web-like stuff

[kewpie]

hi all. i have a long-petalled phrag hybrid growing in diatomite+charcoal, s/h-style. poking around to check the roots, ive noticed this spiderweb stuff around the roots. it cant be spider mites because s/h stays too wet, and spider mites like it when its dry, right? its more 'cotton-y' than it is spider-web-y in that its not sticky or anything. could it be fungus? im soaking the roots and the medium in some dilute physan right now. do you all think that this will take care of the problem? or does this situation call for something more drastic? i dont have any other chemical other than pyrethrins; but if i need to buy something that will peel off my skin and kill me if i breathe it, im willing. just tell me what. hey, anything for the chids, right?

[Dana]

i dont have any other chemical other than pyrethrins; but if i need to buy something that will peel off my skin and kill me if i breathe it, im willing. just tell me what. hey, anything for the chids, right?

*LOL*...you're to much Kewpie

[orchid_fan]

Eww ewww ewwwwww!! I just repotted a paph that I purchased yesterday, and it had the EXACT same problem kewpie is talking about!! When I took the plant out of its pot, something that looked like a red spider mite scurried out and was promptly smashed by me. The roots were covered with webs. (Yuck!) I rinsed carefully and thoroughly, and repotted the plant in a brand new pot with new medium. Should I soak it with Physan like Kewpie? Is there anything else I can do? What is this web thingy? Help!

[Gilda]

Sounds like snow mold to me..physan should take care of it....spidey mites like dry conditions...

[orchid_fan]

Sounds like snow mold to me..physan should take care of it....spidey mites like dry conditions...

Thanks Gilda. What's snow mold? And it's ok to soak the roots, medium, and pot in Physan? For how long and at what strength? I looked in my Physan guide but wasn't sure how much to put in per gallon for something like this. Thanks for your help!

[Heather]

If it is insects, I'm confused about physan - there seem to be several factions on this (what a surprise! in the orchid world?) Some feel it combats insects as well as being a bactericide and fungicide, some everything but the insects. So what is the *true* scoop on this?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[Gilda]

Physan usually kills the mold instantly....I don't see a need to soak your phrag. I would pour the solution through your SH. but not let it sit in the resorvoir. 1 tbls. per gallon I think is the recommended treatment. I usually treat my orchids once per month especially in the cooler months when fuzzies tend to grow more, I usually spray the whole plant when repotting and spray the foliage after...figure it helps if I have brusied or damaged any part that might set up a fungal or bacterial problem.

Heather, I don't use Physan for bugs...just fungal or bacterial problems.

[kewpie]

if anyone has a good pic of snow mold, i would love to see it. i should really be more vigilent about spraying with physan.

what do you all think about bacteria developing resistance to physan with repeated applications? happens in the people world, with nasty super-bacteria lurking in hospitals, so i dont see why it wouldnt happen in the orchid world. whats another good bacteria-cide that one could alternate with?

here i go hijacking my own thread .

nancy: you probably want to treat for spider mites. in my case (growing with s/h) spider mites arent the issue. but they probably are in your case (especially if you actually saw one crawl out of the pot). ive got a case of them on a non-orchid plant, and i spray with water (with a drop of dr. bronners non-soap soap) to increase the humidity. spidey mites hate high humidity. i also sprayed alternately with some schultz insect spray with pyrethrins (not toxic unless ya swallow it, but why would ya do that?). the problem has seemingly gone away.

heather: ive never used physan to kill bugs, but id bet that the stuff isnt good for them either. just like windex or resolve....i have been known to blast a fly with a squirt if i have the sprayer handy. knocks em right off of the window. i then watch as they struggle around on the sill. ive never watched long enough to see if its a death blow; i always grab a paper towel and finish the job manually. i swear, really, im not a serial killer in the making. i really dont like torturing animals.

[Jmoney]

In a couple of s/h pots, I've noticed a webby thing that looks fungal/moldy to me. It's the same plants that have it, but they don't seem the worse for wear and I pretty much ignore them. I have no idea what it is, or why it shows up only in certain pots when I use the communal watering system.

[kewpie]

well, thats reassuring, jason!

have you found that it spreads? or does the problem stay localized to the individual pots?