Filed under: Orchid Plants
Question:
Why would an aneuploid never flower? I know that aneuploidy is caused by nondisjunction, which Down Syndrome is a condition of in humans, but I have never heard it discussed in regards to plants. With my very limited understanding of genetics I would hastly guess that the plants would be sterile, but still flower. Could you expand on this for those of us interested? Thanks, Scott – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Perhaps your tetraploid is really an aneuploid and is doomed never to flower.
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Thanks, Alan, your description was better than mine would have been. A nice book that covers some of the botanical terms that get tossed about on this newsgroup is Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon. Jon – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Scott, With reference to aneuploids Gentically an aneuploid plant probably will flower, there are always exceptions depending on the effect of the deletion or addition or whatever form it takes. Some aneuploid orchids can set seed, the famous Paphiopedilum Hellas ‘Westonbirt’ has bred a whole series of offspring and is involved in quite a few award winning progeny. Sometimes aneuploidy is expressed in the somatic cells and not the pollen or ovules. In non orchid plants examples are Godetia, Laurel, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and Hyacinth cultivars (from Hyacinthus orientalis) which often have flowering aneuploids among their cultivars. Sorry if I jumped in here Jon, but just wanted to help out. Regards Alan Why would an aneuploid never flower? I know that aneuploidy is caused by nondisjunction, which Down Syndrome is a condition of in humans, but I have never heard it discussed in regards to plants. With my very limited understanding of genetics I would hastly guess that the plants would be sterile, but still flower. Could you expand on this for those of us interested? Thanks, Scott Perhaps your tetraploid is really an aneuploid and is doomed never to flower.
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Scott, With reference to aneuploids Gentically an aneuploid plant probably will flower, there are always exceptions depending on the effect of the deletion or addition or whatever form it takes. Some aneuploid orchids can set seed, the famous Paphiopedilum Hellas ‘Westonbirt’ has bred a whole series of offspring and is involved in quite a few award winning progeny. Sometimes aneuploidy is expressed in the somatic cells and not the pollen or ovules. In non orchid plants examples are Godetia, Laurel, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and Hyacinth cultivars (from Hyacinthus orientalis) which often have flowering aneuploids among their cultivars. Sorry if I jumped in here Jon, but just wanted to help out. Regards Alan
Why would an aneuploid never flower? I know that aneuploidy is caused by nondisjunction, which Down Syndrome is a condition of in humans, but I have never heard it discussed in regards to plants. With my very limited understanding of genetics I would hastly guess that the plants would be sterile, but still flower. Could you expand on this for those of us interested? Thanks, Scott
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Perhaps your tetraploid is really an aneuploid and is doomed never to flower.
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Jon, thanks for the book ref, the sort of book I collect. Regards Alan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A nice book that covers some of the botanical terms that get tossed about on this newsgroup is Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon. Jon
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Val I grow mine on the cool side on slabs and typicaaly they flower great every spring. I would gues that they would also do well at – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been into orchids about 6 mos. I recently bought a new orchid, leptotes bicolor. Does anybody out there have any culture tips on this one? It looks great and appears to have several buds coming. Thanks, Val
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I have been into orchids about 6 mos. I recently bought a new orchid, leptotes bicolor. Does anybody out there have any culture tips on this one? It looks great and appears to have several buds coming. Thanks, Val
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I haven’t grown them myself, but have heard that they do well if mounted, although a really well-drained pot mix ought to be OK. Provide moderate shade and humidity, and keep on the warm side. — Ray Barkalow – First Rays Orchids Secure On-Line Ordering! http://www.firstrays.com
| I have been into orchids about 6 mos. I recently bought a new orchid, | leptotes bicolor. Does anybody out there have any culture tips on this one? | It looks great and appears to have several buds coming. | Thanks, Val | |
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My Leptotes bicolor is mounted on a piece of cork and receives as much light as I can give it in my Orchidarium (a lighted Wardian Case for orchids). It is watered every other day by dunking into a bucket of water. My night temperatures are in the low to mid 60s F. The plant flowers reliably each spring. Leptotes as a rule are easy to grow as long as they are not kept constantly wet. Jon – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I haven’t grown them myself, but have heard that they do well if mounted, although a really well-drained pot mix ought to be OK. Provide moderate shade and humidity, and keep on the warm side. — Ray Barkalow – First Rays Orchids Secure On-Line Ordering! http://www.firstrays.com | I have been into orchids about 6 mos. I recently bought a new orchid, | leptotes bicolor. Does anybody out there have any culture tips on this one? | It looks great and appears to have several buds coming. | Thanks, Val | |
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Jon, Thanks for the tips, any idea how to flower the 4n seedlings of Leptotes bicolor? Had mine mounted on bark for years, lots of UK sun in summer and cool even down to 50 when dry but not a bud even with blossom feeder. Anyone else suceeded with these L&R seedlings orchids to give me hope? Regards Alan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My Leptotes bicolor is mounted on a piece of cork and receives as much light as I can give it in my Orchidarium (a lighted Wardian Case for orchids). It is watered every other day by dunking into a bucket of water. My night temperatures are in the low to mid 60s F. The plant flowers reliably each spring. Leptotes as a rule are easy to grow as long as they are not kept constantly wet. Jon
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Val, Mounted is best with leaves pointed down. Mine get midrange light sitting just above the Phals. They like Spanish moss nearby/intertwined on the mount. http://www.gate.net/~fourmick/flasks/leptotesbicolor.jpg Mick www.OrchidFlask.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have been into orchids about 6 mos. I recently bought a new orchid, leptotes bicolor. Does anybody out there have any culture tips on this one? It looks great and appears to have several buds coming. Thanks, Val
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Although I have not grown tetraploid Leptotes bicolor my plant was raised from seed I sowed myself. My experience with Leptotes from seed has been that they are relatively slow to flower from seed, 4-5 years from sowing. I’ve raised Lpts. unicolor, bicolor and some crosses from seed and none have been quick to flower. Perhaps your tetraploid is really an aneuploid and is doomed never to flower. Jon – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Jon, Thanks for the tips, any idea how to flower the 4n seedlings of Leptotes bicolor? Had mine mounted on bark for years, lots of UK sun in summer and cool even down to 50 when dry but not a bud even with blossom feeder. Anyone else suceeded with these L&R seedlings orchids to give me hope? Regards Alan My Leptotes bicolor is mounted on a piece of cork and receives as much light as I can give it in my Orchidarium (a lighted Wardian Case for orchids). It is watered every other day by dunking into a bucket of water. My night temperatures are in the low to mid 60s F. The plant flowers reliably each spring. Leptotes as a rule are easy to grow as long as they are not kept constantly wet. Jon
– – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Jon, Thanks for the tips, any idea how to flower the 4n seedlings of Leptotes bicolor? Had mine mounted on bark for years, lots of UK sun in summer and cool even down to 50 when dry but not a bud even with blossom feeder. Anyone else suceeded with these L&R seedlings orchids to give me hope? Regards Alan My Leptotes bicolor is mounted on a piece of cork and receives as much light as I can give it in my Orchidarium (a lighted Wardian Case for orchids). It is watered every other day by dunking into a bucket of water. My night temperatures are in the low to mid 60s F. The plant flowers reliably each spring. Leptotes as a rule are easy to grow as long as they are not kept constantly wet. Jon
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I had L. bicolor, but after 10 years, it died. I’m gonna get another one soon. I also have unicolor and tenuis mounted under my lights and they do very well for me. Peggy, SAI region 22
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Thanks Jon and Mick Guess I will have to be very patient. Though the year keep flying past! Interesting idea to wonder if it may be an aneuploid. (Plants with a chromosome number that is not an exact multiple of the haploid number – they have one of more chromosomes more, or one or more fewer than the normal) If it is an aneuploid seedling this will not necessary mean it will not flower, after all there are some very famous flowering aneuploids such as Paphiopedilum Hellas ‘Westonbirt’ and in non orchid circles quite a number of flowering aneuploids. Tetraploids are known to be shy on flowering so just keep waiting. Thanks for the insight on seed raising. Mick mine is growing down too! Regards Alan Jon wrote in his message: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My experience with Leptotes from seed has been that they are relatively slow to flower from seed, 4-5 years from sowing. I’ve raised Lpts. unicolor, bicolor and some crosses from seed and none have been quick to flower. Perhaps your tetraploid is really an aneuploid and is doomed never to flower. Jon
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Question:
Since it’s almost winter and and it’s dark and dreary, I thought I might add some light to make my office cheery. I lost an outdated computer and freed up and area about 2′x3′ on my desk. I’m thinking that I might order a 100W MH mini-growlight and bring in some of my orchid plants. Any ideas what would work well in a climate-controled office? I’ve never tested the humidity or temp. I’d suspect they’re regulated to be fairly contant. The light would add at least some diurnal temp change. I could probably add a clip-on fan somewhere. Right now I’m thinking of bringing in one Ascoscenda that I know will never get enough light to bloom in the window sill, a few Catts and a couple Oncs. Any thoughts?
