Last week I potted up my first compot of Paph seedlings. There are only a few of them. Some are very small. And some were kind of clumped together. When I potted them I left the clumped ones together because I wanted to traumatize the roots as little as possible. This morning as I was looking at them it occurred to me that they are most likely different clones, right? So in the future when they have grown and are ready to go into their own pots I'll need to separate them then. Would I be better off now separating them so it's clear they're different clones and not wee plants with multiple growths?

Thanks!
Mark

If they are from the same compot, I would think they would be all the same clone. IF they are from different clones, I would separate them now.

Now that I think about it they'd all have to be different clones unless a protocorm can produce more than one growth. Do they do that? I'll separate them before they get too settled in, probably tonight after I pull my own arms off in yoga class.

I really don't know the answer since I have never grown any plants from flasks/compots so hopefully a flask/compot expert can jump in and give us some good advice. Personally, I would separate them regardless of their clones but would that be the right thing to do? I don't know.:confused:

As long as you have already planted them, just leave them. You can worry about separating them later. The advantage of having them all together is that they help keep each other more humid. The disadvantage is that if bacteria or fungus attack, it can spread to the whole batch. Once they grow larger, sometimes it's a problem separating them, too, but not insurmountable.

Thanks Ross! :cool:

I have just deflasked a few flasks and following the conventional theory I am growing them all clumped together. Paph seedlings are suppose to do much better when grown in clumps rather than individually. Your seedlings would be different clones although I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. I think you would be better growing them up in clumps till they reach a larger size, than potting them up individually.

David

I have learned quite a few things about flasking/compoting just from this one thread, thanks guys! :cool:

David & Ross are right

It really does not make any different whether they are different clones or multigrowth of one.
If the clump is small, you risk breaking their roots & leaves separating them. You could lose the entire clump.(when they are bigger you can still see whether they are one or not)
I did not believe in compot seedling together as the beginning, but now,I do notice that the crowded compot grows a lot faster & better. The one that I separate in three pots grow very slow & weak.
:p

I separated them. They're still in the same compot, of course. The "four" plants sent by Troy Meyers really were fifteen. They separated more easily than I expected except for one little clump that was very tiny and twisted that I just tossed. Only a few look like something I think I'll be able to grow up, but who knows? They're looking really good otherwise and I've got a little dome on them to maintain humidity. (Those covers from 50-packs of blank CDs sure come in handy!)

In a few weeks you can make some slits in the covering so they can start getting used to less humidity. My compots had some rot starting (brown leaves), so I dusted on some Bordeux mix and cut slits in the plastic bag. They looked happier almost immediatly.

Thanks, Hard. I was just looking at them again last night while watering and was thinking I need to increase the air circulation but keep them humid. Your suggestion of cutting slits gave me the idea of just putting a clear, slit-sided pot over them instead of the CD package. :cool:

Welcome to the SOF Howard! :welcome:

Hi Howard,

:welcomesof: Thanks for joining!