FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Below are a few photos of my After Dark 'Black Pearl' and After Dark 'SVO' orchid cultures. Also below are a few photos of some new stuff I got going recently...

After Dark cultures:


I figured I would try even the bud...


Carnivorous Plant Cultures:

Dracula


Piranha X Giant Form:



Dentate X Piranha:



Toothless:


Piranha X Big Mouth:


Piranha X Giant Form:


Spotty: Will be moving closer to light soon to see if it produces spots...


Fused Tooth:


B52 x Giant Form: Has nice coloration and shorter teeth:


Fang:


Fuzzy Tooth:


Here are some replates in the Cassion MK-5 Containers. Plants are quickly growing with the expanded room. About three rows deep...I'm working on replating everything into the containers but it's taking some time...I have a large shelf full of tissue cultures now, and this is just the tip on my second shelf.


Bohemian Garnet: I have about 30 cultures stuffed with Bohemian Garnets...These are some of my recently divided cultures started from one plant...




Red Piranha:

Wow, I hope mine look like these some day!!

Very nice work. They look good.

Lots of great looking cultures there Jason. I'm interested in hearing how the orchid cultures progress for you.

Matt wrote: I'm interested in hearing how the orchid cultures progress for you.

So far only two cultures have survived contamination from my first round of orchid stalk cultures. For the After Darks I increased the time I left them in bleach, so I'm hoping it reduces the contamination.

Orchid stalks are much thicker and tougher than VFT's, so I'm thinking they can withstand longer periods. For this round I doubled the bleaching time. The only problem with this batch is the Black Pearl is from an older stalk, which I hear usually don't produce strikes. I figured even if it doesn't produce a strike, I could use it for testing stetilization time. I also placed them horizontally on the media, which most people plant vertically. I have always had better luck with placing VFT stalks horizontally, so I tried the orchids this way as well. I like having more of the stalk touch the media.

I also switched media, and placed in 1mg of BAP. It's strange to be at square one again.

jkochuni wrote:The only problem with this batch is the Black Pearl is from an older stalk, which I hear usually don't produce strikes. I figured even if it doesn't produce a strike, I could use it for testing stetilization time.

Yeah, older flower stalks (at least for CPs) are much tougher to work with. But, as you say, you can learn a lot even from failures

jkochuni wrote:I also placed them horizontally on the media, which most people plant vertically. I have always had better luck with placing VFT stalks horizontally, so I tried the orchids this way as well. I like having more of the stalk touch the media.

I too have had a bit better luck laying stalks flat on the media instead of sticking them down into it, though if the tissue is successfully sterilized, not too damaged, and it's young, it'll usually strike no matter what.

jkochuni wrote:I also switched media, and placed in 1mg of BAP. It's strange to be at square one again.

Yeah, but it's also kind of fun and exciting, right?

Matt wrote:Yeah, but it's also kind of fun and exciting, right?

That it is! I kind of missed the excitement of waiting for the unknown!

Matt- Do you know of anyone teaching how to do meristem culturing? I sent an e-mail to Carol, but I have not yet heard back. I would like to learn this method if it's a possibility to do at home.

jkochuni wrote:Matt- Do you know of anyone teaching how to do meristem culturing?

I don't, but I think Frank has a video of himself doing it somewhere in his uploads (I vaguely remember seeing him do it):
http://www.youtube.com/user/fbt2007

I too would love to learn this technique and I've read enough about it that I have a decent idea of how to do it, but I've never attempted it.

I've read about it as well, but I would really like to have training on it. I'll e-mail Frank.

I just sent him an e-mail. If he does, maybe I can talk him into doing a class. I'll let you know what he says...

Very cool. Yeah, it would be great to be able to have someone show you how to do it first hand.

Jason, do you have a medium to large greenhouse or indoor growing area. You are producing so many plants that I find myself wondering what you will do when they need to be deflasked and potted separately. Do you plan to sell plants in vitro, or open up an online store?

Anyway, the results you have look great, and although I have no personal means to judge since I don't do it myself, it seems like you are very skilled at tissue culture.

Good question Steve... Since my wife and I have been unable to sell our current home, my hopes of having a greenhouse up and running have been set back. We are looking to purchase about an acre of property when we move, giving me space to expand to a larger greenhouse, but that might be some time given the market.

jkochuni wrote: I have also thought about starting to sell sterile cultures online or selling them to nurseries

There might be a good international market for plants in sterile conditions and the paperwork, permits, etc. may be easier than for ex-vitro plants.

Whatever you decide, I hope it goes very well for you. You certainly have developed a very nice skill.