Copper and your orchids

[Intruder]

Originally Posted by camille1585

. In France, 2 often used active ingredients are Dithane and mancozebe. Those have always worked for me!

Remark: Dithane and mancozebe are the same thing.

[Intruder]

Originally Posted by Ray

The "French stuff" - known to old-time orchid growers in the US as "Bordeaux Mix" - is a very good bactericide and fungicide, and used to be the "standard" treatment for rots.

It is well-established that copper compounds can damage thin leaved plants - think zygopetalum, as an example), and even Phyton, a commercial fungicide containing copper sulfate pentahydrate (21.4% CuSO4-5H20), should be used with caution on them. I have also heard that paph growers have had issues, as well.

Remark: Bordeaux mix is a fungicide used as a preventive traitment. (before the mold appears).

[dsim]

i have some copper pipes lying around my backyard.. probably i should move them to my orchid shed...

[Florida_guy_26]

why not just use phyton or physan20 and just spray the medium lightly to prevent fungus, algae, mold, bacteria and viruses???? thats what I use and it works fairly well even outside.

[Leisurely]

I continue seeing members making reference to Phyton and Physan 20. I have never used either but do use a product called RD 20 that is a disinfectant labeled to do the same thing that Phyton and Physan 20 do. Does anyone else use RD 20? It is about half the price as the other two products. A quart bottle is about $10.00 and it goes a long way because you only use 2 tsp. per gal.