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since it’s almost winter and and it’s dark and dreary, I thought I might add some light to make my office cheery. I lost an outdated computer and freed up and area about 2′x3′ on my desk. I’m thinking that I might order a 100W MH mini-growlight and bring in some of my orchid plants. Any ideas what would work well in a climate-controled office? I’ve never tested the humidity or temp. I’d suspect they’re regulated to be fairly contant. The light would add at least some diurnal temp change. I could probably add a clip-on fan somewhere. Right now I’m thinking of bringing in one Ascoscenda that I know will never get enough light to bloom in the window sill, a few Catts and a couple Oncs. Any thoughts?
Ken, Without any further testing, I’d probably stick with Pseudobulbous plants in a very quick draining media. If the area is too dry, the Pbulbs will provide an margin of error for extra moisture to the leaves, and a very open and quick draining media will allow you to water more often, keeping up with moisture loss thru the leaves. If you’re in a large building, the people running the environmental systems should know what the humidity level is. -Rod- Rod & Susan Venger, Venger’s Orchids http://www.vengers.com/ Our IRC (Chat info) http://www.vengers.com/page.htm
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Hi, Ken, Phals should do well under those circumstances. They not only do well in the house but also do well under growlights. I’m surprised no one has suggested this type of orchid. . . . Pam – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Since it’s almost winter and and it’s dark and dreary, I thought I might add some light to make my office cheery. I lost an outdated computer and freed up and area about 2′x3′ on my desk. I’m thinking that I might order a 100W MH mini-growlight and bring in some of my orchid plants. Any ideas what would work well in a climate-controled office? I’ve never tested the humidity or temp. I’d suspect they’re regulated to be fairly contant. The light would add at least some diurnal temp change. I could probably add a clip-on fan somewhere. Right now I’m thinking of bringing in one Ascoscenda that I know will never get enough light to bloom in the window sill, a few Catts and a couple Oncs. Any thoughts?
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My first thought on phals was that they might not get the desired diurnal temperature change. Also, I have plenty of window sill with enough light for phals at home. I’m guessing that the temp will never drop below around 70. With a light on them, maybe they’ll get up to 80 or so. Would a phal like that? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Ken, Phals should do well under those circumstances. They not only do well in the house but also do well under growlights. I’m surprised no one has suggested this type of orchid. . . . Pam I lost an outdated computer and freed up and area about 2′x3′ on my desk. I’m thinking that I might order a 100W MH mini-growlight and bring in some of my orchid plants. Any ideas what would work well in a climate-controled office? …
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My first thought on phals was that they might not get the desired diurnal temperature change.
Tis true–they need that to get em into spike. Now, whatever you get, just set up a webcam there and let us know your address so we can check in on it’s progress… certainly better than some of them out there! Alynne
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I’ve never tested the humidity or temp. I’d suspect they’re regulated to be fairly contant.
Actually, most office buildings shut down their HVAC, at least to a degree, at night. Certainly there was enough change at my old office to make my phals and laelias go off. The biggest problem is going to be humidity. I know I ended up watering mine almost constantly. C. Wingate
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Question:
Ed, I have my plant in an oversized 3 gallon container. Plenty of rocks in the bottom 10% of the container to weight down the soon-to-be top heavy plant. 30% of the container volume (bottom) is styrofoam peanuts and top 60% is a sandy compost from our local mushroom factory. The compost is heavy on horse manure… three crops of mushrooms grew in this compost before it was put out for sale to us locals. The Peristeria orchid plants love it. Mick www.OrchidFlask.com
| I bought me third Peristeria elata, I killed two in the past. I checked | the Web sites and could not find one giving the culture of Peristeria | elata. Would anyone direct me to a site or give the info on how to grow | and bloom this sp
Question:
All the orchid (along with railroad and psychology, of course!) books and antique art are finally in Illinois at our new facility . . . now, it’s time to move the orchid plants . . . . Just as with the books, we’re more willing to sell them than move them (especially as our new greenhouse is still under construction!). So . . . this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for sale as "clear ‘em out" prices. Mostly warm growing. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with "plant list" as the subject. Should be going out by Friday . . . . -Bob Goebel/BOTANA p/s: updated websites go on-line Memorial Day. http://www.Botana.com http://www.OrchidZone.com http://www.OrchidFile.com et.al.
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— Green thumbs to you all! Sheila – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All the orchid (along with railroad and psychology, of course!) books and antique art are finally in Illinois at our new facility . . . now, it’s time to move the orchid plants . . . . Just as with the books, we’re more willing to sell them than move them (especially as our new greenhouse is still under construction!). So . . . this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for sale as "clear ‘em out" prices. Mostly warm growing. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with "plant list" as the subject. Should be going out by Friday . . . . -Bob Goebel/BOTANA p/s: updated websites go on-line Memorial Day. http://www.Botana.com http://www.OrchidZone.com http://www.OrchidFile.com et.al.
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Please include me on your mailing list for the orchids you are about to sell. Thanks, Tony Whitaker Tony Whitaker
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please send a copy to me also. thanks in advance!
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Please send me a copy also.
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Count me in. Green Thumbs! Tom Stubblefield
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Bob: Cannot refuse the offer. Please send me copy of your plant list w/ prices and order instructions + P/H fees to me: Thank you. Lee
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ping!
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Please send me your list. Thanks. -Mary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All the orchid (along with railroad and psychology, of course!) books and antique art are finally in Illinois at our new facility . . . now, it’s time to move the orchid plants . . . . Just as with the books, we’re more willing to sell them than move them (especially as our new greenhouse is still under construction!). So . . . this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for sale as "clear ‘em out" prices. Mostly warm growing. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with "plant list" as the subject. Should be going out by Friday . . . . -Bob Goebel/BOTANA p/s: updated websites go on-line Memorial Day. http://www.Botana.com http://www.OrchidZone.com http://www.OrchidFile.com et.al.
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please mail me your list. Thanks Loads Phyllis this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for g. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with
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I would like a copy of the list.
Thanks -**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?a ****- Search and Read Usenet Discussions in your Browser – FREE –
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Next,
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Please send me your plant list. Thank you. Ed
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I would like the plant list Thanks! Jan Erling
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All the orchid (along with railroad and psychology, of course!) books and antique art are finally in Illinois at our new facility . . . now, it’s time to move the orchid plants . . . . Just as with the books, we’re more willing to sell them than move them (especially as our new greenhouse is still under construction!). So . . . this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for sale as "clear ‘em out" prices. Mostly warm growing. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with "plant list" as the subject. Should be going out by Friday . . . . -Bob Goebel/BOTANA p/s: updated websites go on-line Memorial Day. http://www.Botana.com http://www.OrchidZone.com http://www.OrchidFile.com et.al.
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Would appreciate a copy of your plant list
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Hi, I am wondering what list we are getting onto???? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please send me your list. Thanks. -Mary All the orchid (along with railroad and psychology, of course!) books and antique art are finally in Illinois at our new facility . . . now, it’s time to move the orchid plants . . . . Just as with the books, we’re more willing to sell them than move them (especially as our new greenhouse is still under construction!). So . . . this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for sale as "clear ‘em out" prices. Mostly warm growing. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with "plant list" as the subject. Should be going out by Friday . . . . -Bob Goebel/BOTANA p/s: updated websites go on-line Memorial Day. http://www.Botana.com http://www.OrchidZone.com http://www.OrchidFile.com et.al.
