Ugh- aphids!! Also, culture advice welcome:-)

[ccrow]

I just went back yesterday and bought a Bllra Marfitch 'Howard's Dream'; saw it last week at a local greenhouse and have been thinking of it ever since. This morning as I was admiring it, I saw that it had unwelcome hangers-on- grr! I have washed it off with my sink sprayer, and will keep an extremely close eye on it and rinse those little buggers off as needed. Some of the flowers have a sticky substance on them- is it from the flowers themselves, or is it coming from the aphids?
I searched the forums and have found some info on this plant... when it's done blooming I will most likely repot. Should it go in a clear pot, as I'm doing with my phals? Someone on here said they have good luck with repotme.com's oncidium mix, so I will probably order that when the time comes. As to light, advice seems to be all over the place. My phals and den hybrids are in south- and west-facing windows. Will this also work for this plant?

[cbuchman]

Do keep after the aphids - those little buggers are a royal pain. You can add a bit of soap (not detergent) to your spray to help smoother them. Keep after them - I have lots of scarred leaves from aphid sucking on them.

Generally, Oncidiums (Beallara are in the Oncidium family) need brighter light than Phals. They are also quite temperature tolerant and can withstand colder temps than Phals.

Clear pots are great so that you can keep an eye on the roots and know when to water. Media should be "chunky" (typically a bark mixture). If your Beallara has thin roots it will need more watering than if the roots are thick. Lots of good videos on You tube for repotting Oncidiums.

[Bud]

15 drops dish soap
1/2 teaspoon liquid cinnamon (don't use the powder)
2 cups tepid water from the sink
put it in a bottle spray and douse the whole plant making sure it is also drenching the roots inside the pot.....repeat weekly making sure the bugs don't return and the eggs have hatched and killed

or make enough in a basin and soak the pot for 5 minutes and spray the leaves and every nook and crannies

---------- Post added at 03:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:53 PM ----------

If you do it only once and became complasant....the bugs will return=the eggs about to be hatched have to be dealt with too

[ccrow]

Oh yes, I know this isn't a one-time treatment! Although I didn't see any winged adults, I know there could well be eggs. Where does one find liquid cinnamon??
Brighter light... will a south window not be enough?

[bil]

I use Confidor or its cheap generic equivalent. That sorts them

[Bud]

Originally Posted by ccrow

Oh yes, I know this isn't a one-time treatment! Although I didn't see any winged adults, I know there could well be eggs. Where does one find liquid cinnamon??
Brighter light... will a south window not be enough?

*if after 4 tries you still haven't eradicated the bugs then you can resort to the big guns chemicals

you can get the liquid cinnamon extract in supermarket aisles where vanilla and almond extract is found

I place my Vandas, Dendrobiums and Catts in the south facing window and the Phals and low lights at the west facing window in winter....they are all outdoors in the fire escape this summer

[Wolfrott]

Oh lord, aphids. Keep on top pf it!

What I use to combat aphids here is a special organic spray made locally by a Chinese man who is a local legend when it comes to plants. It contains ingredients like garlic, so it smells like a pizza shop when you use it, but it works like a dream so the smell is forgiveable.

Is there anything like that available where you are?

[RandomGemini]

Lady bugs. Natural predators for the aphids. My local garden center sells them by the sack.

[ccrow]

I certainly don't need a sackful! Although once fall arrives they'll all be trying to move indoors. Maybe I should go outside and try to catch a few to bring inside...

[wintergirl]

Brad of Brad's Greenhouse just put a video out about an aphid spray he makes out of Dawn Ultra, rubbing alcohol and water.