Leaf Cleaning Poll

[vandagirl]

I like to clean them regularly. I grow my Vanda's indoors so they get really dusty. Beacause that's not such a nice sight and not good for the orchids I clean it when needed.

[Teena]

I put them in the sink at least once a month and let them soak under a soft spray and my water is soft and I've never had a problem except for the cymbidium which had scale last year which I treated with an organic neem oil treatment which worked although there is a spot or two of it again this year. Whole milk or fat free or does it matter?

[TwoStems]

I give mine a good wipe down with just some warm water when I notice water spots or buildup. I didn't even know they made cleaning products for orchid leaves!

[deLadyBex]

I like to take an afternoon and clean my plants and inspect them throughly I do this more then 2 times a year by the way. Actuall as needed if I see soemthing funny on the plants. I lost a collection more then once by not taking steps of prevention like I do now, My collection has grown slowly and nicely, the plants look healthy and the leaves have good substance to them. My flowers last and the over all feeling is good;
for example; I was wondering why a Cymbidum did not flower for me yet? I found hidden scale on it and took off each one by hand and washing in natural organic soap and kept at it until the scale babies were gone as well.
I changed the soil in case I lost scale down into it and maybe they would invade again. I always clean the surrounding areas too. It worked and the plants got foliar feed as well as soil fed to replenish the lost sapped out sugars and minerals. Wow did it ever reward me with bloom, and so long lasting about 3 1/2 months .I missed it when the final bloom fell off and it went into warm weather hybernation for the early spring and summer. It cmae back nicely in mid summer and is now doing well .Vilgelence with the leaves again once I bring it in.
I will see how it blooms again!

[coeruleo]

here in LA we get a lot of city soot, so yes, i do hose or rinse them off as needed when it is warm enough and early in the morning, and i frequently wipe them off when watering inside as well to avoid dust mites etc. i would NEVER use any of those 'leaf shine' type polishes, after seeing so much damage to leaves of house plants we sold at a shop i worked at a long time ago, i have always avoided using or purchasing anything with that stuff on it. it can suffocate the leaves. i think most tropical plants get frequent light rains, so should not be covered in dust, but i just wipe or rinse with plain water. even my larger house plants get a shower every now and then.

[Angelika]

I moved form Sao Paulo to a very small village in Germany called Herford. An here we have less polution so it´s enough to clean the leave once a year. Or may be twice if I take one to an exhibition. Then I cleaned them with a soft cotton ball and beer. For the tight space between bulb and leaf I use a waterpick.

[cumulo]

The way I water and treat plants for spotting prevention causes me not to need to clean leaves unless there were pests on them (and then the whole plant can get cleaned, including the roots, for some pests), for I use foliar sprays for some of the fertilizer and to control fungal spotting. About one per year I may also use a foliar Physan rinse, which has both a detergent and fungicidal action. This leaves (not pun intended) little need for leaf shining. However, a grower I know who shows frequently and has an impressive collection of awards, cleans her leaves with a dilute skim milk solution before plants are exhibited. Really shines them up, I noticed!

[78Terp]

I have heard to use mayonnaise and water mixed together is a good cleaner of orchid leaves.

I have not tried it myself. I have not yet cleaned leaves other than light rub of the thumb.

[ksriramkumar]

Hi Harvey,

I have read about mayonnaise but have not used it. I have started cleaning only with 1:10 milk and water and I am happy with the results. I have used milk as a fungicide when i grew tomatoes and believe it is a good mild fungicide also.

[arwan]

I just give my big established plants a spray of clean water once a while when they look dusty, with a pressure pump sprayer,early in the morning so that they'll dry up by night fall to avoid crown rot, i don't like using too much chemicals on my plants. The cymbidiums though get a spray of plant shampoo once a year when they are too dusty during the dry winter months, besides the monthly spray of clean water. And there after a spray of neem oil to prevent them from scales and other insects.
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