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It is for Robert’s extra orchids list. I do not think he meant for everyone to reply to the group, did he??? Scott – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I am wondering what list we are getting onto???? Please send me your list. Thanks. -Mary All the orchid (along with railroad and psychology, of course!) books and antique art are finally in Illinois at our new facility . . . now, it’s time to move the orchid plants . . . . Just as with the books, we’re more willing to sell them than move them (especially as our new greenhouse is still under construction!). So . . . this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for sale as "clear ‘em out" prices. Mostly warm growing. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with "plant list" as the subject. Should be going out by Friday . . . . -Bob Goebel/BOTANA p/s: updated websites go on-line Memorial Day. http://www.Botana.com http://www.OrchidZone.com http://www.OrchidFile.com et.al.
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Please send me the plant list Thanks, Josh Chandler – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All the orchid (along with railroad and psychology, of course!) books and antique art are finally in Illinois at our new facility . . . now, it’s time to move the orchid plants . . . . Just as with the books, we’re more willing to sell them than move them (especially as our new greenhouse is still under construction!). So . . . this week I’ll be completing a list of plants and divisions being offered for sale as "clear ‘em out" prices. Mostly warm growing. If you’d like a copy of the plant list, via e-mail, simply reply here with "plant list" as the subject. Should be going out by Friday . . . . -Bob Goebel/BOTANA p/s: updated websites go on-line Memorial Day. http://www.Botana.com http://www.OrchidZone.com http://www.OrchidFile.com et.al.
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Question:
Two of my orchid plants have clay pots. By the time I get to watering them every week or so they have a thin film of grey mold on the outside lower portions of the pots. I scrub it off each time, but I’m worried that something more might be growing inside the pots. Should I be concerned? What can I use to get rid of it? Jim H
I see this occasionally on clay pots that contain sphagnum, usually soon after repotting. It seems to be harmless to the plant and clears up eventually. After you have watched your plants for a while, you’ll realize that the pot and media contain a lot more than just orchid roots. Tiny organisms (fungus, moss, springtails etc.) appear for a while and then disappear as conditions change or they are outcompeted by other species. The grey mold probably indicates that the pot is remaining wet for quite a while after you water and might still be moist when you re-water. That may be o.k. for the Paph but could easily cause problems for the cattleya which should be in a more open, fast-drying mix. It also suggests that air movement isn’t ideal. Try adding a fan. cheers, Nick Nicholas Plummer http://www.duke.edu/~nplummer/
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Hi Jim, Not quite sure what you have growing on those clay pots but it may be what is called "snow mold". Is it a little powdery when you scrap it off? Does it seem water repellant? Have you tried removing the orchid plants from the pots to see if it is inside the pot? How do the two orchids look, healthy? If it is snow mold and it is in the potting medium and roots, you will need to remove as much of the potting medium as possible off the roots, remove any dead rotten roots and treat the roots with a product such as Sheild which is a fungicide used to combat snow mold. It would be best that you not reuse the two clay pots since they are infected. Hope this helps. Good luck and good growing.
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Thanks, Jim Is it a little powdery when you scrap it off?
I don’t think it is powdery. It looks a little fuzzy, is white/grey and is a little slimy when I rub/scrub it off in the sink with my fingers or an old toothbrush. Does it seem water repellant?
Not that I can tell. Have you tried removing the orchid plants from the pots to see if it is inside the pot?
I haven’t tried removing the orchids yet. Perhaps I should. How do the two orchids look, healthy?
Yes they look healthy. One is a cattleya I got for Christmas and the other, I believe (my wife threw out the label), is a large Paphiopedilum putting out a nice big new shoot which I am hoping will end in a bloom. If it is snow mold and it is in the potting medium and roots, you will need to remove as much of the potting medium as possible off the roots, remove any dead rotten roots and treat the roots with a product such as Sheild which is a fungicide used to combat snow mold. It would be best that you not reuse the two clay pots since they are infected.
So, do I have snow mold? Should I use Shield anyway? Jim H
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Two of my orchid plants have clay pots. By the time I get to watering them every week or so they have a thin film of grey mold on the outside lower portions of the pots. I scrub it off each time, but I’m worried that something more might be growing inside the pots. Should I be concerned? What can I use to get rid of it? Jim H
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Question:
Hi, I plan to go to WOC, Vancouver, Canada. Does any one know whether I need a special permit to bring plants back to the US via the border? Can I bring back Paphiopedilum or other CITES’ orchids? thanks robi
Response:
Hi, I plan to go to WOC, Vancouver, Canada. Does any one know whether I need a special permit to bring plants back to the US via the border? Can I bring back Paphiopedilum or other CITES’ orchids? thanks robi
Here is copy of a email I received from my connection with the Orchid Safari group: Date Fri, 02 Apr 1999 124838 -0800 Subject WOC info Hello again Lois. Here is a USDA letter composed to inform as to what to expect when people from the US purchase plants at the WOC. I hope you will recognize the effort your USDA, Judith Orach, has taken to make this work. The fact she is an orchid lover helps. I think this will be of great interest to many. Douglas April 1, 1999 To: 16TH WORLD ORCHID CONFERENCE ATTENDEES DEAR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES, On April 28 to May 2, 1999, the 16th World Orchid Conference (WOC) will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Since this is the first time since 1984 that this international event has been held on the North American continent, it is anticipated that this conference will be widely attended by U.S. commercial orchid growers and hobbyists. Orchid plants from around the world will be available for purchase at the WOC. The Plant Protection and Quarantine division of the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, wishes to facilitate the entry into the United States of plants purchased at the WOC, while ensuring that CITES requirements and propagative material importation requirements are met. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be present at the WOC to issue CITES and phytosanitary certification for plants purchased at the WOC for export. USDA, APHIS, PPQ will be present on site at the WOC to conduct inspections and pre-clearance of plants purchased at the WOC destined to the United States. This will expedite the entry of these plants and will alleviate the problem of non-cleared CITES plant material arriving at US Ports which may not be authorized to handle those shipments. Attendees who wish to purchase orchid plants at the WOC must obtain CITES certification and a Canadian phytosanitary certificate from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at the WOC. There will be a fee of $20.00 (Cdn) or $15.00 (US) which includes the GST. After the CITES certification and phytosanitary certificate have been obtained, US residents should present their purchases along with this documentation for inspection at the USDA inspection booth. An officer will examine the plants for insects, diseases and confirmation to US import requirements, at no additional charge to the customer. Plants which meet US import requirements will be pre-cleared for entry into the United States. At that time, the USDA Officer will retain the original of both the CITES certification and phytosanitary certificate and will stamp the official copy of those documents with a red inked
Question:
Some of you will consider this a waste of space and time. Sorry… you guys skip on to the next thread. How many of you remember Bubba? He posted messages here for a few months and kept us entertained with his questions and comments. Below I have copied what I seem to recall was his last message. I liked it so much that I saved it all this time. There are lots of new people here who never knew Bubba and since this message refers to daylight savings time I figured now was the time for a rerun. What ever happened to Bubba anyway? I miss him. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It rained last night! RAINED!!!!!!! Not enough. In fact, not very much. But, it was RAIN. A whole bunch of us were worried that it had forgot how. This morning, over at the ice house, the subject of daylight savings time came up. I know that we lost the big one in 1865, but of all the indignities that came out of that – - reconstruction, the Fourteenth Amendment, etc – - daylight savings time is the sorriest. THAT had to be a yankee idea. Only someone from up north would figger that an hour of sleep for an hour of daylight was a nifty trade. We need another hour of road-tar-melting, brain-frying daylight about like a snake needs a brassiere. Anyway….the question is this: How do these orchid plants handle the shift off of daylight savings time? Anything that has to be fed with an eyedropper like a damned baby possum is proly pretty set in its ways. Is there some sort of procedure called for here like snaking extension cords into the trees and jacking in gro-lights until the little monsters get weaned off of that extra hour of daylight that they loose when we go onto standard time? Whilst we’re on the subject, let me pass an idea by you: Coming off DST is not hard. In the Fall, we set our clocks back an hour. We all get an extra hour to sleep, and anyone who forgets, finds hisself at church, or the airport, or wherever an hour early. Embarrassing, but not catastrophic. But in the Spring we set the clocks forward, and the trouble begins. We lose an hour of sleep. Forgetful folks miss Mass, planes, breakfast, and the big game on TV. Some are thrown into disarray for up to a full week. Annual losses due to DST confusion have been estimated (by me) at over a million dollars. I myself have missed a flight to Albuquerque and a play-off mud wrestling contest because of DST. There is no need for such tragic waste. We should ought to urge our lawmakers to reform Daylight Savings Time as follows: Setting clocks back is easy; setting them forward is difficult. Therefore, let’s keep the fall ritual as it is. BUT, one Sunday each Spring, let’s set our clocks not one hour forward, but twenty-three hours backward. Think of all the advantages. We won’t lose an hour of sleep; we’ll gain (almost) a day of rest. It will be Saturday all over again. You will never again miss a mud wrestling contest, or an airplane or the Oilers game. Naturally, if this were the whole plan, our calendars would fall behind one day in each year. However, the second part of the Revised DST Plan deals with this. Every four years, instead of adding a day, let’s just subtract three days. Furthermore, let these be Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which according to a recent poll conducted at Big John’s Ice House are the least popular days. If we do it in February, which seems reasonable considering what a miserable month it is, this would have the beneficial side effect of shortening the excruciating, pain-in-the-ass presidential primary season by an effective four days. The advantages of this plan are clear. Don’t waste time. With a determined effort we can have Reformed Daylight Savings Time by Spring of next year. Write your congressman.
