gah! rot below the medium. grrr. done the H2O2 thing; done the
cinnamon thing; lost two plants (one a seedling that i thought was
getting better, and the phal bellina from [insert name of large east
coast orchid grower which shall remain nameless--no one on here] that
started it all); now my Br. Lancer clone has it. did the H2O2 thing
and cut away the bad parts and cut the spikes off and sprayed with a
copper fungicide (all i had)--and now i'm paranoid the whole
collection's got it.

besides physan 20, what could i use as a prophylactic spray/drench on
the rest? these plants are in my living room so i don't want to go too
toxic; fan on them for 8 hrs a day; the rest of the time the heat
pump's running with two vents directly below the plants.

AND my african violets have powdery mildew. i think i'm just going to
switch to cut flowers. >:(


--j_a, cross and grumpy

Have you considered Neem oil, or google organic gardening and see if
you can find some tricks, but in your case, proably the best solution
is just take them outside, or to the garage and treat them, you
shouldn't have problems once the plants dry, also with rot, when they
are recovering arn't you supposed to keep the plants alittle on the
dryer side to help prevent a relapse?

Jack

-sigh- trying to do the dryer-side thing but they're all in sphag
--because it's so dry in the house 8 mos out of the year that they
shrivel up and die if they're in bark. (primarily phals.)

i have neem also; if it's warm enough this weekend i was going to take
them all outside and spray them with one or the other; thought i'd run
my griping by the group first, though. :)

--j_a

Have you reviewed SemiHydro? Seems to be a way to bypass all this
rotting of bark, sphrag, etc. Plant roots have a damp substrate to grow
in that provides the perfect atmosphere for the roots. I have just
started using it so don't have a history to report on.
Joe T

i actually tried one in semi hydro once--shrivelled up and died.

it might be time to revisit it though....

--j_a

I just repotted a Cattleya I recently purchased from a local orchid
house. It was in total large charcoal! Had great and healthy roots. I
bought it in full bloom and the flowers lasted two weeks. I put it into
the same sized pot in SemiHydro.
I just visited the Santa Barbarba Estate Orchids site and read all
their stuff, they are going to total crushed Granite as a potting
medium! WOW, had not thought of that.
I know you are in the middle of a war so am tossing in my two cents
worth, maybe something will turn it around for you. I am not sure
rotting is a virus, most I read it is from wetness and medium
breakdown. Good luck, keep us posted.
Joe T

from what i read, it might be bacterial.

al keeps his phals in pea gravel--but he has a GH where he can control
the humidity. this morning, for instance, the orchids were in 50%
humidity acc to the hygrometer.

thx for the suggestions; i will keep griping to myself and yelling at
the plants and maybe just try spraying things on 'em til they die. :D

--j_a

once ounce of bleach per gallon of water is a good disinfectant.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


<jankey [at] erols.com> wrote in message
news:1143558743.541824.312630 [at] u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
> gah! rot below the medium. grrr. done the H2O2 thing; done the
> cinnamon thing; lost two plants (one a seedling that i thought was
> getting better, and the phal bellina from [insert name of large east
> coast orchid grower which shall remain nameless--no one on here] that
> started it all); now my Br. Lancer clone has it. did the H2O2 thing
> and cut away the bad parts and cut the spikes off and sprayed with a
> copper fungicide (all i had)--and now i'm paranoid the whole
> collection's got it.
>
> besides physan 20, what could i use as a prophylactic spray/drench on
> the rest? these plants are in my living room so i don't want to go too
> toxic; fan on them for 8 hrs a day; the rest of the time the heat
> pump's running with two vents directly below the plants.
>
> AND my african violets have powdery mildew. i think i'm just going to
> switch to cut flowers. >:(
>
>
> --j_a, cross and grumpy
>

I have mine in S/H and my phals are loving it, except one rescue and
it's a bastard child living in a baggie now ( it lost all it's roots,
but i'm fighting to keep it because it looks similar to a Phal.
bellina)

I have my orchids set up on a food grade wire shelving unit about 6' H,
4' L, 2' W, under a plastic bag from my mattress, I keep about 50%
humidty with daily misting and large rubbermaid boxes that fit the
shelves draining in to another at the bottom. Its close culture so I
know that I am risking loosing everything, but so far it is the best
I've been able to do as all the humidity in alaska is currently on the
ground (being very slippery BTW)

It is low maintence, once every two weeks I take the plastic off and
wash the alge out of the trays, check the plants and adjust as needed.
If you want I'll send you pics though it's not a preaty setup.

