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View Poll Results: Do your clean your orchid's leaves?

Voters
220. You may not vote on this poll
  • Nope, never.

    35 15.91%
  • Only when there is an infection or other problem

    47 21.36%
  • When I repot

    14 6.36%
  • Once a year, as needed

    23 10.45%
  • Regularly, twice a year at least.

    101 45.91%
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Results 11 to 20 of 66

Thread: Leaf Cleaning Poll

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  1. #11
    Real Name
    Louis J. Aszod
    My Grow Area
    Greenhouse
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Clarksville, Arkansas
    Posts
    3,780
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    WildOrchid, ditto exactly to what Diane just said!

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    12

    Default

    Diane, LJA thanks!

    I dont know why milk is good for cleaning leaves, but remember the legend of cleopatra or someone bathing in milk? I think its because milk has some chemicals within it that nourishes the skin, in our case the leaves.

    My other educated guess is that milk is a basic substances and should be a gentle cleanser.

    I read that the practice of using milk on orchid leaves is to just simply dip a soft cloth or paper towel into milk to dampen it and use this damp cloth/paper towel to wipe leaves.

  3. #13
    Real Name
    Louis J. Aszod
    My Grow Area
    Greenhouse
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Clarksville, Arkansas
    Posts
    3,780
    Member's Country Flag

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    Gin posted a link to an article on viruses here; apparently milk is also good at deactivating many of the ones that can attack orchids as well--they even recommend a good spraydown with milk to help prevent viral infections!

  4. #14
    Real Name
    Mark Haughton
    My Grow Area
    On a Porch/Patio.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleyas, Broughtonia, Vandas
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Southern Florida
    Posts
    10
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    Hey People!!
    I'm new to the site and relatively new to successfully growing orchids, so I'll try not to be too much of a chatty Cathy (is it too late?) and listen and learn. That being said, I live in southern Florida and as a result all of my orchids are grown on my patio. If it's raining when I'm home I put them out on the pooldeck to take advantage of the rain water and to give them a bath so I don't feel the need to do any type of cleaning on their leaves. I like the natural look. Since I use the rain water to flush the salts form the roots, I try not to get water on their leaves when I water them with the hose. I have been pretty successful so far with them and I will post pics as I have them for the group to see.

  5. #15
    Real Name
    John
    My Grow Area
    Greenhouse
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya, Cymbidium
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Riverside, CA
    Posts
    1,332
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    I give my orchids a heavy drenching twice a week (except winter) and our water supply is not too hard when it comes to TDS.
    This minimizes or eliminates mineral buildup on the leaves. There may be some spots here or there but nothing that I would get worried about.

    If there are signs of pest infestation, then I would treat and clean the plant accordingly. But leaf polishing is not part of my routine. A healthy plant will discard and replace them regularly anyway.

    If my plants start to get mineral deposits, then what I need to do is determine why there is mineral buildup in the first place (water hardness, watering frequency, fertilizer concentration & application, etc). Treat the problem, not the symptoms.

  6. #16
    Real Name
    Bruce Brown
    My Grow Area
    Greenhouse
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleyas & Slippers
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Arkansas
    Posts
    35,133
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pinwheel View Post
    Hey People!!
    I'm new to the site and relatively new to successfully growing orchids, so I'll try not to be too much of a chatty Cathy (is it too late?) and listen and learn. That being said, I live in southern Florida and as a result all of my orchids are grown on my patio. If it's raining when I'm home I put them out on the pooldeck to take advantage of the rain water and to give them a bath so I don't feel the need to do any type of cleaning on their leaves. I like the natural look. Since I use the rain water to flush the salts form the roots, I try not to get water on their leaves when I water them with the hose. I have been pretty successful so far with them and I will post pics as I have them for the group to see.
    Welcome!

    Cheers,
    BD

  7. #17
    Real Name
    Connie
    My Grow Area
    Porch/Patio.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Mini Vanda, Schombs &Encyclia.
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    West of Tampa, FL
    Posts
    9,271
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    If they have alot of dust I get out the hose, put on the special wand and let it rain all over them. Then the fans get turned on them to help them dry quickly. If they get too nasty I wash them with cheap dish soap. Around here there seems to be some kind of silt on everything. Mine get cleaned alot....I get bored easy.
    Connie

  8. #18
    Real Name
    Cindi
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Catts
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Iowa
    Posts
    1,766
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    My chids spend the winter rooming with my flock of budgies. They get covered in birdie dust along with EVERYTHING in the basement. They get wiped with a soft rag when I feel like it.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    110
    Member's Country Flag

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    wow, i'm the minority... my orchids are in such precarious places and i'm so clumsy i've learned i'm better off not attempting things like this, lest i knock them over... when i repot and i've got them right in front of me yea i'll wipe the dust off them but that's about it.

  10. #20
    Real Name
    Stephen
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Rhynch/Brassavola/Angc
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    727
    Member's Country Flag

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    Since my collection is rather small (35 or so), I give mine a good rinse every time I water.

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