Quarantine of new plants - how long for?
 

Hi

Our Lidl had a bunch of mini NOID Phals in today and 2 just jumped in my trolley begging to be rehomed in time for Christmas. I think they escaped from the store pretty promptly after arriving and before the roots had a chance to be fatally abused. At 6.99€ each they were a bargain where I live!

Each was directly in a very small glass jar with no drainage. There was a very solid plug of sphag about the size of a wine cork in the middle and 1 or 2 roots ran through these. The sphag plug was bone dry! There were a number of other roots between the sphag and the glass. Most roots were pale green although there were a couple of dead ones.

I removed the plants from the glasses, and gently poked out as much of the sphag as I could and then placed the roots in a bowl of tepid water for 20 minutes. I then rinsed the roots with fresh water to remove as much debris as possible. I very gently jiggled the plants around upside down for 10 minutes to get as much moisture out of the leaves/crown as possible that might have splashed in. They are now laying horizontally on layers of kitchen towel overnight in a warmish room (20C and RH 65-70) before I pot them up in the morning. Bark soaking in a bucket ready as well.

https://i.imgur.com/Pl98fm9.jpg

I looked as closely as I could for any sign of pests - nothing that I could see but I'll check again with a magnifying glass in the good light in the morning.

1. Are there any other precautions I can take?

2. How long do I need to quarantine new orchids? Days/weeks/months?

Thanks in advance for any help :typing:

I think a month is enough, at least for the most noticeable issues.

thank you:D

After two mealybug infestations, here is the protocol I follow for my orchids and other plants:

1) When buying in person, I take a close look at the plant before buying it. If I have any suspicion that the plant has insects, I don't buy it.

2) Upon arriving home, I bare root the plant (if possible), apply insecticidal soap over all the plant, and repot it in new media in a new pot. I do this regardless of any symptoms just to be on the safe side.

3) I repeat insecticidal soap application after two and four weeks. If after four weeks I don't see anything suspicious, I incorporate the new plant with the rest of my collection.

Thanks Stephane :)

They are bare root at the moment, I was about to repot them but I can do a 'soap' before I do that.

FWIW, most insect pests will go from egg to maturity in under two weeks.

Thanks Ray, OK daily checks for 2 weeks then I'll relax a bit!
I've got a Q re a potential pest I have just discovered in a vanda in a glass vase that I've had for a couple of years but I'll put that in a fresh thread later.