Hello :) It is likely overcrowded in that jar (plus hopefully you haven't put it in full sun, cause that can cook the plant inside..greenhouse effect etc....) You may not know this but most orchids are actually started from seed in sterile environments and they do eventually make it out of their jars into the real world :) You just need to do it gently. I've never done this but this is what I've heard - you should open the flask and flush it with some room temperature water until the agar breaks up. Then carefully take the plant out of the jar, and pot it in an appropriate medium for your location. Cover it with something to maintain humidity (it is used to a high humidity environment) and gradually every week or 2 weeks after open up the cover ever so slightly bit by bit to get the plant used to the surroundings. Meanwhile you may want to read up a little on cattleya orchid culture.

As 'Crocodile Dundi' once said to his paramour: "You can live on it, but it tastes like s---." Flasks are great if you got the patience and time to deal with the tiny little plants. Compots are better. My comments only relate to mericlone Cattleya alliance plants as these are the ones I am dealing with at this time. Carmela Orchids from Hawaii sells on EBay under the name 'peaandshel' ( http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZpeaandshel ) This is the page for 'Seller's other items'. You will find flasks, plugs, compots and plants listed there. Right this minute there are no compots listed, they come and they go, keep your eye on that page and you will see them listed. They sell 3 compots for $25.00, 10% off for orders over $125, shipping $13 for first and $3 for subsequent. With the discount and the shipping it comes to roughly $25 for 3 compots. I have ordered a number of them and find 15 to 20 good sized seedlings in each and another 10 or so little runts who have to go back into another compot where they are growing now. These are growing, hardened plants with a 100% survival rate for the seedlings, less for the little runts. Assuming 25 plants per compot on average, you end up with 75 plants for $25. That's as good a deal as any flask, if not much better. At 30 cents a plant even flasks cannot beat that and the plants are 1 year plus ahead of the game and will survive. Futhermore there is no fuss and bother to deflask them, just pot them up and stand back. Carmela also sells 'Plugs' which you see listesd on the same page. A 25 plug assembly coasts $28, same discount, shipping etc. Comes to a little more than $1 per plant. These plants are 4" to 5" tall and about a year ahead of the Compot plants, 2 years ahead of any flask plants you might get. Seems like a better deal unless you have a fetish for flasks and they just turn you on. C @ R in Hawai, Carter and Holmes and others also sell similarily grown plants but more expensive. I don't know how much of any of this relates to species, probably none of it as I have never seen species compots offered, I have however not looked. Nick

You say you have done it.. How did it go. I would have phoned or emailed the person I bought them off if not enough info posted with them. Just so curious as to how they can get contaminated in a flask just by being shook up ? Best of luck with them ..I hope you get lots of beautiful orchids. Cheers Mary-Anne

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