Hi,

A few months ago, I purchased a phrag flask from Chuck. Once the seedlings acclimated to my growing area and looked ready for another repot, I repotted them into their own little 2" dixie cups. Since then, they've been growing well for me. I have most inside a five gallon tank and the rest in a small plastic container (only to help prevent my cats from eating the seedlings). A few weeks after the first repot, I noticed one of the larger seedlings starting a new growth/lead at the base. I thought that was pretty cool. Last week, while I was watering, I noticed two of my seedlings growing pretty strangely (at least for me)...

The seedling with the new growth/lead at the base of it started to grow a new growth/lead at the middle of the seedling. All three are actively growing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v143/blueovalgal/c01eac8c.jpg

This seedling has two new growths/leads, which I think you can make out in this slightly blurry photo:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v143/blueovalgal/twoleadphragseedling022406.jpg

Here's one of my "normal" looking seedlings:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v143/blueovalgal/7841bf22.jpg

The mix looks wet because I took the photos after I watered my seedlings. None of them have been fertilized.

I'm wondering if anyone have seen seedlings like this... will the growths/leads will continue to grow and mature? I think it's pretty neat, but I'm curious what you all have to say...

Thanks in advance for your time, Barb

Hello, I'm guessing there's besseae in the background of this one? and that it's a polyploid?

I've gotten 7 or 8 flasks from Chuck and this sometimes happens. besseae is a climber and tends to impart that trait to varying degrees in its progeny. The seedlings should be buried in the mix up to the base of the main fan because that is where the main roots will eventually emerge from. Usually this means burying the bases of the few lowest leaves an inch or two in the mix. They die back in a short time and are no big loss.

As for the little growths, I have always pinched them off to encourage the main growth. I don't really see any harm in letting them grow on, other than that they would be buried if the plant were potted as described above. I suspect that they are a side effect of polyploidy, but don't know for sure

--Stephen

Thanks for that info, Stephen! The seedlings are Phrag. Sherman's March (Mem. Dick Clements 'Rocket Flash ' 4N x Barbara LeAnn 'Pink Doll').

My first thought was - "there's a besseae climber in them thar seedlins!" ;)
That said and establised - what Stephen said.

I have got flasks of besseae's that look like that. Do what Stephen suggests.

This was fairly common in a bunch of newly deflasked seedlings of lindlyanum I recently got. They all ended up re rooting from the nodes of the off shoots and now look fairly normal.

Okay! Thanks for all the advice/replies!! I really appreciate it! Barb