Jack

Why do you say "besides Physan"? What you mentionned trying is at least as
toxic as Physan. Physan is a quartenary ammonium compound closely related to
the same stuff people put in their pools as an
algacide/bactericide/fungicide. I've had better success with Physan than
with anything else. Cut out the infection and soak the rest for 15 min in 1
tsp/gal. I've recovered catts, paphs and a phal from certain death. The
stuff is a lot milder than bleach, peroxide or copper and I think works
better. Hope this helps.
Gary

<jankey [at] erols.com> wrote in message
news:1143558743.541824.312630 [at] u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
> gah! rot below the medium. grrr. done the H2O2 thing; done the
> cinnamon thing; lost two plants (one a seedling that i thought was
> getting better, and the phal bellina from [insert name of large east
> coast orchid grower which shall remain nameless--no one on here] that
> started it all); now my Br. Lancer clone has it. did the H2O2 thing
> and cut away the bad parts and cut the spikes off and sprayed with a
> copper fungicide (all i had)--and now i'm paranoid the whole
> collection's got it.
>
> besides physan 20, what could i use as a prophylactic spray/drench on
> the rest? these plants are in my living room so i don't want to go too
> toxic; fan on them for 8 hrs a day; the rest of the time the heat
> pump's running with two vents directly below the plants.
>
> AND my african violets have powdery mildew. i think i'm just going to
> switch to cut flowers. >:(
>
>
> --j_a, cross and grumpy
>

Just my 2 cents here. I'm a firm believer in Physan, but if I were growing
inside, I'd rather put up with the smell of bleach for a few days than the
smell of Physan. And even outside, we occasionally wash down the grow areas
with bleach. As far as copper based products are concerned, I wouldn't
categorize myself as a *tree hugger*, but I imagine that any of us who
ardently love orchids, or any other plants, have at least a modicum of
concern about the environment. Copper has its place, but it's one of those
elements that does not break down in the ground. From what I know, it pretty
much stays where it lands. Chemists, correct me if I am wrong. Also, if you
grow Dends, be very careful with it. Dends will drop their leaves if treated
with a copper based product.

Semi hydro works wonders for some of my plants. I often wonder why I haven't
bitten the bullet and gone for it on a wholesale basis.

Potting medium? Orchids are not as fussy as we think they are. But, you need
to adjust watering, etc., based upon the medium you choose. I have been
growing Catts and Dends in plain old river rock or pea stone using plastic
pots for about 5 years. No problem. But I tend to *underwater*, so I am
gradually going to Aliflor or Primagra (sp?). Our Phals are in Aliflor now,
for the most part. We got tired of root rot. The exceptions are small plants
which dry out faster; those get spaghnum. For the plants that I have in a
CHC mix, we need to take into account how much water that stuff wicks up - a
lot!

There are as many ways to pot an orchid as there are people who grow them.
Two recent speakers at our society meetings illustrate this. Jeff Adkins
(Adkins Orchids, Fort Lauderdale) did a demo on repotting Dends. He used CHC
'plugs'. I would hesitate to use them for Dends; too much water retention
during our rainy season. But he grows great plants, so who can argue, except
that he has a more controlled environment than we do? And Michael Sinn
(Canaima Orchids, Ellenton, FL) is an undisputed expert on Venezuelan Catt
species. I bought two plants from him, a mossiae and a leuddemanniana, and
both are in baskets with spaghnum. That won't work for my grow area, so
after they bloom I will repot them into something more suitable for us.

