What do you do with your chids when they come indoor?

[Judi]

As summer is winding down, I'm starting to think about having to bring my chids indoor again. My chids are very happy outside, so I wait as long as possible before bringing them in for the winter after spraying the leaves with Safersoap. I have around 30 chids of various sizes that I grow in a bark medium. I usually don't have bug problems as a result of my chids being outside, but one year I did bring in thrips--on my Amarylis--which found its way to the garbage but not until the critters found my chids I was wondering what precautionary methods OB members take when bringing in their chids Does anyone spray the leaves? Does anyone use a pesticide in the growing medium? It might be a good time to have a discussion on this.

[billc]

I usually give my plants a good dunking or 2 in a Neem oil solution before bring them inside. I find that takes care of the little critters eggs that might be in the mix.

Bill

[Orchid126]

I usually spray the plants with Bayer's Advanced Rose and Flower spray systemic once a week for three weeks. (I know it's a systemic, but I do it three times anyway). I also drench the medium with something like Safer's Insecticidal Soap or the 409 formula or similar to kill any eggs or critters lurking there.

If it hasn't rained by the time they're ready to come in I drench the pots well to flush out any risidual fertilizer or insecticide.

While I'm doing the spraying routine outside I prepare the site inside where the plants will go. I disinfect the humidity trays, table, pots, etc. and clean up the area.

I like to bring the plants in before the heat goes on so that the temps are similar inside and out. The plants seem to adjust better to the change.

[John D.]

I do something similar to Orchid126, I mix the Imicloprid (Bayers Rose and Flower) from a concentrate and make sure to get it in the well into the medium so the roots absorb it as well. I use a neem oil spray (also from the concentrate) just before bringing them in. You must be carefull with any oil spray - exposure to a little sun gets magnified and will result in sunburn for several days after application. Other than that I try to figure how to get all the plants back into the same amount of room I had in the spring, darn things keep growing!!

[billc]

You're right John, I forgot about trying to get the plants back into the same spot they where in.
My wife and I seem to have our biggest disagreements when fall comes around. Her life would be so much easier if she would just let me have one of the bedrooms not being used anymore.

Bill