Sanitation at watering time

[Izzie]

Do you think just spraying the soaking bowls heavily with a Physan 20 solution in-between plants would "sanitize satisfactorily", or does that only work if you soak it in the Physan?

I've got some great ideas from this thread.

[Jerry Delaney]

At this point, I'm going to throw a rock into the fan. A number of years ago, an experiment was supposedly done to see if orchid virus could be transmitted via the root system. The rhizome on a healthy, virus free plant was severed and a piece of plastic inserted between the now separated leads. One half was deliberately infected and some time later (can't remember how long) both leads were tested for virus. Only the deliberately infected lead tested positive. Now, even if this was true, I'm not sure how much can be drawn from the data. I have never seen this experiment in print. It seems that the information was kind of just passed via word of mouth (boy, talk about something unsanitary). Keep in mind that at the time this was done, virus testing was in it's infancy and false negatives were most likely quite common. I just wonder if anyone else have heard of this test and if it really means anything. Perhaps it's just an old orchid growers wives tale.
More germane to the original question, there are lots of other potential pathogens other than viruses that could be transmitted by orchids sharing the bath water. Have I ever had my orchids share the bath water? You betcha!! However, that does NOT mean that it's good practice. I have also been guilty of running with scissors in my hand and was lucky enough not to fall!!

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Izzie

Do you think just spraying the soaking bowls heavily with a Physan 20 solution in-between plants would "sanitize satisfactorily", or does that only work if you soak it in the Physan?

Izzy,

Physan 20 will kill certain bacteria but in my experience, it is not a viricide, in spite of its claims. Use a clorox soak at a 5% rate. Much cheaper and definitely more effective. Best to soak pots and utensils for at least an hour. I use plastic handled steak knives for dividing my Cyms and single edged razor blades. The washed knives are soaked in 5% clorox and the razor blades baked in a 325-350 F oven for an hour on a flat tray, or just sent to recycle.

Royal mentioned clay pots. These may be thoroughly scrubbed and then baked at about 325 F for an hour or so. Most tedious, to be sure so most of us have switched to plastic and use clay only as a decorative container for non orchids.

CL

[Izzie]

:/ too bad there isn't something stronger that would work faster.....

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Izzie

:/ too bad there isn't something stronger that would work faster.....

Izzy,

When I work with my plants, I have a supply of sterile razor blades, knives and clean pots. When I am though for the day and I am ready for that relaxing glass of wine, I stockpile the old pots, put the razor blades in an old coffee can and put the knives into the 5% clorox soak for an hour. Once a week or once a month, or whenever I have enough to make it worth while, I clean out the old pots, make a solution of bleach in a garbage can with a lid, and put them in to soak. They may soak a week if I am lazy! I have built up a large collection of knives because of the workshops I hold for our club, (35+) at last count.

If you want something quicker for sterilizing tools, use a torch and heat tolerant tools. Knives with plastic handles do not work well! As for pots or containers, just throw out (recycle) the old ones and use new. In your case, I think Rosie C's advice to use outer decorative pots for each plant and to soak in those each time you water and then drain them is the best answer.

Fo me, a large part of the joy in seeing my plants bloom each year, is the work I have put into getting them to that phase of their growth. Anyone can buy a plant in bloom, but it takes a certain degree of knowledge and love to bring each plant into a beautiful bloom for all to enjoy.

CL

"Growing orchids is not for the impatient".

[Izzie]

Haha! You just gave me an idea- I can just put all my soaking bowls in a rubbermaid with the bleach solution in between groups of plants.
5% is something like 1tspbleach:1galwater, yes?

I have a microtorch for the knives.

[Fiona]

I use a lot of different containers for soaking mounted plants and find what works well for containers, which aren't too big, is to just stick them in the dishwasher on a hot cycle. I put all my scissors in there as well.

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Izzie

Haha! You just gave me an idea- I can just put all my soaking bowls in a rubbermaid with the bleach solution in between groups of plants.
5% is something like 1tspbleach:1galwater, yes?

I have a microtorch for the knives.

Izzie,

The rubbermaid container is perfect. The 5% is just that: 5% clorox to 95% water. I believe it may be more than 1 tsp/gal. I may use more than needed but I want my fingers to feel a little "slimy" when I put them in the solution.

To also answer the use of a dishwasher to sterilize, which was on another post: To the best of my knowledge, one cannot get the temperature hot enough for a long enough period of time in a conventional dishwasher to kill virus. Certainly not "energy efficient".

CL

[Izzie]

Awesome, thanks CL. I converted it online, and it equated to several tbsp.

Some washers have "sanitize" cycles- perhaps that's what was mentioned.

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Izzie

Awesome, thanks CL. I converted it online, and it equated to several tbsp.

Some washers have "sanitize" cycles- perhaps that's what was mentioned.

Izzy,

"Sanitize" still is not hot enough or of a long enough duration to kill orchid virus. Clorox is far cheaper than the electric bill on that count!

Thanks for the conversion factor. I knew it was more than 1 tsp/gal but never actually measured it out.

CL