After successfully deflasking orchids for the first time in 2017, I decided to try making my own hybrid phal (including flasking them myself). On April 2, 2018 the project began and I pollinated these two phalaenopsis plants:
Follow on down and see how the project progresses…
A few weeks after pollination
A Few months after that
A few more months (nearly 4)
6 months after pollination
212 days / 6.5 months after pollination
218 days – Pod popped and dry seeds are ready for flasking
Dry Seed on flasking day
Seeds under microscope (x100)
Prepping seed for sowing – in 3% hydrogen peroxide
Freshly flasked phals – Nov 8, 2019
Seeds after one week
Looks like they’re viable because they’re bigger!
Seeds after 2 weeks
Definitely seeing green!!
Contamination after 3 weeks
Room temperature swings are causing the flasks to expand and contract and appear to bring in pathogens
More Protocorm Like Bodies
Comparing day of flasking vs. 21 days later
4 weeks later
Another contamination 🙁
Tried an incubation chamber
Resulted in water getting into the flasks from 100% humidity 🙁
Seedlings on a heating mat doing well
Seems to be the best bet for no contamination & event temps
6 Weeks later
8 weeks after flasking
An oddly beautiful contamination
Replate #1 – 8 Weeks after Mother flask
One of the stickers was wet from the incubation chamber and I didn’t sterilize properly; all of the flasks from the next photo were contaminated.
12 Weeks (90 Days) After Sowing
the Protocorm Like Bodies have differentiated and started sprouting leaves…I can even see a couple root numbs…it’s amazing
16 Weeks (4 months) after Sowing the Phalaenopsis Seeds
This is a different flask (new hybrid) – but i’m squeezing it in b/c it looks awesome
I have had one contamination – I’ve left it as it hasn’t killed the seedlings…yet.

21 Weeks (~5 months) after Sowing
This is a two-part update. The seedlings are doing well, but my last of the “square flasks” has also contaminated. I decided I’d try to grow them
The other flasks in threaded containers are doing well. I should replate them soon as they’re getting a bit crowded…
My last contaminated flask which seems to be doing surprisingly well (see how the roots are longer?) – maybe I’ll share the “contamination” with the others if this continues to do well hahaha (kidding)
Sept 23, 2019
10 months after Sowing
It’s been a long time since I last updated! I have LOTS of flasks on the go and although I’ve been taking lots of photos, aside from steady increases in size, not much else is new. I have noticed that my last set of media “experiments” didn’t go so well…I had been adding things like fertilizer and potato, etc. And I think I just added too much of many things. It’s resulted in protocorm proliferation. So my newest batch of flasking media, I went a lot more conservative with what I was adding. Here are some photos of the seedlings I deflasked and some still in flask:
Ah, and some piles of flasks that I have on the go…”whoops”