Hmph. I guess that was a dollar's worth, not 2 cents!

Diana

thanks all for the addt'l advice--didn't know that about the copper.
ray--can the bleach solution be used on the plants themselves?

jack--i'm also on wire racks over pyrex baking dishes of water. a shot
of bleach in the water in the dishes keeps the algae down (or at least
turns it colorless. ;) of course, i don't know what it would do to
rubber....)

--j_a

(and the Br Lancer has not fallen over dead yet--in fact, it may be my
imagination but i think it's looking slightly better.)

Yep. I did so for years until I bit the bullet and bought the Physan, which
has a scent that - unlike Diana - I prefer to bleach.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"unknown" <noreply [at] nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:noreply-E2455C.21573428032006 [at] comcast.dca.giganews.com...
> thanks all for the addt'l advice--didn't know that about the copper.
> ray--can the bleach solution be used on the plants themselves?
>
> jack--i'm also on wire racks over pyrex baking dishes of water. a shot
> of bleach in the water in the dishes keeps the algae down (or at least
> turns it colorless. ;) of course, i don't know what it would do to
> rubber....)
>
> --j_a
>
> (and the Br Lancer has not fallen over dead yet--in fact, it may be my
> imagination but i think it's looking slightly better.)

I prefer the scent of Physan too. Wonder if it's a male thing, or if bleach
is a female thing?
Gary

"Ray" <raybark [at] firstrays.com> wrote in message
news:v8-dnTraodsO9LfZnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d [at] comcast.com...
> Yep. I did so for years until I bit the bullet and bought the Physan,
> which has a scent that - unlike Diana - I prefer to bleach.
>
> --
>
> Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
> Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!
>
>
> "unknown" <noreply [at] nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:noreply-E2455C.21573428032006 [at] comcast.dca.giganews.com...
>> thanks all for the addt'l advice--didn't know that about the copper.
>> ray--can the bleach solution be used on the plants themselves?
>>
>> jack--i'm also on wire racks over pyrex baking dishes of water. a shot
>> of bleach in the water in the dishes keeps the algae down (or at least
>> turns it colorless. ;) of course, i don't know what it would do to
>> rubber....)
>>
>> --j_a
>>
>> (and the Br Lancer has not fallen over dead yet--in fact, it may be my
>> imagination but i think it's looking slightly better.)
>
>

Admittedly it's an unsignificant sample, but my wife too prefers bleach
which is what lead to my speculation.
Gary

"V_coerulea" <gwills13 [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:SzuWf.111$ki.77 [at] bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>I prefer the scent of Physan too. Wonder if it's a male thing, or if bleach
>is a female thing?
> Gary
>
> "Ray" <raybark [at] firstrays.com> wrote in message
> news:v8-dnTraodsO9LfZnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d [at] comcast.com...
>> Yep. I did so for years until I bit the bullet and bought the Physan,
>> which has a scent that - unlike Diana - I prefer to bleach.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
>> Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!
>>
>>
>> "unknown" <noreply [at] nowhere.com> wrote in message
>> news:noreply-E2455C.21573428032006 [at] comcast.dca.giganews.com...
>>> thanks all for the addt'l advice--didn't know that about the copper.
>>> ray--can the bleach solution be used on the plants themselves?
>>>
>>> jack--i'm also on wire racks over pyrex baking dishes of water. a shot
>>> of bleach in the water in the dishes keeps the algae down (or at least
>>> turns it colorless. ;) of course, i don't know what it would do to
>>> rubber....)
>>>
>>> --j_a
>>>
>>> (and the Br Lancer has not fallen over dead yet--in fact, it may be my
>>> imagination but i think it's looking slightly better.)
>>
>>
>
>

Phyton is copper based. I may be wrong but Physan is not.

