Best practices for bringing new orchids into your home?

[DrDawn]

Hi All!

My collection was previously small and mostly acquired locally, but now I'm branching out! I've started doing more mail-order of orchids to get things that I can't find close to home (and being confined to home due to the pandemic).

So, with that in mind, what are some "best practices" that I should be following when I receive orchids by mail? I'm pretty adept at unpacking carefully (that was my favorite job growing up when my dad ordered plants!) but I'm not sure what I should be looking for when I inspect? I look at roots/leaves/etc for bugs/damage? And then should I isolate everything for some time? Or only if it looks suspect? (I only have one small growing area, so isolation would mean non-ideal conditions). Is it good practice to repot soon after receiving things? What sorts of disinfectants should I have on hand to treat various issues? (I already have bleach and Neem oil, anything else?)

I've got a few orders coming in the next week or so (finger crossed!) so hoping to get some good plans in place that I can use to make sure I keep my little orchid collection happy and healthy! Thanks!

[SouthPark]

Isolation is probably a good idea - but maybe not absolutely necessary.

When my orchids arrive - catts etc --- I unpot to check for media and roots for snails etc, then repot either in the same pot or in a new pot - with new media. And then I just habitually spray mancozeb ----- probably not necessary - but just extra. Overkill is ok with me - sometimes - heheh.

My growing area has naturally good gentle air-flow, and humidity is generally pretty good here.

For spider mite control ----- I do have azamax purchased from united states, but have never used it. I have it waiting in the wings. I generally use (when the time comes) 'yates mancozeb plus miticide' for spidermite control.

For mealybugs or boisduval scale, I have imidacloprid on hand ----- knowing that it is not good for bees. But so far have never needed or used it for my orchids. I've never had mealybug or boisduval scale issues with any of my orchids before, which is lucky.

I don't get snail issues here in my growing area. But I have certainly seen a couple of cases of snails in media and inside box with incoming orchids a couple of times.

I had put up my own rule of thumb about not using oil sprays on my orchids - like neem oil, which can possibly lead to issues when the sun comes out, or gets hot and sunny on leaves.

[estación seca]

It's a big topic. There are no dogmatic answers. Much depends on your growing conditions. You will find contradictory advice wherever you look.

Most established orchid vendors, those making a living from selling orchids, are careful only to send healthy plants. Their reputation depends on it. If you go to the Vendor Feedback section of this forum you can read about different vendors. Most complaints are about hobbyists selling through online marketplaces.

When you unpack, look for bugs. You still may miss them. Spider mites are probably in almost all collections and vendors, so you need to be prepared for them. If you have high relative humidity you may never see them. Scale can hide for weeks before becoming apparent. Neem oil stinks. Rubbing alcohol also kills scale, mealy bugs and spider mites.

Damage is common in transit. With long shipping times in the US, plants may have been in the dark for quite a while, and be unhappy. They may have been shaken, causing torn leaves and roots.

Isolation is to prevent bugs and diseases from spreading to the rest of your collection. Fungal diseases are generally due to poor growing practices; spores are everywhere, so isolating to prevent fungal diseases from spreading to your collection does not make sense to me. I live in a relatively low-humidity area, and I have never had any fungal diseases not caused by poor care on my part. Most parts of the US don't have the steady extreme humidity which leads to fungal disease susceptibility. Exceptions include much of Florida, the Gulf Coast; the Southeast in the summer and much of Hawaii. People living in those places need to watch for fungus. Also, people with tightly-closed greenhouses (to save on heating expense) can have the very high levels of humidity that make fungal diseases an issue. If your humidity is mostly in the 60%-70% range, or less, you will not have many fungal issues not caused by poor care on your part.

Bugs are another issue. As mentioned, it can take a long time for them to be visible. I had scale come into my collection some years ago. I was able to eradicate it, and have not see it in over 2 years. I could not tell which vendor sold it to me; I noticed it more than 3 months after my last orchid purchase. I have bought plants from the same vendors many times, and never found scale.

I would not subject a new plant to an isolation area with poor growing conditions for weeks. Instead I would examine the plant frequently for signs of bugs.

Some people repot all plants on arrival. Many of these people want the plants in their preferred potting medium, so they understand the watering requirements from experience. Some plants are in old medium that is breaking down.

