Disas are quite unusual among orchids in that their seed is relatively big and will germinate if sown on a bed of damp moss or other similar media. However, the plantlets will develop much faster if grown in flasks on suitable nutrient media under sterile conditions. I prefer to use the "green pod" method, meaning that the seed pod is harvested before it splits open. When using this method, you can harvest the pods after about 5 weeks. The seed inside the pod is free of infectious agents, so it is only necessary to disinfect the outside of the pod before opening it and plating the seed in the flasks under sterile conditions. I have a small home-made laminar flow hood.
I replate the small plantlets after about 6-10 weeks, and then grow them on for another 3-5 months before deflasking them. Deflasking is stressful for the little plants that up until then have been mollycoddled in their closed environment. Now they have to contend with all sorts of nasty microorganisms. The plantlets are particularly susceptible to an insidious grey mold that causes the stems to rot away and disintegrate. Click here for a printable guide to deflasking. |