"Diana Kulaga" <diandfrankcat [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:SgmWf.97$L7.93 [at] bignews2.bellsouth.net...
> Just my 2 cents here. I'm a firm believer in Physan, but if I were growing
> inside, I'd rather put up with the smell of bleach for a few days than the
> smell of Physan. And even outside, we occasionally wash down the grow
> areas with bleach. As far as copper based products are concerned, I
> wouldn't categorize myself as a *tree hugger*, but I imagine that any of
> us who ardently love orchids, or any other plants, have at least a modicum
> of concern about the environment. Copper has its place, but it's one of
> those elements that does not break down in the ground. From what I know,
> it pretty much stays where it lands. Chemists, correct me if I am wrong.
> Also, if you grow Dends, be very careful with it. Dends will drop their
> leaves if treated with a copper based product.
>
> Semi hydro works wonders for some of my plants. I often wonder why I
> haven't bitten the bullet and gone for it on a wholesale basis.
>
> Potting medium? Orchids are not as fussy as we think they are. But, you
> need to adjust watering, etc., based upon the medium you choose. I have
> been growing Catts and Dends in plain old river rock or pea stone using
> plastic pots for about 5 years. No problem. But I tend to *underwater*, so
> I am gradually going to Aliflor or Primagra (sp?). Our Phals are in
> Aliflor now, for the most part. We got tired of root rot. The exceptions
> are small plants which dry out faster; those get spaghnum. For the plants
> that I have in a CHC mix, we need to take into account how much water that
> stuff wicks up - a lot!
>
> There are as many ways to pot an orchid as there are people who grow them.
> Two recent speakers at our society meetings illustrate this. Jeff Adkins
> (Adkins Orchids, Fort Lauderdale) did a demo on repotting Dends. He used
> CHC 'plugs'. I would hesitate to use them for Dends; too much water
> retention during our rainy season. But he grows great plants, so who can
> argue, except that he has a more controlled environment than we do? And
> Michael Sinn (Canaima Orchids, Ellenton, FL) is an undisputed expert on
> Venezuelan Catt species. I bought two plants from him, a mossiae and a
> leuddemanniana, and both are in baskets with spaghnum. That won't work for
> my grow area, so after they bloom I will repot them into something more
> suitable for us.
>
> Hmph. I guess that was a dollar's worth, not 2 cents!
>
> Diana
>

I can't say I *prefer* either of them, really. It just seems to me that the
bleach odor dissipates more quickly than the Physan, which I can smell for a
week. And that's outside!

Hmm. Men like Physan, women like bleach. Well, I'm not a natural reddish
haired person, for whatever that's worth!

Diana

"V_coerulea" <gwills13 [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:5QuWf.113$ki.80 [at] bignews1.bellsouth.net...
> Admittedly it's an unsignificant sample, but my wife too prefers bleach
> which is what lead to my speculation.
> Gary
>
> "V_coerulea" <gwills13 [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:SzuWf.111$ki.77 [at] bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>>I prefer the scent of Physan too. Wonder if it's a male thing, or if
>>bleach is a female thing?
>> Gary
>>
>> "Ray" <raybark [at] firstrays.com> wrote in message
>> news:v8-dnTraodsO9LfZnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d [at] comcast.com...
>>> Yep. I did so for years until I bit the bullet and bought the Physan,
>>> which has a scent that - unlike Diana - I prefer to bleach.
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
>>> Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!
>>>
>>>
>>> "unknown" <noreply [at] nowhere.com> wrote in message
>>> news:noreply-E2455C.21573428032006 [at] comcast.dca.giganews.com...
>>>> thanks all for the addt'l advice--didn't know that about the copper.
>>>> ray--can the bleach solution be used on the plants themselves?
>>>>
>>>> jack--i'm also on wire racks over pyrex baking dishes of water. a shot
>>>> of bleach in the water in the dishes keeps the algae down (or at least
>>>> turns it colorless. ;) of course, i don't know what it would do to
>>>> rubber....)
>>>>
>>>> --j_a
>>>>
>>>> (and the Br Lancer has not fallen over dead yet--in fact, it may be my
>>>> imagination but i think it's looking slightly better.)
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

No, Physan is not copper based. That's one of the reasons I use it. We have
a bunch of Dends.

