Mold growing on epiweb mount and 'chid?

[Becca]

I just came home on my lunch break and was checking out some of my mounted 'chids since I have switched to an every other day watering regimine with them, and today is the off day. Good thing I decided to check them out! I found my Lc. Schilleriana mounted on epiweb covered in a mold today! At first glance I thought it was mealy bugs...but then looking closer I saw it was a mold growing on it! It wasn't white white like mealy bugs are....and it had that carpeted look to it in places. So two things that I think could have caused it and I want to make sure what it is so I can stop what I am doing if so:

1) I water this kid in the kitchen sink by filling up the sing and submerging it's roots....it's epiweb so I know it won't rot like a wood mount would. I have been doing this for quite some time and haven't had any problems.

2) I am low on fertilizer and found some old (about a year or more) Dyna-Gro Orchid Pro Fertilizer I had forgotten about, the container was almost empty and I could see some liquid with chunks in it so I shook it in hopes of the best and added to the water I soak the Lc. Schilleriana in. I have done this maybe twice and I know I used it yesterday.....

So which do you think is the problem? I try and make sure the sink is clean before watering by rinising it out well, but I will be honest I don't sterilize it, and I was wondering how the fertilizers would react with the metal sink?

Any help would be much appreciated. I just finished soaking it in a physan 20 bath in the kitchen sink so I hope that will do the trick. I looked and haven't seen this mold on any other 'chids so far.

So what do you all think?

[Ross]

Don't think it's the fertilizer (could be wrong - I have been before!) But I would dip the whole mount in Physan 20 at a strength (should be on the bottle) meant for clensing pots. I read my label as being 1 tablespoon per gallon RO water. Don't do this as a regular thing. That's pretty strong. But plants and roots have always survived my rather drastic measures in the past I have used this as a spray for mold on the background of my orchidarium and also as a spray on plants and the only plants not liking that strong a mix have been the Haraella. Hope this helps.

[Becca]

Thanks Ross! So you don't think that watering in my kitchen sink and only scrubbing/cleaning before hand and not disinfecting is a bad thing?

I did soak it at 1 Tablespoon per gallon for 10 minutes. After I took it out I could still see the stuff....I poked at it with my finger and it was spongy feeling and then I used a q-tip to remove it....it is going to be such a pain to try and get it all off....I can't believe how quickly it spread in 24 hours! It is just to weird!

[Ross]

I don't think your sink regime was the problem. I've never done this but have still gotten the mold. Yes, when the mold is killed it still hangs around. Maybe you can carefully treat the mold, or better-yet, remount?

[Becca]

An orchid mounted on epiweb would be very difficult to remount. It grows it's roots into the epiweb and I have two layers of it put together so getting the roots out of the epiweb isn't really an option. I think I will leave it and see what happens since I have treated it. I didn't think mold would grow on epiweb like it does on wood, but I guess I am wrong....it just really puzzles me that I have been watering in the kitchen sink for quite a while like this with this orchid only and have never had problems like this...until I used that old fertilizer.

[K.C.]

What you think I have had the mold? OK yes and the bright yellow is the cool stuff!! It all started from a spore and in the fall its the best time to get them. It sound like you are on top of it with the Physan 20. The only other thing I would do is put it under the fan so that it dries out faster. As for getting off the mold I would use the water pick with a little isopropyl alcohol mixed with h2o. Alcohol may not be the answer to all life’s problems but it will work for most.

[Ross]

I still don't think it's the fertilizer. The mold spores have to come from somewhere. I'm guessing the whole scenario is what's causing the mental anguish. Trust me, something introduced the mold, otherwise you'd have it on all sorts of plants (or do you?) Never-the-less, just soak the mount in a stronger solution of Physan. If that doesn't stop it, do it again. If that doesn't stop it use the (pull out all the stops Ross Frid method of stoping mold) Vodka straight up! It does work but keep it off the roots if you can. Just use an eye dropper and pour it liberally over the mold (may it rest in peace!) I have yet to not cure brown mold, fungus, shelf fungus, etc. by this method! It works on cigars also. If you are sufficiently worried, just jump to my cure right now! Go get a bottle (if you don't have one I usually do) and drissle it over the mold. The mold actually disappears from this treatment.

[cb977]

Listerine!!!

[Becca]

Ok....well I don't know where it came from and it isn't on any of the other 'chids so far....so I well just hope it is some fluke...lol. I just wanted to make sure that my watering method isn't what was causing it. Just one other question though.....is a fertilizer solution ok in a metal container?

[Lorraine]

Originally Posted by cb977

Listerine!!!

I keep seeing Listerine the brown kind for treatment but all I see in the stores is the Listerine bottle with blue stuff. Which one and where do you find it ?? I'd like to have something else on hand besides the alcohol spray bottle for the beasties, etc.