Plant isolation
 

Hi,
I have another thread out there about a potential virus with one of my plants. Which leads me to another question. When you buy a new plant, how long do you isolate it from your other plants to ensure it is not infected and can spread something to the others?
My scenario: I bought a plant 8 weeks ago, kept it aside for the first month. I then introduced it to the growing area. It is only now that I have become aware of a potential problem with the plant.
I would have thought 4 weeks was long enough but maybe not?:scratchhead:
Thanks for your opinions.

This is just my opinion, however it depends on the source. I repot (if possible) all new purchases unless I can determine the roots are healthy.) If the plant comes from a source I have no previous experience with, I would first repot, then spray with Safer Soap and, possibly, Physan 20, as a preventative, then set aside for 3-4 weeks. I have limited space for quarantine, so I tend to be most discriminating prior to purchase.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Ross. I forgot to mention that I also repot within the first week if not in flower. But I do not treat the new plant with physan. Perhaps I need to add that to the regime. Maybe I have just been lucky so far. Lesson learned. Also glad to see 3-4 weeks of isloation for you is also efficient.

I have been know to repot even if the plant is in flower. I recently acquired several Brassias in Hawaii and merely cut the blossom stalks off and then repotted. I guess I feel it's better to be safe on a plant then to value the flowers, otherwise why not just buy cut flowers? Weird, I know, but that's me.:biggrin:

I repot every plant as soon as it gets home, whether it's in bloom or not. You can't tell whta's going on under what is visible on arrival and if there's a problem, I'd rather know about it immediately. Every plant gets cleaned, treated with Listernie and repotted :)

*I'm not telling everybody to do this...but I've been able to catch a few problems and nip them in the 'bud' ;)

I usually just inspect the plant for any pests and let them go into my collection. unfortunately I don't have a separate space for quarantine. I am already jam packed with orchids and it is getting tighter...my house is a orchid house, my bed room is a orchid bed room.
Just make sure you are buying the best plants possible.

If any plant, in bloom or in sheath, needs repotting. I will repot them right away. Especially if they are long lasting blooms.

Thankyou for the quick reponses and reassurance. I would think several weeks of isolation should be enough, especially if one is happy with the repotting. I agree, repotting ASAP tells me alot about the condition of the plant.
Linda