Diana

"Al" <nospam [at] all.ever> wrote in message
news:T8-dnf-jUtKPELfZRVn-gA [at] adelphia.com...
> Phyton is copper based. I may be wrong but Physan is not.
>
> "Diana Kulaga" <diandfrankcat [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:SgmWf.97$L7.93 [at] bignews2.bellsouth.net...
>> Just my 2 cents here. I'm a firm believer in Physan, but if I were
>> growing inside, I'd rather put up with the smell of bleach for a few days
>> than the smell of Physan. And even outside, we occasionally wash down the
>> grow areas with bleach. As far as copper based products are concerned, I
>> wouldn't categorize myself as a *tree hugger*, but I imagine that any of
>> us who ardently love orchids, or any other plants, have at least a
>> modicum of concern about the environment. Copper has its place, but it's
>> one of those elements that does not break down in the ground. From what I
>> know, it pretty much stays where it lands. Chemists, correct me if I am
>> wrong. Also, if you grow Dends, be very careful with it. Dends will drop
>> their leaves if treated with a copper based product.
>>
>> Semi hydro works wonders for some of my plants. I often wonder why I
>> haven't bitten the bullet and gone for it on a wholesale basis.
>>
>> Potting medium? Orchids are not as fussy as we think they are. But, you
>> need to adjust watering, etc., based upon the medium you choose. I have
>> been growing Catts and Dends in plain old river rock or pea stone using
>> plastic pots for about 5 years. No problem. But I tend to *underwater*,
>> so I am gradually going to Aliflor or Primagra (sp?). Our Phals are in
>> Aliflor now, for the most part. We got tired of root rot. The exceptions
>> are small plants which dry out faster; those get spaghnum. For the plants
>> that I have in a CHC mix, we need to take into account how much water
>> that stuff wicks up - a lot!
>>
>> There are as many ways to pot an orchid as there are people who grow
>> them. Two recent speakers at our society meetings illustrate this. Jeff
>> Adkins (Adkins Orchids, Fort Lauderdale) did a demo on repotting Dends.
>> He used CHC 'plugs'. I would hesitate to use them for Dends; too much
>> water retention during our rainy season. But he grows great plants, so
>> who can argue, except that he has a more controlled environment than we
>> do? And Michael Sinn (Canaima Orchids, Ellenton, FL) is an undisputed
>> expert on Venezuelan Catt species. I bought two plants from him, a
>> mossiae and a leuddemanniana, and both are in baskets with spaghnum. That
>> won't work for my grow area, so after they bloom I will repot them into
>> something more suitable for us.
>>
>> Hmph. I guess that was a dollar's worth, not 2 cents!
>>
>> Diana
>>
>
>

Well I like Brandy & hate beer!
Also use a bottle for my hair. *g*
Not sure about the gender thing, I use both but have not used a bleach/water mixture
directly on my plants! (Although some of them look like it!)
I use Physan a lot.
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

Diana Kulaga <diandfrankcat [at] bellsouth.net> wrote:
> I can't say I *prefer* either of them, really. It just seems to me
> that the bleach odor dissipates more quickly than the Physan, which I
> can smell for a week. And that's outside!
>
> Hmm. Men like Physan, women like bleach. Well, I'm not a natural
> reddish haired person, for whatever that's worth!
>
> Diana
>
> "V_coerulea" <gwills13 [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:5QuWf.113$ki.80 [at] bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>> Admittedly it's an unsignificant sample, but my wife too prefers
>> bleach which is what lead to my speculation.
>> Gary
>>
>> "V_coerulea" <gwills13 [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
>> news:SzuWf.111$ki.77 [at] bignews1.bellsouth.net...
>>> I prefer the scent of Physan too. Wonder if it's a male thing, or if
>>> bleach is a female thing?
>>> Gary
>>>
>>> "Ray" <raybark [at] firstrays.com> wrote in message
>>> news:v8-dnTraodsO9LfZnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d [at] comcast.com...
>>>> Yep. I did so for years until I bit the bullet and bought the
>>>> Physan, which has a scent that - unlike Diana - I prefer to bleach.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
>>>> Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "unknown" <noreply [at] nowhere.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:noreply-E2455C.21573428032006 [at] comcast.dca.giganews.com...
>>>>> thanks all for the addt'l advice--didn't know that about the
>>>>> copper. ray--can the bleach solution be used on the plants
>>>>> themselves? jack--i'm also on wire racks over pyrex baking dishes of water. a
>>>>> shot of bleach in the water in the dishes keeps the algae down
>>>>> (or at least turns it colorless. ;) of course, i don't know what
>>>>> it would do to rubber....)
>>>>>
>>>>> --j_a
>>>>>
>>>>> (and the Br Lancer has not fallen over dead yet--in fact, it may
>>>>> be my imagination but i think it's looking slightly better.)

