Re:Propagation

Jeffrey Welch (WELCH@AM.HERL.EPA.GOV)
Thu, 05 Dec 1996 16:31:54 -0500 (EST)

Hi folks,

I have to disagree with Michael. Actually TC is not hard at all,
basically equivalent in effort to that involved in home canning. The
main difference is that you don't die of botulinium poisoning if you
contaminate a culture. I recently met a sucessful orchid grower whose
only specialized equipment was a pressure cooker, a spray bottle of
bleach and a large clear plastic bag. She's been doing this for years
successfully!

Take care!

Jeff
P.S. I'll explain the procedure if needed, but the bag serves as a
sterile transfer chamber.

>Alan, tissue culture (TC) requires a lot of special equipment, and is
not
>something you'd want to try at home unless you have a lot of money
and
>time to invest in it. I think most people who use TC for propagation
>intend to use it commercially (produce many plants for sale).
>Otherwise, most CP are VERY easy to propagate through seeds and/or
>vegetative means (leaf & stem cuttings, divisions). The best
technique
>will depend on the species.
>
>Michael Chamberland