In Reply to: My Orchids all died posted by didiaust on Saturday, 15. January 2005 at 09:56 Bali Time:
Deflasking plants (orchids or anything else) is actually quite a difficult trick. In the flask it is sterile, stable, completely windless, usually warm, and the humidity is 100%.
As soon as you crack the flask everything changes.
The trick is to keep your newly deflasked orchids in conditions outside the flask that are as close to they were inside, until they have time to adjust.
Wash them in fungicide - the conditions in the flask are perfect fro fungus.
Put them in a shallow tray with some damp media and cover it in cling film so there si no air movement.
Then prick the cling film with a few holes so a small amount of air can be exchanged.
Over the period of about 2 months gradually pric more holes in the cling film every week until, after the 2 months, you cna remove the cling film and they won't go black and die.
Cheers, FB