Dear j_a,
Not sure how many orchids you have but if you are growing inside then
it shouldn't be that many. How big of an area do you have? It needs to be
cleaned, wiped down from top to bottom.
Now I would move everything, saucers, trays, pots, tags etc., wash in a
bleach/vinegar solution 1/2 cup ea. to a gal of water.
Repot everything before returning plants to the growing area. I spray any
plant I repot with Physan/water.
Not sure of the best potting mix for indoors but it seems like most inside
growers water too often! I would use some horticultural charcoal in the mix.
Lots of luck,
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

jankey [at] erols.com wrote:
> gah! rot below the medium. grrr. done the H2O2 thing; done the
> cinnamon thing; lost two plants (one a seedling that i thought was
> getting better, and the phal bellina from [insert name of large east
> coast orchid grower which shall remain nameless--no one on here] that
> started it all); now my Br. Lancer clone has it. did the H2O2 thing
> and cut away the bad parts and cut the spikes off and sprayed with a
> copper fungicide (all i had)--and now i'm paranoid the whole
> collection's got it.
>
> besides physan 20, what could i use as a prophylactic spray/drench on
> the rest? these plants are in my living room so i don't want to go
> too toxic; fan on them for 8 hrs a day; the rest of the time the heat
> pump's running with two vents directly below the plants.
>
> AND my african violets have powdery mildew. i think i'm just going
> to switch to cut flowers. >:(
>
>
> --j_a, cross and grumpy

-perusing MSDS's-

Ah ha! now i remember why i wasn't too eager to use physan or phyton:
"corrosive" "permanent eye damage."

i knew there was some reason i was staying away from them.... the
copper octanoate and neem are only considered irritants.

well, guess i'll be spending the weekend repotting. oh joy. (only
about 15 plants fortunately.)


or i may say the hell with it, spray them with neem, take my chances,
and if they die, they die. feh. :)


as always, thanks for the very informative discussion.

--j_a

Physan is not a corrosive. You may get permanent eye damage from squirting
the concentrate into your eye. But you'd get that from bleach and Neem as
well. So best not to squirt anything into your eyes. If you're still
fearful, use goggles which is a good precaution anyone should take when
using sprays. For other things like tools, you can let them sit in Physan
for a week and they won't show any rust or other damage. A soak is best for
the kind of problem you have. Sprays just don't penetrate deep enough into
the tissue to eliminate the bacteria or fungus. You generally don't have to
soak the whole plant, just the cut or infected area. Some bacteria species
(especially Erwinia spp - Brown rot) can become systemic and require a whole
plant soak. Hope you can stop the infection before it takes all.
Gary

<jankey [at] erols.com> wrote in message
news:1143657261.714012.93620 [at] i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> -perusing MSDS's-
>
> Ah ha! now i remember why i wasn't too eager to use physan or phyton:
> "corrosive" "permanent eye damage."
>
> i knew there was some reason i was staying away from them.... the
> copper octanoate and neem are only considered irritants.
>
> well, guess i'll be spending the weekend repotting. oh joy. (only
> about 15 plants fortunately.)
>
>
> or i may say the hell with it, spray them with neem, take my chances,
> and if they die, they die. feh. :)
>
>
> as always, thanks for the very informative discussion.
>
> --j_a
>

On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 07:00:45 -0500 in <SzuWf.111$ki.77 [at] bignews1.bellsouth.net> V_coerulea <gwills13 [at] bellsouth.net> wrote:
> I prefer the scent of Physan too. Wonder if it's a male thing, or if bleach
> is a female thing?

