What's in your arsenal?
 

Hi to all you experts!!

I'm relatively new to orchids still and I just read of so many products and brands to treat this and that... could you please help me start my arsenal? Which (and why if you don't mind) are the products your orchid collection can't live without?

I promise I'll make an easy to read list or graphic of the most popular products!!

Thanks so much,

Bego

Air, light, temperature, wetness, fertilizer, etc.

...or to state it differently: give your plants the proper culture, and the need for any pesticides is greatly reduced.

Be observant, and a dab with alcohol or a quick pinch with finger tips are all the corrective action you may need.

I'll add that being careful about introducing new plants to your collection can also be a great help.

If the arsenal extends to stuff (tools and consumables) other than pesticides, the things you need depends a lot on your environment. For example, buying an indoor humidifier makes sense for some of us and makes no sense for others.

You can start shopping with a max-min thermometer with a humidity sensor, so that you'll know if you need to adjust the environment (or switch to other types of plants :)). As a second step, you can buy a conductivity meter in order to adjust fertiliser levels. (and most probably you'll be using less fertiliser afterwards.)

Add a PH meter or test strips and you will be well set up!

I agree with the previous posts. Keeping plants healthy is the first line of defense. But every grower will occasionally have some insect problems. My first line of defense is insecticide soap (I use Safer's Insecticide Soap) Or a horticultural oil (I use one called Organicide). Neither of those products is poisonous, but I still wear a mask whenever I spray any product. Horticultural oil is especially good against mites when sprayed on the underside of the leaves. It is an oil though, so don't get it on anything because it can stain and it's hard to get off. I even stained my concrete patio with it. If those products don't do the trick I use Orthene. I hate the smell and it is an organophosphate but it does the trick when other products fail. For buds and flowers I use Ortho Rose and Flower which is very good on thrips that destroy buds here in Florida.

I recently picked up a bottle of Bayer Advanced. I've been using the granular Bayer Complete on my Roses, but noticed that this one is more than just a systemic insecticide and fertilizer. It cost's twice as much as the Bayer Complete, but that's minimal when using it on the orchids. I also dilute it a little more.

First line arsenal: a balance of air, light, and water. Oh, and occasionally, common sense when there is no other alternative available.

Second line: proper substrate/medium according to the needs of individual plants. Not every plant needs each of these components, but principally, the substrates I use are based on fir bark and charcoal, and occasionally other things (wine corks, perlite, Sphagnum moss), and a few plants are on mounts.

Third line: Nutritional supplements (fertilizers) that provide the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK, P being the lowest number) plus micronutrients. I use gypsum and Epsom salts to provide Ca, Mg, and S. I seem to use less fertilizer per plant each year that I grow orchids, and I know one successful grower that uses almost no fertilizer at all.

For years, I got by with virtually no pest or disease controls at all. I now receive the occasional plant (as a purchase or as a gift) that has some unwanted hitchhikers. So, I do keep some pest and disease controls around, used when a problem is identified. I have a Neem-based pesticide/fungicide. I use a systemic insect control with imidacloprid in it. I purchased some systemic fungicides (Thiomyl and generic Cleary's) last year, so far I have not used them.

I have never purchased Physan, Superthrive, seaweed extract. Some people swear by them, other people swear at them.

I am really happy with 'Neptune's Harvest' seaweed treatment. It had really done wonders for my orchids. :)

I also make sure to have some hydrogen peroxide on hand at all times - just in case! I am a sucker for buying sick "rescue" orchids.

Welcome to the board!

For bugs I like to use Bayer with Neem Oil. It helps kill the bugs. I use it on all my plants and it kills grasshoppers...I think....

I also use grow more palm food 15-5-15 I was given this info from one of my favorite sellers. I use this for fertilizer, so far seeing great results in all my orchids.

I also like to use Technaflora Magi/Cal in liquid form. It gives an extra boost for my cattleya's/schomburgkia. As well as all of my other orchids. Seems to be working well as well because my Catasetum are coming out and are really starting to put on a display growth wise.

good luck.