I don't always repot on arrival. I do not repot plants unless it is a good time in their growing cycle to repot. Phalaenopsis are OK to repot at almost any time they are in growth. Many Cattleyas only make new roots once a year; if you repot them at the wrong time, and damage their existing roots, it might be many months before they replace the roots. Repotting a plant in the fall in a cold, dark winter area is not generally a good idea.

I look at the growing medium. If it is in fairly good condition, I might leave the plant in that pot for a while. If the plant is overgrowing the pot, and it is near the start of the growing season, it is time to repot. If the plant is in rotten, compacted and mushy potting mix, it is usually time to repot. Most flowering orchids you buy at big markets are due for repotting as soon as they are done flowering. They have been in that pot for about 2 years.

I no longer treat plants with prophylactic disinfectants. Boston is very humid in the summer, so I might use powdered cinnamon on cut surfaces if I lived there. Bleach is harmful to living tissue. It is reasonable to use bleach to clean tools, work surfaces and pots, but not living plants. I would never use a fungicide unless I knew exactly what disease I am treating, and I knew the fungus were susceptible to the fungicide I am using. Not all fungi are susceptible to all fungicides. If you use a fungicide that does not treat the disease you have, it will kill other beneficial fungi that might be good for your plants. I have several strong fungicides in my chemical cabinet. I bought the when I was getting back into the orchid hobby. I have never used any of them.

I think an excellent argument can be made for treating plants with beneficial organisms to prevent infections. I am talking about products like Inocucor and others. An Orchid Board member, Ray, sells these products, and will probably chime in. I think Ray sells good products. I no longer treat deflasked seedlings with fungicide; instead, I treat them with these preparations of beneficial microorganisms. I have better results. Our State highway department now specifies all newly-planted landscaping along highways be treated with mycorrhizal preparations when planted.

So, in your circumstances, I would unpack and examine. I would repot plants that are ready for repotting. If you had a huge number of plants it might make sense to repot into your preferred medium, but this does not seem to be the case. I would put the plants in the best growing conditios you have, and watch them closely.

I treat new orchid plants with Inocucor. I believe the exact product is no longer sold, but I have a good amount on hand. Ray has a substitute available he says is at least as good.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by DrDawn

What sorts of disinfectants should I have on hand to treat various issues?

DD ...... I do have hydrogen peroxide, which I had tested at one stage on many catts. I noticed a 'pattern' ---- a setback in root growth, as in the roots and orchid would do nothing for quite a long time before getting into growing action. It didn't kill the roots or plants, but I certainly noticed something. This doesn't mean that people can't go ahead to try it for themselves (in order to notice the same thing). But it does make sense - because people do report (most likely accurately) that hydrogen peroxide can kill root cells or root hairs etc. So I no longer use hydrogen peroxide on any orchid. But once again - people do have a choice to use it - but wouldn't be surprising if they encounter the same pattern.

I also stock physan ----- a disinfectant, but have never used it ever --- but I keep it in case I do have any future need for it. Apparently people have used this on plants before, but I would probably just use it on orchid pots, benches etc.

I also keep a range of fungicides - captan, yates anti-rot phosacid (which is probably equivalent to agri-fos or some alliette items), thiomyl (or cleary's 3336), copper spray, mancozeb, and maybe a few others. Again, it doesn't mean that everybody should collect a bunch of fungicides and bactericides heheh. I just have some on hand in the kit.

I agree that good growing conditions and suitable growing techique can significantly cut down on plant health issues ----- so some growers probably don't even have a chance to use some of these items even if they wanted to heheh.

I also purchased the 'mosquito dunks' from USA (ebay purchase), which I haven't used yet. But I think I can try it out sometime - against fungus gnats, which I have seen coming up from the media whenever it's fungus gnat season. But interestingly - none of them appears to have harmed or affected the growth of my orchids - which is why I haven't used the 'mosquito dunks' yet.

[Leafmite]

It depends on the vendor. I am very careful about my choice of vendors. Hausermann's and SVO, I just put the orchids with the other orchids. I have never had any issues with bugs or disease when buying from them. I have gotten bush snails from another vendor who has otherwise always been excellent, so, if I order from that vendor, I will spray the orchids with coffee and keep the orchids separate for a few weeks before adding them to the collection. If I order from other vendors, I usually keep the orchids separate for a time, so that I can observe them.

[camille1585]

For me as well it will also depend on the vendor. If it's from a trusted source, where I know tht I can generally expect top quality plants, I will usually keep the plants separate a couple days, just long enough to do a good inspection. If I'm ordering from someplace new, I'll check them over and leave them in a separate room a few weeks and keep an eye out for pests. I never spray preventatively, but only if I see something.