Dunno, but I'm resisting the urge to ask an impertinant question of
those that prefer the smell of bleach to physan :-).


--
Chris Dukes
Suspicion breeds confidence -- Brazil

On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 08:47:44 -0800, "wendy7" <wendy7PETERPAN [at] cox.net>
wrote:

>Dear j_a,
> Not sure how many orchids you have but if you are growing inside then
>it shouldn't be that many. How big of an area do you have? It needs to be
>cleaned, wiped down from top to bottom.
> Now I would move everything, saucers, trays, pots, tags etc., wash in a
>bleach/vinegar solution 1/2 cup ea. to a gal of water.
> Repot everything before returning plants to the growing area. I spray any
>plant I repot with Physan/water.
> Not sure of the best potting mix for indoors but it seems like most inside
>growers water too often! I would use some horticultural charcoal in the mix.
>Lots of luck,

With Rot - I just water with H2O2 until it is fixed. Either gone or
keiki to grow. The bit of rot that gets hit the second time you wash
it down was not the same as you hit the first time.

But I also use Physan in the gh and only spray with bleach if I can
stand to loose the clothing I am wearing to bleach spots.

Good Luck.

Oh gosh. Now you've done it. This is gonna hurt. I bet it's gonna be even
worse than the time Mick said, "Never touch the cotton in the vent on the
flask...no matter how much you want to."

"V_coerulea" <gwills13 [at] bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:yVAWf.12071$g6.5349 [at] bignews8.bellsouth.net...
> So best not to squirt anything into your eyes.

1/2 cup bleach/1/2 cup vinegar is STRONG stuff, two tablespoons each
should be enough! H2O2 will do the job and is not so aromatic! Anyway,
it is very helpful to hear all of you chime in with remedies as this
newbie has yet to fight those wars. Hasn't rained in Houston for a long
time till yesterday and it, as usual, hasn't stopped. This place is so
humid we may all just rot away and my plants are all outside! I may
have the Physan blues before the weekend. My roses are getting mildew
and till the rain stops no good spraying. Good thing they are out front
and my orchids are in back. Probably should take a bleach spray to me
before going out there.

JA: One thing comes to mind that I haven't seen mentioned in the other
responses -- root rot should not be spreading from pot to pot. Are your
plants so crowded together that you are splashing water from one pot to the
next, when you water? Or are you using a communal bucket to water by
soaking? Kenni

<jankey [at] erols.com> wrote in message
news:1143657261.714012.93620 [at] i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> -perusing MSDS's-
>
> Ah ha! now i remember why i wasn't too eager to use physan or phyton:
> "corrosive" "permanent eye damage."
>
> i knew there was some reason i was staying away from them.... the
> copper octanoate and neem are only considered irritants.
>
> well, guess i'll be spending the weekend repotting. oh joy. (only
> about 15 plants fortunately.)
>
>
> or i may say the hell with it, spray them with neem, take my chances,
> and if they die, they die. feh. :)
>
>
> as always, thanks for the very informative discussion.
>
> --j_a
>

no, actually they're not too close together, and they each get watered
with fresh water (pots are put on the dish drainer tray and watered
thru, and they sit for a few mins, then get put in the sink to drain
out, about 4 pots at a time. water from drain tray is dumped between
pot sets. maybe no more of that sitting in communal water, even for
such a short time.....)

i'm assuming what's happening is that something is becoming airborne
and lands in another pot. so far it's only been three, but i'm worried
it might spread, which is why i was looking for a preventative spray or
something....

two other plants (both from the same nursery... hmm...) have something
*else*. looks like white chalky stuff. i've got this little
collection of plants on a table in the corner, in quarantine.... :-)


--j_a

Out of show mode lurking for a second.

