As a first timer deflasking tissue cultured plants I was nervous but also pleasantly surprised how relatively easy it was and fun!! So, to anyone thinking about doing it I say go for it. I'll share the method I used and what I learnt. While my plants are doing well as I write this it has only been a few days since the deflasking so the proof will be in the pudding so to speak, and I look forward to seeing how they go in the long-term.
EQUIPMENT
Bucket x2 Prop Box
Long Handled Plant Tweezers Sphagnum Moss
Scissors Cloning Solution
Physan 20 Coco Coir/Perlite
Potting Mat Vaporgard
6cm Clear Pots
Hand Sanitiser
Spray Bottle x 2
METHOD
Boil a jug of water (boiling it helps remove any baddies). Allow to cool until warm and put in one of the buckets, this will be used for rinsing the agar (the jelly the plants are grown in) off the roots. Once agar is exposed to a non-sterile environment out of the flask it is the perfect environment for growing bacteria and fungus (hence why is used in labs in microbiology to grow bugs). This is why this step is so important, it is time consuming and a bit fiddley but it's worth taking the time to do it right.
Fill the second bucket with water mixed with an anti-fungal as per dilution instructions. I use Physan 20 as it kills bacteria, fungi, viruses and algae and can also be used for disinfecting surfaces, so I also used one of my spray bottles with this dilution to clean my tools, potting mat and prop box. This second bucket is for soaking the plants in (I soak for approximately 10-15mins) before potting to reduce the risk of the plants failing due to pathogens.
Pot up. I chose 6cm clear pots because they fulfill some need, I have to watch roots grow. I also chose coco/perlite mix as my potting medium because the fine texture of coco coir is perfect for teeny tiny roots to penetrate while the perlite helps with drainage and reduces the risk of root rot. I used my long handle plant tweezers to pot up with which made the job SO MUCH easier.
Once the plants are potted, add them to your choice of prop box, I chose mine from Bunnings but a Sistema container with a lid is fine, anything really that'll help keep in the humidity. Deflasked plants are not very good at controlling transpiration (rate at what moisture is lost) yet so need to be kept at high humidity (above 70%) to help stop them drying out. Add wet sphagnum moss to the bottom of the prob box to also help keep the humidity high.
Lastly use you second spray bottle to mist the plants and potting medium with a foliar clone start spray. There are a number of options on the market. I also did a spray of Vaporgard which helps reduce moisture loss through the leaves and reduces transplant shock. Cover and place the prop box in an area of filtered light. I added a piece of shade cloth over mine as the sun gets pretty intense in my greenhouse.
Lastly use you second spray bottle to mist the plants and potting medium with a foliar clone start spray. There are a number of options on the market. I also did a spray of Vaporgard which helps reduce moisture loss through the leaves and reduces transplant shock. Cover and place the prop box in an area of filtered light. I added a piece of shade cloth over mine as the sun gets pretty intense in my greenhouse.
Now to see if all the work paid off, will do an update in a couple of weeks when I start to harden the plants off and get them used to the greenhouse environment.
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