Agar for Fern spore propogation ?

I hope this is the right forum. I have been trying to locate a source of Agar, a growing medium, to aid in spore development. Has anybody used this before and do you know where I can obtain it. I have tried several nurserys and drug stores but had no luck. I would appreciate any help or comments from those whom have tried this before. Thanks..........nada

Are you familiar with Paul Stamets? he owns a company called Fungi Perfecti, www.fungi.com
There is also mushroompeople.com

both old, established and reliable folks.
liter of dry agar should be like $20... 20 grams is enough to gel a liter of water.

btw: unless there is a specific reason, fern spores tend to contaminate ALOT faster on sterile media than on pastuerized peat.

drew

Thanks for the info. That is a real good web site. I am rather new at growing from spores. I have used peat and sterilized with boiling water. Tried using the microwave once but got ran out of the kitchen. (She didn't like me washing my hubcaps in the dishwasher either). I have only read of using Agar but didn't realize it was more susceptable to fungi.

Thanks so much for the info. I think I will order a small bottle and give it a try. If I am successful, I will post it for the world to see.......Nada

btw: although unorthodox my methods work :-)
I've never had a hepa filter/laminar flow hood.
I've used an oven, basically open the door and have the heat on 150-175, I do all my transfers (mycelial or otherwise) on the opened door.

The rising heat keeps all bacteria/spores/etc from landing on your work.

Mind you this is in conjunction with sterile culture techniques....
ohh and electric stoves are nicer, I use rubbing alcohol alot to sterilize hands/ tools etc and wouldn't be very comfortable working around a pilot light :-)

drew

Thanks. I never thought of using the oven door. Great idea. I will probably use a diluted bleach solution rather than alchohol. A friend of mine was dabbling in microprop and suggested the use of Agar. He converted an old 15 gallon fishtank laying on its side to work in. Covered the opening with saran wrap and used old baby food bottles (sterilized) to hold the Agar medium with a charcoal mixture.

I was amazed at the whole setup. He had about 20% success rate with Orchids and the whole setup was located in his bathroom. Normally, it would require several thousand dollars worth of equipment, but, he is doing it successfully with spare junk found around the house.

That is what gave me the idea of using agar. Thanks for the advice. I can certainly use all I can get. This is a whole new ball game for me.........nada

I have heard of using a clean (new?) soaked brick with some sterilized moss on it as a substrate for fern spores. Put the brick on a tray with a little water and place the whole thing in a plastic bag and wait for the prothallia to appear...then you must keep it wet so that the sperm can swim to the eggs. After about 6 months from sowing, the fern fronds are supposed to appear and clumps of them can be potted up. After about a year from sowing, the individual ferns can be separated and potted. Boy, you have to be patient~have either of you tried this? I did not realize that you have to be so careful about contamination. I have been lucky enough to have Holly ferns and Rosy Maidenhair ferns volunteer in other potted plants, but have not deliberately tried to sow any spores (yet).

Oh, and what kind of orchids was your friend sowing? I have some yellow ladies slippers with seedpods on them and wondered if there was any use in trying to get them to germinate.

Thanks for any feedback and good luck with your agar.

me, tried it?
hehe, have you ever seen my webpage?

yes, I have ferns in various stages of development.
*shrugs* so it takes a lil while, thats why I have hundreds of trays about.

Same here. Heard of the brick in a pan of water. I used and inverted flower pot stuffed with spaghom (spelling) moss and sat in a tray of water. Then I put a large pickle bottle over the whole thing to keep in moisture and prevent contamination. It worked with Australian and Tasmanian Tree ferns.

Required: Lots of patience

Toxic: He was propogating Cymbidians. He had over 100 successful takes from the same plant. He had a lot more patience than I do. My fingers are to fat to operate the tweezers and all the other fine stuff that goes along with microprop. Probably like all of us. We propogate and divide only because we can. Ha...........nada

Deep roots, Where is your website ?? I am not very literate with this computer. You seems very knowlegable on Ferns. would like to keep in touch.........Nada

Thanks nada and Drew. I might give it a whirl this winter.
Drew, I went in to see your website and bookmarked it...will look at all your different ferns later when I have time.
Susan

This message was edited Aug 30, 2004 8:36 PM

check my profile.
I run a mid sized wholesale nursery for ferns...
also sell a lil on the net, thus the webpage.

Wish I could come and walk through your operation, Drew. Your ferns are beautiful and now I am lusting for some adiantums...wish they did not need such constant high humidity to thrive. My rosy maidenhair pouts during the dry winters here if I bring it in the house (as opposed to leaving it in the greenhouse). I might have to order some next spring anyway!

zone 6 you might even get away with it in a very sheltered area.
or let it go dormant and stick it in a cool area.

the raddianums are a lil harder to work with, but easier than the few tenerums that I have.

DeepRoots, I just checked your web site. Wow, I am really impressed. You have a fantastic selection. Do you grow all your ferns from spores??? I will probably be ordering from you in a few months. Your prices are certainly a lot better than anything around here except for the ones I grow myself. Ha.

well, certainly the economics in a deep southern town of 300 are different than anywhere in California.
I'd wait until Feb tho as far as ordering anything, I've got about another 50 cultivars I'll have ready for spring and it'll all be from fresh batches (juvenile vigor, ya know?)

in regards to spore, no not all are spore grown. In fact only the rare or difficult to obtain are. At the present I do not have a spore raising facility (it'd have to be like a 20-30 ft barn to house them all even with shelving.
Alot of plants like Cyrtomuim falcatum and Dryopteris erythrosora I sell over 3,000 a year in 1gallon cans.... it's far easier to buy plugs than to bother with spore and the possible chance of loosing a crop (and thus wholesale customers).
I'm also bad about not culling plants. Thus when I drop a few spores and 150 plants come up, I tend to grow them all out even if I can't sell them :-)

my kids are 1year old and almost 4..... when they get a lil older, I might get back to doing some more tissue culturing, fungi propagating, more serious fern spore work..... but as it is, their lil grubby fingers make it's way into most of my semi-sterile workspace :-)

drew

Thanks for the suggestion about trying the rosy maidenhair outside...I have considered it but afraid to risk it. I think I will put a chunk of it out in the ground next spring when it needs divided and see what happens next winter. The native A. pedatum does very well here and they are almost alike except that it is much larger (and hardier). I might try letting it go dormant, too, and just cut off all the foliage next spring and start fresh. Thanks again!