wait for the updates