toxicity

[john lapointe]

Good evening, I am wondering what orchids you should NOT use Phyton 27 on?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Phyton 27 is generally not needed if your orchids are being grown under the correct conditions, problems with diseases become very rare if cultivation problems are corrected.

Follow recommended dose on bottle if you're going to use it.

There's no official list of orchids to avoid using Phyton 27 on.

Even if you use Phyton 27, it does not guarantee that the disease will stop.

The best way to stop a disease that is not caused by a virus is by correcting the growing conditions the plants experiencing problems are in. Chances are, the grower tends to believe they are growing their plants correctly when in reality, they might not be.

What kinds of orchids were you planning on using Phyton 27 on?

[Ray]

True, there is no "official list" of plants to avoid, but the word on the street is dendrobiums and thin leaved plants like coelogynes, phaius, and the like.

Let's face it - copper is toxic, so the issue is simply at what concentration does it become so for which plant.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If it is copper based, then this is something I would not be using on stuff like Disa or Huntleya.

Disa tend to grow in environments that are lower in minerals. The minerals leach out from the rocks they grow around due to rain or water dripping from waterfalls or seepages. The concentrations they can tolerate are most likely far below therapeutic levels of copper.

If you are experiencing problems with your Huntleya wallisii, grow in intermediate temperatures, (55 F - 85 F); moderately bright indirect light, and moderate to high relative humidity (60% - 90%). If the roots are constantly rotting out, then you need to water less or switch to a different kind of potting media and pot. This suggestion may not be all that eco friendly, but it is probably the better than using the moss that Andy has his growing in - but you might want to try using tree fern fiber.

I used to have problems with Huntleya wallisii until I found out what the problem was with the ones I grew in the past.

1) They don't grow wet - they like even moisture. I was surprised when one of the ones I had tried growing grew just fine when I tested it out by growing it drier.

2) They liked moderately bright indirect like, not bright shade. I was growing the ones I had in the past too dark.

Huntleya wallisii does not need Phyton 27. It might just need an adjustment to how you're growing it.

If you're experiencing problems with Disa uniflora, it is most likely due to problems with its root system and tuberoids rotting due to excessive moisture. People tend to say that these things like LOTS of water, but that is only true to a certain extent. It is true, they don't like to dry out for very long periods of time, (they have been found to grow amongst lots of ferns in South Africa), but they can stay dry for a few hours before they need to be wet down again. I also don't recommend sitting their roots in water, some people advise this, but I've experienced disastrous results from doing so. The roots like lots of air too. They like even moisture. If you read that in nature these guys experience flooding from the streams they grow by, that is true, but that flooding subsides in a few days. After the flooding, the roots get plenty of air and no longer sit in water.

You do not need Phyton 27 for Disa uniflora either. Cut back on the watering. Be conscientious of the amount of water the potting media is retaining. Provide more air circulation if you need to.

I also wanted to make sure you knew that Disa uniflora naturally dies back after it flowers, so you have a window of time to produce more plants vegetatively and by seed. Removing the flowers will not prolong the mother plant's growing season. Once it initiates a flower spike, it's time is numbered, so you have to make everything count.

[john lapointe]

Good morning, started with bad watering practice, watered to late on a cloudy day, sprinkling on the foliage actually for a few cloudy days, my bad, damage done know to heal the plant. The plant ia a Zygopetalum, one out of 9.

[Ray]

John,

If you still have some, mix up some 2% Inocucor Garden Solution and spray the plant a few times a day, wetting all surfaces and the medium. I should stop the progression.

[john lapointe]

Thanks Ray, still have a little left, the Inocucor and the Kelp Max is the magical mystery substance for growth, can't believe the, all round growth, Huntleya wallisii is going great guns, Disa unicolor seems to be doing alright, putting out new growth in center of plant, spike?, probably wishfull thinking on my part

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Disa uniflora doesn't typically bloom this time of year. If so, it is quite late. It usually blooms around May - July (late spring - early summer), here in the northern hemisphere.