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My congressperson proposed just such an ammendment last year. It is still in committee. They are consulting with the Defense Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, HHS, Education and Treasury. AARP is lobbying against it because retirees would lose three days of pension payment. Treasury is against it because the market would lose three days of trading. Agriculture wants to change milk price supports, but can’t do it because there would be three fewer days in the growing season, raising the cost of feed. Defense wants to delay it until after Y2K, and also wants $400,000,000,000 to research new atomic clocks needed for timing a year with three fewer days. High school kids are all for it, as it will make weekends longer. Education is for it, as it will make "new math" old math, textbooks will be revised to reflect not only the old calendar but the new calendar, new math, old math and really old math. Teachers are asking for assistance toward advanced degrees needed to teach new math and old math. Bubba sounds like my kinda’ guy – does anyone have his phone number? Trivia question for the day: Does anyone know what an orchidectomy is?
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This is a great trivia question. Are there any more like this? Lee
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Now, just out of curiosity, and I haven’t checked the dictionary yet, I just saw a poster write the word "orchidophile"…..is that what I think it means, or somewhat totally different, thinking along Bubba’s lines…..sheesh, the way we tend to cut and paste word roots makes me wonder if we mean what we mean……. P.S. I didn’t mean to offend the poster of the word, but it just struck me like a bolt of lightning….. Lee
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Now, just out of curiosity, and I haven’t checked the dictionary yet, I just saw a poster write the word "orchidophile"…..is that what I think it means, or somewhat totally different, thinking along Bubba’s lines…..sheesh, the way we tend to cut and paste word roots makes me wonder if we mean what we mean…….
the Webster’s Dictionary definition of "-phile": Main Entry: 1-phil Variant(s): or -phile Function: noun combining form Etymology: French -phile, from Greek -philos -philous : lover : one having an affinity for or a strong attraction to <acidophil <Slavophile I believe it is normal and perfectly honorable to be an "orchidophile" (unless you are sneaking into the neighbor’s greenhouse at midnight to stare at their orchids until dawn threatens discovery:) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – P.S. I didn’t mean to offend the poster of the word, but it just struck me like a bolt of lightning….. Lee
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"orchidectomy" = to cut off an orchid however, "orchiectomy" = to cut off something much more dear to most men than a plant. Maybe you misspelled it?
It was the popular spelling in medical terminology, and I believe it was spelled with the "d" in medical dictionaries. Mine turned yellow and crumbled years ago (my dictionary). Just checked Medscape’s dictionary; they do acknowledge both spellings. Inflected Form(s): plural -mies : surgical excision of a testis or of both testes — called also orchidectomy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – clipped Trivia question for the day: Does anyone know what an orchidectomy is?
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"orchidectomy" = to cut off an orchid however, "orchiectomy" = to cut off something much more dear to most men than a plant. Maybe you misspelled it? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My congressperson proposed just such an ammendment last year. It is still in committee. They are consulting with the Defense Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, HHS, Education and Treasury. AARP is lobbying against it because retirees would lose three days of pension payment. Treasury is against it because the market would lose three days of trading. Agriculture wants to change milk price supports, but can’t do it because there would be three fewer days in the growing season, raising the cost of feed. Defense wants to delay it until after Y2K, and also wants $400,000,000,000 to research new atomic clocks needed for timing a year with three fewer days. High school kids are all for it, as it will make weekends longer. Education is for it, as it will make "new math" old math, textbooks will be revised to reflect not only the old calendar but the new calendar, new math, old math and really old math. Teachers are asking for assistance toward advanced degrees needed to teach new math and old math. Bubba sounds like my kinda’ guy – does anyone have his phone number? Trivia question for the day: Does anyone know what an orchidectomy is?
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I think I miss this Bubba. I’m guessing he’d infuriate me, as I laughed and wondered just how serious he was …. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and ask …. Bubba File anyone?
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No, no, no. I thought an orchidectomy was when you had your favorite Phal etched (tattooed) on your tummy so that your belly button
heck no! thats orchid x etch-a-sketch and I dont wanta KNOW what ait looks like! LOL!
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Wait a minute, Alynne! That’s a valley in Yosemite: the "Etch-Etchy", I think. Forgive me, but as usual, my memory’s a little skETCHY. Who was it that said "it’s hell to get old"? Maybe it was Bubba! Jim
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An ‘Orchiectomy’ is the surgical removal of a testicle. -Rod-
that’s right–but we were talking about an Orchidectomy–and I think Prem has just about the right idea! <G as for the DSL–I have now been totally messed up for two whole days and I hate going through this !!! twice a year! sheesh! Audrey
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No, no, no. I thought an orchidectomy was when you had your favorite Phal etched (tattooed) on your tummy so that your belly button formed the end of the column, and the whole affair looked like an end-on view of a package of Oscar Mayer liver sausage wrapped in an orchid. Where is Bubba? He’d know! Jim
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Bubba’s posting gave us all something to think about and definitely to laugh about. Those of us with a sense of humor, that is. If I remember correctly, Bubba was from Texas and used to work on oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico. It has been a long time since we have heard from him. One of my favorite lines of his was something about ’shaking a tree and ending up ass deep in coconuts’. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Some of you will consider this a waste of space and time. Sorry… you guys skip on to the next thread. How many of you remember Bubba? He posted messages here for a few months and kept us entertained with his questions and comments. Below I have copied what I seem to recall was his last message. I liked it so much that I saved it all this time. There are lots of new people here who never knew Bubba and since this message refers to daylight savings time I figured now was the time for a rerun. What ever happened to Bubba anyway? I miss him. It rained last night! RAINED!!!!!!! Not enough. In fact, not very much. But, it was RAIN. A whole bunch of us were worried that it had forgot how. This morning, over at the ice house, the subject of daylight savings time came up. I know that we lost the big one in 1865, but of all the indignities that came out of that – - reconstruction, the Fourteenth Amendment, etc – - daylight savings time is the sorriest. THAT had to be a yankee idea. Only someone from up north would figger that an hour of sleep for an hour of daylight was a nifty trade. We need another hour of road-tar-melting, brain-frying daylight about like a snake needs a brassiere. Anyway….the question is this: How do these orchid plants handle the shift off of daylight savings time? Anything that has to be fed with an eyedropper like a damned baby possum is proly pretty set in its ways. Is there some sort of procedure called for here like snaking extension cords into the trees and jacking in gro-lights until the little monsters get weaned off of that extra hour of daylight that they loose when we go onto standard time? Whilst we’re on the subject, let me pass an idea by you: Coming off DST is not hard. In the Fall, we set our clocks back an hour. We all get an extra hour to sleep, and anyone who forgets, finds hisself at church, or the airport, or wherever an hour early. Embarrassing, but not catastrophic. But in the Spring we set the clocks forward, and the trouble begins. We lose an hour of sleep. Forgetful folks miss Mass, planes, breakfast, and the big game on TV. Some are thrown into disarray for up to a full week. Annual losses due to DST confusion have been estimated (by me) at over a million dollars. I myself have missed a flight to Albuquerque and a play-off mud wrestling contest because of DST. There is no need for such tragic waste. We should ought to urge our lawmakers to reform Daylight Savings Time as follows: Setting clocks back is easy; setting them forward is difficult. Therefore, let’s keep the fall ritual as it is. BUT, one Sunday each Spring, let’s set our clocks not one hour forward, but twenty-three hours backward. Think of all the advantages. We won’t lose an hour of sleep; we’ll gain (almost) a day of rest. It will be Saturday all over again. You will never again miss a mud wrestling contest, or an airplane or the Oilers game. Naturally, if this were the whole plan, our calendars would fall behind one day in each year. However, the second part of the Revised DST Plan deals with this. Every four years, instead of adding a day, let’s just subtract three days. Furthermore, let these be Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which according to a recent poll conducted at Big John’s Ice House are the least popular days. If we do it in February, which seems reasonable considering what a miserable month it is, this would have the beneficial side effect of shortening the excruciating, pain-in-the-ass presidential primary season by an effective four days. The advantages of this plan are clear. Don’t waste time. With a determined effort we can have Reformed Daylight Savings Time by Spring of next year. Write your congressman.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My congressperson proposed just such an ammendment last year. It is still in committee. They are consulting with the Defense Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, HHS, Education and Treasury. AARP is lobbying against it because retirees would lose three days of pension payment. Treasury is against it because the market would lose three days of trading. Agriculture wants to change milk price supports, but can’t do it because there would be three fewer days in the growing season, raising the cost of feed. Defense wants to delay it until after Y2K, and also wants $400,000,000,000 to research new atomic clocks needed for timing a year with three fewer days. High school kids are all for it, as it will make weekends longer. Education is for it, as it will make "new math" old math, textbooks will be revised to reflect not only the old calendar but the new calendar, new math, old math and really old math. Teachers are asking for assistance toward advanced degrees needed to teach new math and old math. Bubba sounds like my kinda’ guy – does anyone have his phone number? Trivia question for the day: Does anyone know what an orchidectomy is? Removal of a testicle. The orchid genus Orchis was so named because it the paired subterranean tubers’ resemblance to testicles.
