I messed up good this time!

[Becca]

Well I got lazy....and from reading other peoples posts in discussions of not using the same water to water orchids and not having many problems when doing so, I decided what the heck....it would really save me a lot of time for my mounted plants I dunk into water....so into the bucket of water, with the same water...to water all of my mounted plants. I started this about a week or so ago. Then just last weekend....I noticed some weird looking stuff on one of my mounts. My husband said it looked like a tree fungus you would see out in the wild....I don't remember it being there before...but that doesn't mean anything with me...lol. Then, I started noticing some white-ish looking stuff on my some of my other stick mounted plants, mostly just on the wood....it looked like someone took white paint and splattered it, but the white isn't fuzzy looking. So I watered using Physan 20 using individual containers and not using the same water, but now I am starting to notice it on some of my other stick mounted plants. I guess that is what I get, hope I can get it under control. At first I thought it may be because some of the sphag moss pads that the mounted orchids are sitting on stay pretty moist all the time, and some have turned a yucky green-brown color, and some of the roots don't look that great...they look the same color on one of my 'chids. I would take pictures, but I really doubt it would show up. How do I keep my roots hydrated and from drying out and keep the moss from staying to moist at the same time? Sorry my original question has turned into another question that should be posted somewhere else. Any opinions are much welcome! Needless to say, I have now gone back to watering the mounted orchids individually!

[snow]

a fan?

[quiltergal]

Sphag can turn nasty pretty quickly, try swapping it out for some fresh sphag. It also sounds like fungicide is in order. You may have to go with something a bit stronger like Phyton 27, or that stuff Ross uses. Bummer!

[cb977]

Thiomyl is what Ross uses. I've found it to be a good product too, although the first thing I reach for is my trusty spray bottle of Listerine

I'm also trying to remember if I ever saw anybody here say it was okay to dunk all your plants in the same water Can't remember ever seeing that

[Becca]

Sue, they didn't say it was ok....I just think some members re-use water sometimes even though they are not supposed to....so you say the brown Listerine will work on fungus?

Snow: I already have a couple of fans running in the orchidarium, but perahps I may need more air circulation...hmmmmm

Terri: How can a change the sphag moss pad on an established mounted orchid? Some of the roots run through it and I would hate to disturb them...any thoughts?

[cb977]

Hi Becca
Now I understand what you meant
Regular brown Listerine is the first thing I grab whenever I see something I don't like happening. It works very well. On the very rare occasions that it doesn't take care of the problem, I then use Thiomyl. I also use the Thiomyl on my vandas when they start showing those nasty black spots. It won't get rid of those spots but will usually prevent new spots from coming on new leaves.

For the Listerine, don't use the minty stuff (don't know why but that's what I've read ) and I always get the store brand because the brand name stuff is too expensive.

[Ross]

Becca, I get this mold all the time in my tank. Some mounts are more prone to this than others. I spray the mounts every day with Physan 20 and cut the shelf-fungus like stuff off with an Xacto knife or my thumnail. Eventually it goes away. It seems to have come in with one of the mounts and spread to several others. It really doesn't seem to hurt the plant but I don't like it anyways.

[Becca]

Whew! I was worried it would be bad for the 'chids. I'll get some of the Thiomyl if my Phasan 20 doesn't get it under control.

In regards to my other issue with the yucky sphag pad...should I try and get most of it out as I can and replace it with some coco husk fiber? To bad epiweb wasn't a natural color I would remount it on that! I have a cattleya hybrid that is just loving it!

[quiltergal]

Becca try picking the yucky sphag out. You might be able to do away with it entirely if the plant is well established.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Becca

...should I try and get most of it out as I can and replace it with some coco husk fiber?

No, I think you'll have some white patches (mold/fungus) appear for a while, but stay with the regular sprays of Physan 20. The Thiomyl won't help here - it's for true rot. You have fungus/algae and that wants Physan 20. Persistance is what is needed here. Stay with it. If it helps, the common dunking tank may have spred this, but you had it to start with so would have been dealing with this no matter what. No biggy, just a pain!