Pests & diseases Preventive care. what do you do ?

[ksriramkumar]

Hi,

I periodically use systematic fungicide once in 2-3 weeks and use anti bacterial treatment only if i spot any bacterial infection. I alternate between 2 sets of systematic fungicide

I use neem oil 2-3 weeks as an insecticide

I heard from a couple of folks that they also use anti bacterial as a once in a month. is it really required when there is no bacterial infection?

what preventive care practices do you follow for fungicide,insecticide and anti bacterial.

[plucker]

I spray for bugs when they appear. (roughly 3 times a year)

I also use a product that has good fungus in it and eats the bad fungus. I have used this for the last 12 months and haven't had fungus problems since. Still get bacteria though.
If you continually use fungicide the fungus builds up an immunity and it will not be effective. You will have to continually rotate it and are only cause yourself potential harm to exposure.

[raybark]

Anything that is a toxin, if used repeatedly and regularly, will lead to resistance, and that include the azadirachtin in neem oil.

I never use insecticides as a preventive measure, and my algaecide/bactericide/fungicide selections - Physan and Zero-Tol/Oxidate - work by physics, rather than being a chemical toxin.

However, the very best thing you can do is to keep your growing area clean, with good air flow, and keep your plants healthy with regular feeding and watering, plus proper repotting to keep the root system intact, and your likelihood of seeing infections will plummet naturally.

[kspalding]

I completely agree Ray....there is a such thing as over-doing it.

[Wade's Orchids]

I agree with Ray. I have always tried to use as little chemical spraying as possible. Having said that, when it is needed, make sure to use at the recommended dosage. The best thing is keeping healthy plants and clean environment. If a single plant becomes infected separate it from other plants immediately and then treat as necessary. If you have to keep it in the growing area put it in a large clear bag after treating and keep it in the shade.

[Chris1140]

If it ain't broke, I don't fix it. I check the plants daily for problems and treat immediately if anything is detected.

[Annie18]

Hello! I noticed some kind of a bug on the leaf in the morning. What should I do now? How should I treat it?

[kspalding]

Hard to tell without a pic or description of the bug. I would do what I call a wash. Take the plant and rinse it completely with luke warm water. This can be difficult to do though if it is sensitive to repot right now. You would have to wash and then resoil to eliminate the possibility of insects breeding in the soil.

[lijun]

I agree with Ray. I have always tried to use as little chemical spraying as possible. Having said that, when it is needed, make sure to use at the recommended dosage. The best thing is keeping healthy plants and clean environment. If a single plant becomes infected separate it from other plants immediately and then treat as necessary. If you have to keep it in the growing area put it in a large clear bag after treating and keep it in the shade.

Sorry to ask,.. but,. Would like to know,.. whats the reason to put infected plant in the shade?

[78Terp]

I believe it is to keep the plant from cooking in a closed bag in the sun.