Sorry, no. An ‘Orchiectomy’ is the surgical removal of a testicle. Note the difference in spelling. -Rod- Venger’s Orchids Website http://www.vengers.com/ Basic Culture CD-ROM: http://vengers.com/demo/cd.htm
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Trivia question for the day: Does anyone know what an orchidectomy is?
Is that when someone pries an orchid from our cold, dead fingers? — Prem Programmer, graphic designer/animator, orchid and fossil nut extraordinaire…
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My congressperson proposed just such an ammendment last year. It is still in committee. They are consulting with the Defense Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, HHS, Education and Treasury. AARP is lobbying against it because retirees would lose three days of pension payment. Treasury is against it because the market would lose three days of trading. Agriculture wants to change milk price supports, but can’t do it because there would be three fewer days in the growing season, raising the cost of feed. Defense wants to delay it until after Y2K, and also wants $400,000,000,000 to research new atomic clocks needed for timing a year with three fewer days. High school kids are all for it, as it will make weekends longer. Education is for it, as it will make "new math" old math, textbooks will be revised to reflect not only the old calendar but the new calendar, new math, old math and really old math. Teachers are asking for assistance toward advanced degrees needed to teach new math and old math. Bubba sounds like my kinda’ guy – does anyone have his phone number? Trivia question for the day: Does anyone know what an orchidectomy is?
Removal of a testicle. The orchid genus Orchis was so named because it the paired subterranean tubers’ resemblance to testicles.
Response:
I remember Bubba with the armadillo! What a great pic, and what a great post. I’m happy you kept it. It surely must be added to the FAQs. As a matter of fact I’m saving the post too, just as a touchstone against all those illigitimi that constantly want to coborundum me. Thanks for making my day! K Barrett – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Some of you will consider this a waste of space and time. Sorry… you guys skip on to the next thread. How many of you remember Bubba? He posted messages here for a few months and kept us entertained with his questions and comments. Below I have copied what I seem to recall was his last message. I liked it so much that I saved it all this time. There are lots of new people here who never knew Bubba and since this message refers to daylight savings time I figured now was the time for a rerun. What ever happened to Bubba anyway? I miss him. It rained last night! RAINED!!!!!!! Not enough. In fact, not very much. But, it was RAIN. A whole bunch of us were worried that it had forgot how. This morning, over at the ice house, the subject of daylight savings time came up. I know that we lost the big one in 1865, but of all the indignities that came out of that – - reconstruction, the Fourteenth Amendment, etc – - daylight savings time is the sorriest. THAT had to be a yankee idea. Only someone from up north would figger that an hour of sleep for an hour of daylight was a nifty trade. We need another hour of road-tar-melting, brain-frying daylight about like a snake needs a brassiere. Anyway….the question is this: How do these orchid plants handle the shift off of daylight savings time? Anything that has to be fed with an eyedropper like a damned baby possum is proly pretty set in its ways. Is there some sort of procedure called for here like snaking extension cords into the trees and jacking in gro-lights until the little monsters get weaned off of that extra hour of daylight that they loose when we go onto standard time? Whilst we’re on the subject, let me pass an idea by you: Coming off DST is not hard. In the Fall, we set our clocks back an hour. We all get an extra hour to sleep, and anyone who forgets, finds hisself at church, or the airport, or wherever an hour early. Embarrassing, but not catastrophic. But in the Spring we set the clocks forward, and the trouble begins. We lose an hour of sleep. Forgetful folks miss Mass, planes, breakfast, and the big game on TV. Some are thrown into disarray for up to a full week. Annual losses due to DST confusion have been estimated (by me) at over a million dollars. I myself have missed a flight to Albuquerque and a play-off mud wrestling contest because of DST. There is no need for such tragic waste. We should ought to urge our lawmakers to reform Daylight Savings Time as follows: Setting clocks back is easy; setting them forward is difficult. Therefore, let’s keep the fall ritual as it is. BUT, one Sunday each Spring, let’s set our clocks not one hour forward, but twenty-three hours backward. Think of all the advantages. We won’t lose an hour of sleep; we’ll gain (almost) a day of rest. It will be Saturday all over again. You will never again miss a mud wrestling contest, or an airplane or the Oilers game. Naturally, if this were the whole plan, our calendars would fall behind one day in each year. However, the second part of the Revised DST Plan deals with this. Every four years, instead of adding a day, let’s just subtract three days. Furthermore, let these be Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which according to a recent poll conducted at Big John’s Ice House are the least popular days. If we do it in February, which seems reasonable considering what a miserable month it is, this would have the beneficial side effect of shortening the excruciating, pain-in-the-ass presidential primary season by an effective four days. The advantages of this plan are clear. Don’t waste time. With a determined effort we can have Reformed Daylight Savings Time by Spring of next year. Write your congressman.
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Question:
Any suggestions on what really works for spider mites? I’d like to believe that frequent washings with detergents would be helpful but I have never found this to work for other kinds of plants. The books recommend something called "pentac" but the experienced person at the garden center has never heard of this. I hate to see the orchid getting munched! Jon
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Any suggestions on what really works for spider mites? I’d like to believe that frequent washings with detergents would be helpful but I have never found this to work for other kinds of plants. The books recommend something called "pentac" but the experienced person at the garden center has never heard of this. I hate to see the orchid getting munched! Jon
Jon, I have found Pentac to be the most effective substance available for controlling mites. The problem is that it’s only available in a container which holds enough to last the average guy 3 lifetimes and it’s also quite expensive. I suppose that the cost is nothing in comparison to what spider mites can do to an orchid collection. You may have to contact a grower supply house to find the stuff since it isn’t a normal home garden type of chemical, but it is fairly widely available, and well worth the hunt. Bob — Davidson Orchids - Florida’s Suncoast’s Largest Orchid Supplier 3605 Palm View Road info Line…(941) 722-9308 Palmetto, FL 34221 order Line….(800) 883-9308 Catts, Dens, Phals, Vandas, etc. FAX Line….(941) 721-0363 –Seedlings : Blooming Plants : Flasks : Lab Services : Supplies– see our Webpage http://www.usa.net/venger/davidson/davidson.htm
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Pentac is a restricted use chemical in most states, try keltane. Restricted use chemicals can only be purchased with a pesticide applicators license lissued through the department of agriculture in your state, usually through the agricultueral extension service in your county. Look in the blue pages under county for the telephone #. If you can purchase restricted use chemicals, try avid. We which from pentac to avid every other time we spray. We mainly deal with false spider mites on phals.
