Do Pseudomonas spp. impact orchids negatively?
 

Do Pseudomonas spp. hurt orchids? I have noticed a tendency of my tap-watered orchids to develop rots no matter how carefully I water. My rain-watered orchids do not. Our water quality is decent, but I know my city has been fighting Pseudomonas biofilms in the pipes. I do not know which Pseudomonas species are present. That has never been made clear.

My husband's work and the local Children's hospital both had to deal with the issues it was causing. It is really only a problem for immune compromised humans and animals, but what about orchids?

Would an RO system remove Pseudomonas?

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Short answer - yes. See:

http://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/Ba...ySueBottom.pdf

The link includes information on control of Pseudomonas/ Acidovorax.

Thanks. That is a great resource.


My spots look similar but are down closer to the base of the stem. The plants are gone so fast that I have never even taken pictures. My grocery store Phals have born the brunt of it, but I lost a Phal. equestris last night.

Guess it is time to find an RO system to supplement my rain water supply.



Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

You might just want to boil the water the night before. Here is a useful site for that:

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_...ater_01_15.pdf

---------- Post added at 12:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:29 PM ----------

If the RO system has a UV filter as well as filtering membranes, it will work. Otherwise, the Pseudomonas could actually colonize in your RO system and cause worse problems for you.
I included some additional information that I hope you will find helpful learning about your issue.

To help your orchids resist this, too, give them some extra Calcium. Good luck!

Steps can be taken to avoid pseudomonas, says B & V Water Treatment - B&V Water

http://freebac.com/files/Facts%20on%20Biofilm.pdf

I havent seen any notification of this! Which water treatment facility is your water coming out of? I'm in the Hap Cremean facility area and they are usually excellent about issuing alerts. We don't drink the tap but both our kitties do and they have FIV. I wouldnt want them to be drinking it!

FWIW- if you just want a temp fix...I'd just pick up some distilled or r/o from the grocery store.

Holy cow! I had no idea of this problem...good to know. Thank you for the informative links.

I was told that pseudomonas and aeromonas are the reason that a lot of hospitals ban cut flowers in surgery recovery wards.

I'm not sure which areas are impacted for certain. It is not coming out of the treatment facilities with the pseudomonas but is picking it up in some of the transmission pipes or plumbing fixtures that have been colonized.

My husband's workplace had to add a new filtering system to their water intake and replace their massive water storage tank because of it. His workplace is in the Hillard area. They found it via their own testing.

At about the same time, Children's Hospital found it in their supply. You probably know where they are. They also had to take steps.

My brother's workplace in Cincinnati had the same thing show up a few years ago and had to make changes.

I suppose I shouldn't say my city is having issues with it, since you really wouldn't know without testing your own supply if your transmission pipes are affected.

I do know that once you get a Pseudomonas biofilm in your pipes you basically never get rid of it. It is a because the biofilm protects it from the chlorine.

Yet, it really isn't harmful for most people or pets. I don't hesitate to drink mine, even though I suspect it is contaminated.

Sorry if I scared you.

Maybe this will help:

"P. aeruginosa is part of a large group of free-living bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment. This organism is often found in natural waters such as lakes and rivers in concentrations of 10/100 mL to >1,000/100 mL. However, it is not often found in drinking water. Usually it is found in 2% of samples, or less, and at concentrations up to 2,300 mL(-1) (Allen and Geldreich 1975) or more often at 3-4 CFU/mL. Its occurrence in drinking water is probably related more to its ability to colonize biofilms in plumbing fixtures (i.e., faucets, showerheads, etc.) than its presence in the distribution system or treated drinking water. P. aeruginosa can survive in deionized or distilled water (van der Jooij et al. 1982; Warburton et al. 1994)." - Rev Environ Contam Toxicol. 2009;201:71-115. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-0032-6_3.

Also from Rev Environ Contam Toxicol. 2009;201:71-115. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-0032-6_3. - "The risk of colonization from ingesting P. aeruginosa in drinking water is low. The risk is slightly higher if the subject is taking an antibiotic resisted by P. aeruginosa. The fact that individuals on ampicillin are more susceptible to Pseudomonas gastrointestinal infection probably results from suppression of normal intestinal flora, which would allow Pseudomonas to colonize."

If it is causing the spots in the orchids, it is also less likely to be the species that causes issues in humans, that is P. aeruginosa. I don't know if P. cattleya impacts people.




---------- Post added at 12:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 PM ----------

That makes sense.

I should have done more research before I brought this to boards.

I. Think that from a practical perspective, a residential RO system is fine for removing bacteria. Yes, over time, a biofilm will develop on the membrane that will reduce both its output and its efficacy, but if you change the membranes out regularly, as you're supposed to do, and disinfect the system with bleach when you do, you want have any problems.

Where this is truly an issue is with large scale reverse osmosis operations, where the membranes can be tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace.

Thanks!

The Pseudomonas spp are actually pretty darn fascinating. Too bad my mini-Phals are so darn wimpy about them.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I should have done more research before I brought this to boards.[/QUOTE

Yes, that would have been prudent. At least two of us were uneasy with the prospect of contamination.

I apologize for scaring you and Katrina.

We both have pets and for me biofilm is a problem due to pet fountains. So, to hear that was like someone yelling fire in a crowded building. I'm not angry or hurt. Just be thoughtful ( in my work I struggle with this too).

No problem! I probably wouldve just jumped on here and asked too. We are in a different area of town and i have not had any trouble with the orchids so I'm likely good. Might check into that testing though...for the kitties' sake. They havent gotten sick and with FIV I prob would have seen issues, if we had the bacteria. Still...better safe than sorry.

Again, no worries on my end and no need to apologize.

Thanks Katrina. I have 3 dogs, but none of them are compromised, and I can't even get them to not drink out of puddles. I can't imagine how nervous I would be if they had issues like that.

As it is, they get tap water, and we just give the bowls a good scrub now and then. They've had no issues, except when the dachshund mix decided to drink my fertilizer water when my back was turned. That made her very sick for a while. Now, I never sit down the can with the fertilizer mix.



I do know that occasionally my bathroom sink drips out a very blecky, snot-like thread even after we replaced the faucet and supply hoses from the main. I bet yours doesn't do that.

But my TDS and pH were fine, probably part of the problem.



Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk