Mixing Physan 20 Solution with Orchid Food Solution

[bethanyarmstrong]

I'm about to treat my orchids with a Physan 20 solution. I also am experimenting with water culture on my sickly orchids (the root systems are in very poor shape and I've heard water culture may help). I have them in an orchid food solution and I'm wondering if it would create negative effects to mix the Physan 20 with the orchid food solution? I'm thinking that I should make the solution and dunk the plant in the Physan 20, let dry and replace in the orchid food solution. I would also like to soak the containers in the Physan 20 solution for 10 minutes and refill with the orchid food solution. I just don't want to damage my plants by mixing two solutions together (not literally, but one on top of the other). Any insight would be appreciated.

[Ray]

There will be no chemical reaction that would prevent you from mixing the two, but I think you're going about this recovery effort incorrectly.

If the plants' roots are infected, it is likely from suffocation in the old potting medium. Immersing them in water is not going to fix that. New roots that grow into the water may support the plant, but moving it into a moist, airy medium could accomplish the same thing.

The Physan is a topical disinfectant; it will not affect any pathogens inside of the plant.

[RosieC]

I agree with Ray that getting the plant in the right growing medium that is airy is likely a better solution.

[kindrag23]

I agree with @ray and @rosiec I think my instructions even say add it to weekly watering's..

[bethanyarmstrong]

If I've had the orchids in water for two days, would moving them to the proper medium inadvertently stunt their recovery or even prevent them from healing?

[SJF]

Originally Posted by bethanyarmstrong

If I've had the orchids in water for two days, would moving them to the proper medium inadvertently stunt their recovery or even prevent them from healing?

I think it would help rather than hurt

[RosieC]

Agree with SFJ, getting them in the right thing is the best way to recovery.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by bethanyarmstrong

If I've had the orchids in water for two days, would moving them to the proper medium inadvertently stunt their recovery or even prevent them from healing?

Any time you change the root zone environment, the plant will need to grow new rots that are optimized on a cellular level to that new environment. The current roots cannot change.

Face it: those roots are likely "goners", so you need to nurture the plant (shade, high humidity and warm temperatures) to encourage it to begin growing new roots.

Soaking it in a solution containing a root-stimulating hormone cannot hurt.