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o o oAny suggestions on what really works for spider mites? I’d like to obelieve that ofrequent washings with detergents would be helpful but I have never ofound this oto work for other kinds of plants. o oThe books recommend something called "pentac" but the experienced operson oat the garden center has never heard of this. o oI hate to see the orchid getting munched! o oJon o o oJon, o oI have found Pentac to be the most effective substance available for ocontrolling mites. The problem is that it’s only available in a ocontainer which holds enough to last the average guy 3 lifetimes and oit’s also quite expensive. I suppose that the cost is nothing in ocomparison to what spider mites can do to an orchid collection. You omay have to contact a grower supply house to find the stuff since it oisn’t a normal home garden type of chemical, but it is fairly widely oavailable, and well worth the hunt. OFE carries 2 lb containers for $55.75 and $62.75..-Rod- Rod & Susan Venger, Venger’s Orchids Homepage address http://www.usa.net/venger/ Listings Available – Email us for your copies Order Line 1-800-483-6437 —
Response:
Any suggestions on what really works for spider mites? Jon Try to find a product called Kelthane. Use according to label. You might have to apply it more than once to get rid of newly hatched eggs. Chris
Do not use Kelthane! Kelthane was taken off the market for some problems several years ago. The only products registered for mites are Avid, Insecticidal Soaps, Mavrik Aquaflow, Talstar. Only use those products for you and your plants safety. Archie — Archie Green, Wacahoota Orchids See our Web Listing at http://rio.atlantic.net/~wacahoot
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The only products registered for mites are Avid, Insecticidal Soaps, Mavrik Aquaflow, Talstar.
Has Pentac Aquaflow been dropped for spider mites?
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Jon: Do not mess around, take some sort of actions to eliminate the Spider Mites. I would use a Insecticidal Soap. They are registered for use on orchids for mites. They can rapidly spread!! in confined areas. Also try to raise your humidity and air circulation. Mites hate that! Good Luck!! — Archie Green, Wacahoota Orchids See our Web Listing at http://rio.atlantic.net/~wacahoot
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Any suggestions on what really works for spider mites? Jon
Try to find a product called Kelthane. Use according to label. You might have to apply it more than once to get rid of newly hatched eggs. Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
Any suggestions on what really works for spider mites? Jon
Jon – You might try 1 pint of 70% rubbing alcohol and 1 pint of 409 cleaner in water to make one gallon. Apply as a generous spray. We have had no toxicity problems and it seems to get even the mite eggs. You can find a write-up on this in Oct. 94 AOS Bulletin (I think that is the date – it is close). Bill Tippit and I wrote it up about then.
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: Hillary : You will not have much trouble with spider mites if you mist your orchids : every morning. An inexpensive spray bottle filled with distilled or rain : water is all you need. Tap water is OK too but if it is hard, eventually : the leaves get a mineral deposit on them and have to be cleaned with : vinegar solution. : Carroll You could also put a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent (i.e. Ivory) into a half gallon of water and wipe down the leaves of the infected plants with a soft cloth dampened in this liquid. It seems to eliminate eggs and adults from the leaves. Once a month you can spray with malathion (it kills adults but not eggs). It’s also a good idea to spray the walls and floor of your greenhouse (or whatever) with a bleach and water solution like 2Tbsp / gallon (mites concentrate in corners, cracks and crevices, and in the ceiling; then they breed, and go to your plants). Make sure the spray doesn’t get to any of the plants. Best of luck, jasonp
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Hillary You will not have much trouble with spider mites if you mist your orchids every morning. An inexpensive spray bottle filled with distilled or rain water is all you need. Tap water is OK too but if it is hard, eventually the leaves get a mineral deposit on them and have to be cleaned with vinegar solution. Carroll
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Last spring after I purchased some new orchids, I noticed some of my orchid’s leaves were becoming pitted. After consulting with my orchid society’s experts, we concluded that I have either spider mites or a fungal problem. Thereafter, I treated all my plants sequentially with Commercial plant soap (3-5 applications), Orthenex (3 applications), and Captan (3 applications). Many of the sick leaves died back and the new growth now looks pretty healthy. I have been watching it closely because I wanted to introduce my isolated plants back to the main collection. Anyway, today, while examining an incident of further pitting, low-and-behold, I saw what I believe was a mite! I had held off in the past on choosing the big miticide guns because the general expert concensus leaned toward my problem being fungal rather than mite generated. Anyhow, now the culprits have been spotted, I want to eliminate them and get back to regular orchid growing. Please remind me of the names of the efficient mite killers. Avid pops to mind, but I’m not sure. Also, does anyone have any recommendations of suppliers? Optimally, less toxic things are better but I do have the option of removing my collection to the great outdoors, spraying, allowing a dry time, and hauling it back in (I’ve done it before and would be more than willing to do it again if it will solve my pest problem). Finally, does anyone have any experience with mite predators? These sound appealing but I am curious about their efficiency. Maybe there is a household-safe mite bomb? Thanks a bunch! Hilary.
Hello Hilary, It is wise to try to find out what the problem is before you treat it! Many of the best pesticides are most effective on specific pests. Get a geologist’s glass or some other magnifier of at least 10x to 15x, or, better yet, one of the many inexpensive illuminating ’pocket microscopes’, and take a look! If you have a mite infestation, you’ll be able to see them clearly. If mites it is, my personal favorite in miticides is Avid. I don’t know of a mail order source for it, I use a garden center supply here in Dallas. I hope this is helpfull, J. Weiss
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Last spring after I purchased some new orchids, I noticed some of my orchid’s leaves were becoming pitted. After consulting with my orchid society’s experts, we concluded that I have either spider mites or a fungal problem. Thereafter, I treated all my plants sequentially with Commercial plant soap (3-5 applications), Orthenex (3 applications), and Captan (3 applications). Many of the sick leaves died back and the new growth now looks pretty healthy. I have been watching it closely because I wanted to introduce my isolated plants back to the main collection. Anyway, today, while examining an incident of further pitting, low-and-behold, I saw what I believe was a mite! I had held off in the past on choosing the big miticide guns because the general expert concensus leaned toward my problem being fungal rather than mite generated. Anyhow, now the culprits have been spotted, I want to eliminate them and get back to regular orchid growing. Please remind me of the names of the efficient mite killers. Avid pops to mind, but I’m not sure. Also, does anyone have any recommendations of suppliers? Optimally, less toxic things are better but I do have the option of removing my collection to the great outdoors, spraying, allowing a dry time, and hauling it back in (I’ve done it before and would be more than willing to do it again if it will solve my pest problem). Finally, does anyone have any experience with mite predators? These sound appealing but I am curious about their efficiency. Maybe there is a household-safe mite bomb? Thanks a bunch! Hilary.