"AND my african violets have powdery mildew" -- This is the problem.
Powdery mildew is a form of botrytis. My books are under 8 weeks of stuff
so I can not tell you which kind, but I do not think it is the same botrytis
that causes whites Phals to freckle before a show. But when ever I have a
powdery mildew problem in the AVs or streps, crud growing on the orchids is
soon to follow.

It is bad stuff, moves quick and can cause a lot of damage. I hit
everything with a systemic fungicide and then mop up with Phyton. In
addition the AVs must be cleaned up to rid them of the visible powdery
mildew. The fungicide will trash the AV flowers and buds, so you might as
well remove them while cleaning up the plants.

If you go this route, take all of the plants outside to spray them. While
they are drying spray the growing area down with physan.

Pat

<jankey [at] erols.com> wrote in message
news:1143731136.905505.3680 [at] i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> no, actually they're not too close together, and they each get watered
> with fresh water (pots are put on the dish drainer tray and watered
> thru, and they sit for a few mins, then get put in the sink to drain
> out, about 4 pots at a time. water from drain tray is dumped between
> pot sets. maybe no more of that sitting in communal water, even for
> such a short time.....)
>
> i'm assuming what's happening is that something is becoming airborne
> and lands in another pot. so far it's only been three, but i'm worried
> it might spread, which is why i was looking for a preventative spray or
> something....
>
> two other plants (both from the same nursery... hmm...) have something
> *else*. looks like white chalky stuff. i've got this little
> collection of plants on a table in the corner, in quarantine.... :-)
>
>
> --j_a
>

Found a book before I was corrected, in violets gray mold (not powdery
mildew) is Botrytis cinerea and is bad stuff.

Pat


"Pat Brennan" <orchidsNOT [at] rica.net> wrote in message
news:122o8la9dglrv4a [at] corp.supernews.com...
> Out of show mode lurking for a second.
>
> "AND my african violets have powdery mildew" -- This is the problem.
> Powdery mildew is a form of botrytis. My books are under 8 weeks of stuff
> so I can not tell you which kind, but I do not think it is the same
> botrytis that causes whites Phals to freckle before a show. But when ever
> I have a powdery mildew problem in the AVs or streps, crud growing on the
> orchids is soon to follow.
>
> It is bad stuff, moves quick and can cause a lot of damage. I hit
> everything with a systemic fungicide and then mop up with Phyton. In
> addition the AVs must be cleaned up to rid them of the visible powdery
> mildew. The fungicide will trash the AV flowers and buds, so you might as
> well remove them while cleaning up the plants.
>
> If you go this route, take all of the plants outside to spray them. While
> they are drying spray the growing area down with physan.
>
> Pat
>
> <jankey [at] erols.com> wrote in message
> news:1143731136.905505.3680 [at] i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> no, actually they're not too close together, and they each get watered
>> with fresh water (pots are put on the dish drainer tray and watered
>> thru, and they sit for a few mins, then get put in the sink to drain
>> out, about 4 pots at a time. water from drain tray is dumped between
>> pot sets. maybe no more of that sitting in communal water, even for
>> such a short time.....)
>>
>> i'm assuming what's happening is that something is becoming airborne
>> and lands in another pot. so far it's only been three, but i'm worried
>> it might spread, which is why i was looking for a preventative spray or
>> something....
>>
>> two other plants (both from the same nursery... hmm...) have something
>> *else*. looks like white chalky stuff. i've got this little
>> collection of plants on a table in the corner, in quarantine.... :-)
>>
>>
>> --j_a
>>
>
>

AV's are getting weekly sprays with neem and the copper octanoate
(which i will probably stop using, given its lingering-ness in the
environment).

they've been put in their own little quarantine on another table, but
all the plants share the same air supply and air movement in the living
room, so there's only so much to be done, i'm afraid. :(

thx for the heads up though. :)

--j_a