Here is the flask used for this demonstration. It is Paphiopedilum niveum var semi-alba.

Try not to pull off the dead parts as you may rip the delicate seedling apart - use a clean sterilized pair of scissors instead.

Open up the flask to aerate it for a day. This is to enable the flasked plants to acclimatize with the external environment.

Some choose to skip this step but I am doing this as it is more of a habit.

On the other hand, in our humid and hot environment, the agar medium may be more prone to contamination when left opened for too long.

Peeping into the flask, note the thick furry roots, this is a sign of well grown seedlings in flasks.

Unfortunately, due to my delay, the bottom leaves have started browning off due to stagnation of the flask medium after too long.

Note that unlike the parent plants, the mottling of seedlings is not usually as clear as those that are out of flask for some time.

Line your work surface with newspaper to catch any debris for ease of cleaning up later.

Lay another 3 to 4 sheets of newspaper in the centre.

With the free hand, use either a pair of pliers or a hammer to knock the bottom of the flask.

Some flasks are specially designed to have a bottom rim that is thinner than the rest of the flask, resulting in a clean break.

Some growers wouldl use a glass cutter to score the bottom rim before breaking.

This demonstrates a clean break where the top of the flask separates nicely from the bottom rim.

Be careful of any fine glass shards that occur.

Carefully remove the glass from the seedlings and agar.

If you intend to grow the seedlings in a community pot, do not ease the seedlings apart but simply wash off the agar.

As I am not particularly fond of community pots and personally advocate thumb pots as far as possible, I carefully separated out the seedlings.

Be careful when separating the seedling of Brachys as they have a very fragile root junction (between the plant tip and start of the roots), despite having very thick strong roots.