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However the other orchids have fared better, with the Anacamptis morio, the Anacamptis laxiflora and the Ophrys sphegodes plants are all growing well and the five Orchis militaris plants are forming good shoots. I will keep an eye on them and the weather, aiming to bring them in to the greenhouse when they are at risk.
The orchids I purchased in August (see http://meadowmaker.typepad.co.uk/photos/orchids/index.html) are having mixed fortunes.
Some (see next post) are thriving. But some are doing less well. The first casualty was the Ophrys tenthretinifera, which rotted off completely. I have moved the Ophrys bombyliflora inside the sand plunge bed in the greenhouse, and it seems to be sprouting so hopefully will be ok. The Orchis simia looked like the shoot had been damaged, so I brought that in too and I have removed the soil from near the shoot and surrounded it with grit. However I did discover good roots while doing this so hopefully it will recover... Fingers crossed!
I checked the petri dishes and flasks I sowed in September last night and unfortunately there was a higher than usual rate of contamination, with five plates and three flasks sprouting really nasty growths of mould. The plates were all ones on which I had used half measures of parafilm since I was about to run out. I have ordered some more and will try to reseal all the others. The flasks all came from a batch of seed which was donated by a friend but was of dubious collection method and I guess were contaminated and not completely sterilised by bleaching.
On the upside several of the other plates have already germinated, the Anacamptis morio being really successful with loads of small protocorms.
I checked the petri dishes and flasks I sowed in September last night and unfortunately there was a higher than usual rate of contamination, with five plates and three flasks sprouting really nasty growths of mould. The plates were all ones on which I had used half measures of parafilm since I was about to run out. I have ordered some more and will try to reseal all the others. The flasks all came from a batch of seed which was donated by a friend but was of dubious collection method and I guess were contaminated and not completely sterilised by bleaching.
On the upside several of the other plates have already germinated, the Anacamptis morio being really successful with loads of small protocorms.