Stuff I might need

I will need to sort out some replacement parafilm and some more gloves before my next plating up / transplanting session in 6 - 8 weeks time. I have a single sachet of oats medium which will do for the next batch, but will need to get some more Malmgren's Mix before I start on the next batch of Ophrys - hoever if I am going to prepare it well in advance it will be worth getting it in fairly soon. I will also need some more seed! It might be worth giving the Symbiotic fungi for Ophrys from Ted Weeks a try but I think I will wait until next year before I do that. I will also need some more petri dishes.

I think the final bit of kit I should sort out are some accurate scales, again before I do the asymbiotic mix.

I think I will not bother trying to find any more of the redtop kilner jars, they are obviously a collectors item since they are no longer made. The last couple of times I have tried to buy them on ebay I was outbid and they work out about £5 - £7 each. I think honey jars via HOS at 50p are the best option (also cheaper than the plastic ones from Ratcliffe which are about £1.00 each, although these are stackable which is an advantage) 

Comments

[Neil Evans]

Interesting reading what you have done, I went to HOS workshop the previous year and have had mixed results from my sowing of Dacts, quite a lot of infection. But when I sowed in the spring of the winter greens varieties, I had much better results, only lost 25% but I made sure I did 2 petri dishes per species. Have done the winter dormant ones again and to date, 3 weeks later, I have not had any contamination.

Are you going to the HOS meeting on the 30th at Capel Manor?

Regarding the red top Kilner jars you can get them from http://www.solmedialtd.com/sample-containers.php price I was quoted Kilner Jars 500ml KJ20500 £2.41 each or £2.30 for 10+ carriage was £10 I think you will need to add VAT to the price.

[Filcris Blog]

Hi Neil
thanks for the comments and especially for that link, I will give them a try, that is a much better price.
The Dacts I sowed at the workshop germinated successfully in a couple of weeks and have grown well. I transplanted them a couple of weeks ago however and already I have lost some to infections. The Dacts I sowed using the symbiotic method have not germinated, I think that they were not sterilised in bleach solution for long enough - a stopwatch might be an idea! I screwed up with the Ophrys apifera, I used the wrong type of fungus. Did you use the asymbiotic method for the spring sown wintergreen species then? I have sowed Dacts on malmgrens mix but they are not doing very much. Whether that is due to the nature of the method (I understand it takes longer) or insufficient sterilisation time I don't know. I will try to get some more recent pictures uploaded soon.
I was planning on going to Capel manor on the 30th but I have a feeling the rest of my life will start to intervene...
Cheers
Chris

[Neil]

Chris

Some of the Dacts have started but others have not yet, I'm using Malmgrens Medium and B1 fungus for them. Bleaching my understanding was that Dacts take quite at least 10 minutes at using 5% Domestos , I waited till mine went a nice golden colour.

I sowed my Ophrys asymbotical and some Orchis I had with the B1 fungus

The O. apifera should be sown using the asymbiotic method, I emailed John about germination taking so long and he said it needs to be refrigerated before it will germinate. Don't know if that would work as my other half, knocked it out of the fridge and it broke, there is always next year.

The Serapias I did, I sowed with the Q414 fungus and had good results with that.

Gymnadenia I sowed at the same time as the Dacts but did these asymbotically

Regards
Neil