Wonderful Pictures.. Worrying Pests

[Keltera]

I have a very small sad phal that had JUST started putting out roots. three little nubs that i check every day. Todaty i Discoverd little tiny tiny white dots and frowned.

Edit: the phal is in water culture

Here is what i found












First of all, I am Ecstatic i can take these kind of pictures with my camera and a cheapy 10$ lens. Second of all,.. what do you think..? i really hope there not mealies and i hope this does not kill my finnaly recovering little phal.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

They're fungi. Wipe them off with a Q-tip soaked in isopropyl alcohol.

[Keltera]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

They're fungi. Wipe them off with a Q-tip soaked in isopropyl alcohol.

Really?! even though they move around?

[Fiona]

Are they not possibly mealybugs? If so, I treat them by mixing 1t meth spirits, or alcohol in 1 litre of water, sometimes adding 1 t dish liquid and just wiping them off with a cotton wool pad, a small paint brush can also be used. If it is them they spread like wild fire, also seem to cause some yellowing on leaves.

[frostedeyes]

crown is already rotten! dont dip it in water... with that look... i give it a 30% chance of survival... mount them its better to mount them... sorry just being real... i hope its okay now. Mount them and no medium... tie it 1/2 inch below the crown...

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Okay...

Didn't know they were moving around.

Still same prescription. Isopropyl alcohol.

Isopropyl alcohol works wonders on mealies and many soft bodied insects or insect-like creatures. I believe, isopropyl will kill ants too if I'm not mistaken (in small numbers of course, a swarm of ants is hard to do off with no matter what).

Mounting in my opinion is a good way to get Phals with very damaged root systems that still have maybe 1 or 2 small sections of roots re-established. There might be more work to be done in terms of watering more often, but the pay off is definite if it's done right.

However...

When frostedeyes is recommending no media, do keep in mind he's from the Philippines where it is humid and he's recommending what he understands and knows from that vantage point.

In Ontario, Canada, where it is cooler and the air is not quite as humid, mounting and not using media will not quite work.

If you do decide to mount, use some sphagnum moss on the mount. Only cover the surface you plan to mount the orchid onto with just a thin layer of moss.

How thin?

Only 1 strand thick. No thicker.

Whatever roots remain just work some of the moss over them. Cover the roots with moss partially. Leave some parts of the roots covered in moss and some parts of the roots exposed.

[Keltera]

Thank you muchly for the info and help!

@frostedeyes: I know the bottom does not look pretty, but it is not the crown, and it's not rotten, it has been in water culture with just the bottom of the plant. The crown is always dry and has produced two little new leafs and what you are looking at is the plant upsidedown Iam leaving in in water culture as it was an exsperiment in the first place and it has turned this phal into a champ and it is now grow three roots
as compared to it no roots. Thank you for your ideas anyway!

@king : I have already treated with my insectiside, I will also treat with the isopropyl alchohal aswell . It is also separated from my other plants now