Boiling epiphyt mix

[rbarata]

Hello, my friends

I suspect my snail infestation comes from the medium I'm using, more specifically from the sphagnum moss.
I will stop using that sphagnum but I'm thinking about boiling a mix of bark+Leca+coco chips+perlite.

Do you think it will lose their properties by doing that?

[SillyKeiki]

If the new medium you intend to use is new, it should be already free of pests. The snail infestation is in the current pot of your plant, not in the new medium.

Get rid of that sphagnum moss, clean the roots as good as you can, and spray the roots with hydrogen peroxide 3% concentration. It should be weak enough that it doesn't damage the roots much (if it is a thick rooted orchid, like a Phalaenopsis, they won't notice a thing), but it will be enough to kill any remaining snail eggs. (In any case, snails will do much more damage than H2O2.) Then pot the plants.

In any case, boiling won't damage inorganic parts of that mix (LECA and perlite). Bark, well, it shouldn't be too affected by 15 mins boiling. Coco chips? Pff, not sure, I am not used to working with it, but I don't think it will cause much damage either if it is only a 15 mins boil.

Good luck with those snails.

[Paphluvr]

With the ingredients you mention boiling is not necessary. I would just dump boiling water over them in a bag or other container that can be sealed. Then seal it, give it a good shake and wait a day or two before use.

[Fairorchids]

Or bake in the oven at 165F (75C) for 1/2 hr.