Hi, Hilary. I use Mavrik, a synthetic pyrethroid, for mites. It is a general use pesticide, not a miticide, but it has always worked wonderfully for me by eliminating mites with one spraying. I bought an 8 oz bottle (the smallest available) years ago from OFE and still have most of it, even though I’ve sprayed all of my plants several times and also sprayed some of the bushes and bedding plants in the yard for mites and other pests. I use a half teaspoon of Mavrik and one teaspoon of wetting agent per gallon of water. (This spray, with a tablespoon of Dithane M45 added per gallon is what I use before I move the orchids inside for the winter months.) Something else you may be interested in – I use a 30X illuminated microscope I bought from Radio Shack for less than $10 some years ago to check for mites and their eggs. It isn’t any kind of masterpiece of optics, but it works fine to locate and identify the culprits like mites. It even has a (tiny) 10X lens that slides out on one end, which is helpful when trying to select an area to view at the higher magnification. By watching the mite eggs on plants I had sprayed I’ve been able to see that I didn’t need to repeat the spraying. I don’t know whether Radio Shack still offers the ’scope, or if they do what price it might be now. As noted, I got the Mavrik (and Dithane) I use from OFE International, Inc. of Miami – P.O. Box 163256, Miami, FL 33116 Phone (305) 253-7080 Fax (305) 251-8245 OFE also carries Kelthane and Pentac, both specific miticides. I’ve never used Pentac – it is twice as expensive to buy as Mavik and works only against mites. I no longer use Kelthane because it always required repeat spraying and it smells awful. If you want to try Kelthane you would be better off buying it locally since OFE offers it only in a large amount. If anything I’ve said is unclear or if you have any questions for me please let me know. Good luck. Harold Covington, LA USDA Zone 8B
Response:
Spider mites usually show up when the humidity level is too low. You might try a tray of pebbles with water filled to the top of them, then put your orchid pot on something to hold it just above the water level. This will create higher humidity around the plant.. Malathion is the only thing I’ve found to control Mites but I’ve never used it on Orchids. I’ve had problems with scale and used Isopropal Alcohol in a mist bottle to control them. Russ
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I am including below, a formula from a posting on mealy bugs. I have used this same formula for spider mites with excellent results. However, I did lose a few leaves in the process, especially on some non-orchid plants. I took each plant individually and sprayed it thoroughly. Darrell Dixon, Cottonwood Orchids Cottonwood Mix-LD available (Currently outperforming Pro-Mix in test cases) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Path: news.es.com!news.sprintlink.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!howland.reston.ans .net!news-e2a.gnn.com!newstf01.news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-m ail Newsgroups: rec.gardens.orchids Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Lines: 5 I saw a recipe in the AOS Bulletin which seems to work. You pour a pint of isopropyl alcohol in an empty, clean gallon bottle. Fill pint bottle with 409 household cleaner and add to alcohol. Then you fill the gallon bottle bottle with water and mix. You put the mixture in spray bottles and spray infected plants. Smells good and seems to get them.
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Last spring after I purchased some new orchids, I noticed some of my orchid’s leaves were becoming pitted. After consulting with my orchid society’s experts, we concluded that I have either spider mites or a fungal problem. Thereafter, I treated all my plants sequentially with Commercial plant soap (3-5 applications), Orthenex (3 applications), and Captan (3 applications). Many of the sick leaves died back and the new growth now looks pretty healthy. I have been watching it closely because I wanted to introduce my isolated plants back to the main collection. Anyway, today, while examining an incident of further pitting, low-and-behold, I saw what I believe was a mite! I had held off in the past on choosing the big miticide guns because the general expert concensus leaned toward my problem being fungal rather than mite generated. Anyhow, now the culprits have been spotted, I want to eliminate them and get back to regular orchid growing.
Did you see any webbing around the leaf axils? That’s usually clear evidence that you have mites. If you can get hold of a cheap pocket microscope (30X magnification or so), the mites will be clearly visible. Nasty looking things. Please remind me of the names of the efficient mite killers.
I’ve successfully used Ortho houseplant pesticide to kill mites on an Oerstedella centradenia. The mites never came back, and the plant is growing and blooming happily. I believe the active ingredient is acephate. Be careful with other genera, though, as the product does not list orchids among its approved plants. cheers, Nick Nicholas Plummer
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Last spring after I purchased some new orchids, I noticed some of my orchid’s leaves were becoming pitted. After consulting with my orchid society’s experts, we concluded that I have either spider mites or a fungal problem. Thereafter, I treated all my plants sequentially with Commercial plant soap (3-5 applications), Orthenex (3 applications), and Captan (3 applications). Many of the sick leaves died back and the new growth now looks pretty healthy. I have been watching it closely because I wanted to introduce my isolated plants back to the main collection. Anyway, today, while examining an incident of further pitting, low-and-behold, I saw what I believe was a mite! I had held off in the past on choosing the big miticide guns because the general expert concensus leaned toward my problem being fungal rather than mite generated. Anyhow, now the culprits have been spotted, I want to eliminate them and get back to regular orchid growing. Please remind me of the names of the efficient mite killers. Avid pops to mind, but I’m not sure. Also, does anyone have any recommendations of suppliers? Optimally, less toxic things are better but I do have the option of removing my collection to the great outdoors, spraying, allowing a dry time, and hauling it back in (I’ve done it before and would be more than willing to do it again if it will solve my pest problem). Finally, does anyone have any experience with mite predators? These sound appealing but I am curious about their efficiency. Maybe there is a household-safe mite bomb? Thanks a bunch! Hilary.
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A friend of mine’s entire orchid collection is infested with spider mites. We live in central Florida. She grows them in her screened pool/patio area. Currently most of the plants are sitting on a table. I suggested that she move them apart more so they can get better air circulation for starters. I’m not sure what she should use to treat the plants though. Can any of you suggest what she should use to treat the plants to kill the nasty little guys? I’ll appreciate any help. Thanks Carrie Burken Roseland, Fl
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The best spray mix in the world is: to one gallon of water add: 2 1/2 Tablespoon Ultrafine Sunspray oil(No dormant oil! 8 oz isopropyl alcohol 8 oz Formula 409 cleaner(not the window cleaner!) Spray at intervals of 5 to 7 days for a month. This is a formula I was skeptcal of until it it got rid of all the spider mites on my hopuseplants. I never have had a proble with my orchids but the Harrises here in NC turned me onto this formula and does it do the trick! The secret to it is to really soak the plants good and keep the plants out of direct sunlight! Remember to shake the bottle well to keep the oil insuspension. Tony Tony Whitaker
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I’ve used various chemical treatments over the years and had a back and forth battle. I then tried preditory mites. They eat the bad ones — eggs and all! The return of mites also seems to be greatly delayed. Hope this helps! <Phil Scherer Ft. Lauderdale/exit —
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The best spray mix in the world is: to one gallon of water add: 2 1/2 Tablespoon Ultrafine Sunspray oil(No dormant oil! 8 oz isopropyl alcohol 8 oz Formula 409 cleaner(not the window cleaner!)
What does the 409 do — aid in breaking down waxy coatings on the bugs? [...] —
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suggest what she should use to treat the plants to kill the nasty little guys?
water first, using the hose to get the undersides of the leaves good. then, do the spraying with soapy water, or insecticidal soap–again, getting the undersides of the leaves. mites like dry conditions–try to keep humidity up. hope this helps Audrey
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Question:
(MrAVenez) writes: I was told that submerging the orchid in water will remove bugs from it but there still seem to be ants crawling around the roots and some on the table.. I added a bunch of ant traps around it..
Some ants will go into an ant trap and some will not. If the plants are indoors now there should be no problem submerging them even for 30 minutes or more the next time they need to be watered. They will dry out fast enough. If there is a nest of ants I wonder how long ant eggs will survive being submerged? Probably a long time. Slip a plant out of its pot if you suspect a nest and if you find ants consider repotting.
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Hi, You seem to have ants. <snip If you can’t submerge the plants (it’s too
cold for them to dry out) then try to get some Raid House and Garden. This product contains pyrethrins in a formulation which will not harm most orchid plants, in my experience, as the formulation is apparently not oil based. spray it into the holes and slots in the pot and lightly on the surface of the medium. That should either kill the ants or make the survivors move out.
