Unflasking Tissue Culture Plants

How to Deflask Tissue Culture Plants

• Nepenthes: coco chips, orchid bark, perlite, and long fibered sphagnum (LFS)
• Aroids: coco bark x2, orchid bark x2, perlite, and LFS
• Venus Fly Traps: 50/50 peat moss and perlite

2.) Wash and dry hands thoroughly.

3.) Open the plant flask and carefully remove the explant using fingers or tweezers.

4.) Gently rinse all gel media from roots and leaves. * Be careful while handling roots as they can be more delicate from developing in soft gel. *

5.) Pot up your plant in your prepared media and water thoroughly. 

6.) Place the potted plant under a dome or into an acclimation bag and keep in bright indirect light. * DO NOT place in direct sunlight while domed/bagged or your plant will fry. *

7.) Keep plants domed/bagged for at least 1 week. Slowly open/remove acclimation bag/dome over the next 2-6 months. (Nepenthes truncata crosses need to be domed for the first 1-2 months.)

8.) Watch out for fungal growth throughout this process and increase air movement or apply fungicide as needed.

9.) After 1 month, the plant is ok to feed with your preferred fertilizer.

Acclimation Times

Nepenthes: 3-6 months

Venus Flytraps: 2-4 months

Anthuriums and other Aroids: 2-4 months

Acclimation Information

Tissue culture plants are grown in sterile conditions with 100% humidity. Because of this, their roots and leaves are often very different from how they would develop in an open air environment where there are changes in temperature, humidity, and air movement. To successfully acclimate your plants, you need to give it the appropriate amount of time to reinforce its delicate tissues and produce new roots/shoots/leaves. As you lower ambient humidity, you can also increase the amount of light exposure and intensity. Plants can crash within hours if humidity drops too quickly, so take your time!

Need more information? See our growing tips and care guides.