As to repotting, some repot everything immediately, others not. Totally up to you, and depends on how comfortable you are with the medium the plant arrives in. Generally I repot if the mix looks old, or it's something I know I have trouble with.

[rbarata]

As I never buy online, I have the advantage of carefully examine the plants I want. And 90% of my collection was bought at the same place, so I know very well the vendor.

Usually, I isolate them if I have room for it...if not, I'll put them near the other plants. So far never had any problems but that was just plain luck, I think.

Most of the time I don't repot to avoid stressing the plants with repoting together with a change in the environment. But if I see a broken medium and it's a good time of the growth cycle, I'll do it.

[Ray]

My recommended process is like this:

■ First and foremost, segregate the new plant(s) from the rest of your plants. No matter where it originates, there just might be a pest or pathogen "hitch-hiking" that is undetected. Inspect every leaf, top and bottom, and every fold, nook and cranny, looking for insects and damaged tissues, treating as needed. Personally, I segregate the new plants for at least two weeks, inspecting them periodically. Yes, you may spray the plant with a disinfectant like Physan, if you wish. In this day of coronavirus, that may be a wise choice.

If you find any sign of a pest or other ailment, or just want to be particularly safe, treat it immediately and restart the clock on the quarantine period (we all should be good that, now...)

■ Evaluate the potting medium. Not only can it be a "safe haven" for insects, you should see if it is 1) in good shape and not a threat to suffocate the roots, and 2) decide if it's viable as a medium in your growing conditions.

Ideally, you should repot the plant immediately into something that works for you, which also gives you the ability to inspect the root system, but if the plant is in bud or bloom, or otherwise not ready to be repotted, I recommend "babying" it until it's the right time to repot. Instead of drenching the medium, for example, I only trickle a bit of water into it, to avoid waterlogging it.

■ You may not have a good handle on the conditions the plant had been growing in, so you should treat introduction to your conditions as a transition. Be conservative, in terms of light levels and temperatures - moderation is the key at first, gradually moving it to your preferred levels.

■ If, after about two or three weeks where everything seems to be on the "up & up", and you've seen no signs of pests or ailments, feel free to introduce it to "gen pop" and enjoy it going forward!

[DrDawn]

Thanks, all, for the wealth of information! I just got FedEx confirmation that both of my orders shipped this week (one from Hausermann, one from OrchidPhile), so I'll be putting these into practice soon! And hopefully having some beautiful pics to share in the coming months.

[JScott]

WHen I get a new plant, I inspect for pests or disease. i almost never find any of these problems when ordering from reputable vendors (Hausermann, Odom's, Carter and Holmes, Chadwick & Son, etc).

In the summer time when my plants are mostly outside, I leave new plants inside the house for a couple weeks to help them get adjusted to their home under milder conditions than what we have in the hot Texas summer, then I slowly start hardening them off to go outdoors (first in bright shade, then with a little morning sun, then finally under the trees I grow where they get dappled light all day.

As far as repotting, it depends on the plant and what is is planted in. Catts have a definite season for growing new roots, so I don't repot a Catt unless I see new roots growing, even if I don't like the medium it came in, unless the medium is so degraded that it just has to be done immediately. Until I see new roots, I am just careful about watering and general care of the plant so I can get it to last long enough to start growing new roots so I can repot it in my preferred medium. Oncidiums can be trickier. Most Oncidiums come growing in sphagnum moss now. I hate sphagnum moss. However, Oncidiums also tend to have a definite growth cycle. They will bloom, then new growths will start, and then the new roots will come. If I get an Oncidium in bloom or spike, even if it is in sphag, I leave it there until the blooms are finished and the new growth is a few inches tall. I have to be very careful about watering in sphag so I don't kill the plant, but a drastic change of medium, such as from sphag to bark or scoria, can be especially hard on Oncidium roots, so I think it is definitely better to wait for new roots before you drastically change an Oncidium's growing medium. It can be hard to care for them properly in a medium you don't care for, but with practice you can do it.

When I repot, I also ALWAYS treat the plant with a good dose of KelpMax. If you are not using this product, you should buy some right away. I treat all my plants with it once a month, and it does great things for the root system and overall vigor of the plants, however when you treat a freshly repotted plant with KelpMax, it greatly reduces repotting stress, so I cannot encourage enough to get some and use it, especially when repotting.