SAFE ROOT STERILIZATION??????

[xxkarliexx]

im repotting these orchids that were at the salon i work at, and the salon flooded from the rain for days, idk if it was all the extra humidity or what but the top of the medium had these teeny weeny little white crawly things and white fuzzy lookin mold. im repotting them ASAP but im wondering if theres anything i should soak or dip the roots in to sterilize them????????

[dendro king]

orchids roots dont really need to be sterilised, but you do need to clean all the medium off the roots!
hope that helps.

[xxkarliexx]

i didnt think they did, i just didnt know if the mold or those little bug lookin things could possibly stay with it and contaminate the new medium...but i guess that woudnt make sense since all that stuff was from too much moisture. btw what are those little white bug lookin things?

[dendro king]

well i cant say 4 sure what the white things were but they sound like they might be mealy bugs. if you have a hose or sink give the plant a thourogh wash.

[xxkarliexx]

super. also the pot im using is a kinda bigger than the pot they're in now, is that ok? they're pretty big and wont stand up in the smaller pots they're in now, they're real top heavy and tip over. a bigger pot wont hurt it will it?

[dendro king]

well if they r dendrobiums which they probably r than yes a big pot is perfect!!!
i have many dens and they r all in bigger pots!!!
what r u potting them up with????

[xxkarliexx]

a woodchip, charcoal and perlite mix (thats what it was in before) the pot is tarcotta with like three slats on the sides and a hole in the bottom

[WhiteRabbit]

listerine or hydrogen peroxide (3%) can be used for mold or fungus - the alcohol in the listerine will probably kill any bugs - hydrogen peroxide may or may not kill bugs but some soapy water usually does the trick

[dendro king]

ok that mix is perfect 4 dens so it should be fine!