Even if your orchids are kept in the most ideal environment and growing situation, you may still encounter issues such as infestations of pests and diseases. So what are the best ways to stop pests and diseases from damaging your orchids? Here are several ideas you can implements to keep the pests and diseases away from your orchids:
BE SELECTIVE WHERE YOU PURCHASE YOUR ORCHIDS
The best way to combat this is to be selective on where you purchase your plants and to keep your plants healthy propogating only from healthy root stock.
ARE YOUR ORCHIDS COMFORTABLE?
If you notice that your orchids are being affected and weakened by fungi or bacteria, then you may want to change up the growing environment. This means that you may want to do a few things such as decreasing the amount of water you give the orchids, allowing the orchid to get more ventilation, and possibly adding a fungicide or bactercide to your spritzing regimen.
DO YOUR ORCHIDS EXERCISE GOOD HYGIENE!
Yes, even orchids can have bad hygiene so be sure that you do your best to avoid bad orchid hygiene. In order to give your orchid the best and most hygenic growing environment you can do several things. For starters, you can ensure that all the weeds and dead flowers are removed from your plant. Also, never reuse old compost on your orchids as this is a sure way to spread infections.
Also, it never hurts to wash out your pots when repotting your orchids to eliminate residual bacteria, pests, or diseases. If you have a greenhouse a good practice is to wash down the inner walls a few times a year just to stay on top of potential issues with pests or diseases that may be caused by the buildup of funkiness on the greenhouse walls.
BABY STEPS WHEN USING INSECTICIDE ON ORCHIDS
If you notice an infestation make sure to first decide how bad the infestation actually is before reaching for the insecticide. Some infestations are only minor and simply finding the pest causing the issue and physically removing it can solve the problem. If the problem is greater than just a few pests then go ahead and use insecticide. Try to find natural, organic type insecticide that have the least impact on the environment and on you also. And always, always follow the manufacturers instructions. You don’t want to overdose your plants with insecticides as this can cause a lot of damage. However, make sure you use enough to get rid of the insects. Find the best balance you can and go with it.
Another option is to research some natural predators of the insects that are plaguing your orchids and introduce some of them to your orchids.
In the following series of blogs, we will cover common pests that can attack your orchids and the best solutions for getting rid of them. Stay tuned!