Be careful when spraying your plants if you are using cans with compressed gases. If you are too close to the plant (parts), you could FREEZE the parts. Expanding gases are cold…. Chris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -If you don’t want to use an insecticide, the herb, tansy, could be either sprinkled over the surface of the pot or steeped as a tea and cooled, then poured through the medium. Ants hate the smell of tansy and will avoid it. Tansy can be gotten from the health food store. Caution, ingesting tansy in other than small quantities is poisonous. (Tansy is used to flavor a certain type of English pudding.) Hope this helps, Paul USF-Bayboro Campus 140 – 7th Ave S – PSD 001 "Time wounds all heels." -Frank Case St Petersburg, FL 33701 ("Tales of a Wayward Inn") Hi, Just today I bought in all of my orchids from outside as its getting pretty chilly… But, there is a problem.. I was told that submerging the orchid in water will remove bugs from it but there still seem to be ants crawling around the roots and some on the table.. I added a bunch of ant traps around it.. Will that help.. if not, what else can I do?? Thanks, MrA
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Hi, Just today I bought in all of my orchids from outside as its getting pretty chilly… But, there is a problem.. I was told that submerging the orchid in water will remove bugs from it but there still seem to be ants crawling around the roots and some on the table.. I added a bunch of ant traps around it.. Will that help.. if not, what else can I do?? Thanks, MrA
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Hi, You seem to have ants. If the weather warms up again for long enough, yes, I would submerge your pots (but they need to dry out enough before it turns cold again so the plants won’t be harmed by being wet AND cold for too long a time). At the least, submerging can drown the ants. If you can’t submerge the plants (it’s too cold for them to dry out) then try to get some Raid House and Garden. This product contains pyrethrins in a formulation which will not harm most orchid plants, in my experience, as the formulation is apparently not oil based. spray it into the holes and slots in the pot and lightly on the surface of the medium. That should either kill the ants or make the survivors move out. If you don’t want to use an insecticide, the herb, tansy, could be either sprinkled over the surface of the pot or steeped as a tea and cooled, then poured through the medium. Ants hate the smell of tansy and will avoid it. Tansy can be gotten from the health food store. Caution, ingesting tansy in other than small quantities is poisonous. (Tansy is used to flavor a certain type of English pudding.) Hope this helps, Paul USF-Bayboro Campus 140 – 7th Ave S – PSD 001 "Time wounds all heels." -Frank Case St Petersburg, FL 33701 ("Tales of a Wayward Inn") – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Just today I bought in all of my orchids from outside as its getting pretty chilly… But, there is a problem.. I was told that submerging the orchid in water will remove bugs from it but there still seem to be ants crawling around the roots and some on the table.. I added a bunch of ant traps around it.. Will that help.. if not, what else can I do?? Thanks, MrA
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Question:
Are fruit flies harmful to orchids…seems there’s always one around somewhere that my orchids are…Thanks:) — Mary
Response:
Are fruit flies harmful to orchids…seems there’s always one around somewhere that my orchids are…Thanks:) — Mary
Mary, I think what you have are fungus gnats. They are similar in size to fruit flies. Fungus gnats feed on decomposing material in the potting mix, and usually do no futher harm. The larva sometimes feed on roots of plants, so to get rid of them would be a good idea, just to be on the safe side. I’ve used insecticidal soap before with good results. You have to repeat spray every other day to break their life cycle. Sam — Sam’s Orchid Page: http://www.orchidcloset.com/orchids/sop.htm Chriss’s Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/6567/
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I am planning to get one or two cattleyas. I’ve craved Cattleyas for years and finally I have enough light to grow them. 
!!) I want a big, splashy, decadent, showy flower that is also fragrant. And a kind that is in the "more resilient and easier to grow" category, not in the fussy difficult category. (I’m experienced in growing other flowering exotics, but not orchids.) I like pink, purple, magenta, and white; not big on orange, yellow, or green. Does anyone have any recommendations? The enormous number of hybrids bewilders me. They all bloom at different times, but I don’t know what that signifies; they have different parents, but I’m not familiar with what the parents are like; they originate from different areas, but I don’t know if I need to know that; etc. Help please…. Thanks, Liz Day Indianapolis, Indiana, central USA – 40 N latitude, zone 5. and Tweeter-Boinger, parakeet (who will be kept away from the sacred orchid plants
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Mary, I’m not sure whether or not fruit flies are harmful to orchids, but they sure are harmful to my peace of mind. I tried a couple of different remedies which had mixed results. Then I went on an all out search for some "old-fashioned fly paper". It turned out to be a challenge because with all the poisons floating around our society, apparently no one uses this tried & true old nostrum much anymore. I finally found some at Menards, and ever since I unrolled a few coils of the stuff and put it around my plants, the carnage has been merciless and unrelenting. (Don’t try this if you have a weak stomach.) I thought I had all the little buggers, so I threw away the first three rolls (which about fifty of the little pests had grown irredeemably ‘attached to’.) I put three more rolls out just in case and found a few more had "stuck around"…first figuratively, and then literally. Viewing it from a purely scientific perspective, you can always tell a fresh collision from a critter that has been there awhile. New inductees are stuck only by the tips of their little feet. After they’ve been there a day or two, the goop sort of subsumes them; and they wind up looking like fossilized flies that have been captured in amber, at which point they cease being "fruit flies" and become "amber gnats"…or…Jurassic "parks". – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Are fruit flies harmful to orchids…seems there’s always one around somewhere that my orchids are…Thanks:) — Mary
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I am planning to get one or two cattleyas. I’ve craved Cattleyas for years and finally I have enough light to grow them. !!) I want a big, splashy, decadent, showy flower that is also fragrant. And a kind that is in the "more resilient and easier to grow" category, not in the fussy difficult category. (I’m experienced in growing other flowering exotics, but not orchids.) I like pink, purple, magenta, and white;
"Everett Dirkson" from EFG Orchids just outside Chicago . . . I think it’s a "Blc"; it’s the only Big Catt in the g’house as it is so reliable and prolific with huge multi-flower displays. It satisfies my need for _something_ that "looks like an orchid" and often blooms twice a year (at least in the gloom of October!) and heads in all directions . . . and it is orchid colored, (with yellow in the throat and a picotee of white) and smells great. -Bob BOTANA http://www.botana.com/tors.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help please…. Thanks, Liz Day Indianapolis, Indiana, central USA – 40 N latitude, zone 5. and Tweeter-Boinger, parakeet (who will be kept away from the sacred orchid plants
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Ooh, nifty! If you grow any carnivorous plants (Sarracenias, Dionaeas, etc.), those would make great meals. My flytraps outside are eating up bugs like nobody’s business. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mary, I’m not sure whether or not fruit flies are harmful to orchids, but they sure are harmful to my peace of mind. I tried a couple of different remedies which had mixed results. Then I went on an all out search for some "old-fashioned fly paper". It turned out to be a challenge because with all the poisons floating around our society, apparently no one uses this tried & true old nostrum much anymore. I finally found some at Menards, and ever since I unrolled a few coils of the stuff and put it around my plants, the carnage has been merciless and unrelenting. (Don’t try this if you have a weak stomach.) I thought I had all the little buggers, so I threw away the first three rolls (which about fifty of the little pests had grown irredeemably ‘attached to’.) I put three more rolls out just in case and found a few more had "stuck around"…first figuratively, and then literally. Viewing it from a purely scientific perspective, you can always tell a fresh collision from a critter that has been there awhile. New inductees are stuck only by the tips of their little feet. After they’ve been there a day or two, the goop sort of subsumes them; and they wind up looking like fossilized flies that have been captured in amber, at which point they cease being "fruit flies" and become "amber gnats"…or…Jurassic "parks". Are fruit flies harmful to orchids…seems there’s always one around somewhere that my orchids are…Thanks:) — Mary
– Prem Programmer, graphic designer/animator, fossil nut extraordinaire… likes Flamin’ Hot Chee-to’s, which he can’t find where he lives… Official DNRC Title: Minister of Lightwave 3d Plugin Design Foolishness Lightwave Plugins http://www.PremDesign.com/ppp.html Home (fossils&graphics included) http://www.PremDesign.com "Just to be with you, I’ve done everything There’s no price I did not pay. Just to be with you, I gave everything, Yes, I gave My life away…" "Love Song" by Third Day
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Don’t those two eat much larger insects? I am pretty sure a fungus gnat would not be able to trigger the flytrap. Two plants that are outstanding gnat catchers, as well as being incredibly easy to grow, Drosera capensis and Pinguicula moranensis. Other plants in those genera are also very effecient, as well as attractive. These are available from California Carnivores: http://www.californiacarnivores.com/ Peter D’Amato, the owner, has also written an excellent and inexpensive book on the subject, which is very helpful. Scott Mcphee – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ooh, nifty! If you grow any carnivorous plants (Sarracenias, Dionaeas, etc.), those would make great meals. My flytraps outside are eating up bugs like nobody’s business.
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Mary, Fruit flies don’t bother orchids, so it’s most likely Fungus Gnats you are seeing. A few are probably inevitable; a lot of them mean trouble. See if you can find which orchid(s) they are hanging about most. Since they breed in decaying plant material, it is possible that the medium has broken down to the point that the affected orchid(s) need repotting in fresh medium. That will eliminate the bulk of the fungus gnats. It is also possible that some roots may be rotting and that is attracting them. In that case,, repotting is again the answer. – Carroll. Are fruit flies harmful to orchids…seems there’s always one around somewhere that my orchids are…Thanks:) — Mary
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