Help with mealybugs on baisal keiki
sd2102 (8b PNW)
7 years ago
I have an orchid that put out a basal keiki as it was dying last fall. The basal keiki has done really well, it has 2 larger leaves (possibly a 3rd leaf growing from below) and 2 roots (one fat one about 2-3 inches long and a skinnier one about the same length). But I just discovered what appears to be mealybugs on it.
I've attached 2 pictures to show what the plant looks like and the mealybugs.
On closer inspection, I see white stuff around all the leaves and some of the roots so I unpotted the orchid and have thrown out the bark.
I had originally planned to leave the keiki attached as the plant seemed happy and I didn't want to disrupt it, but I'm wondering if it makes sense to just separate it as it will be easier to clean the whole thing and not worry about the bugs lurking around the roots?
I used isopropyl alcohol to clean it because that's all I have at home, but I'm wondering if it makes sense to treat it with Bayer 3 in 1 (which I'll pick up this weekend) once it's been repotted?
I've also cleaned both pots that the orchid sits in and soaked it in some diluted alcohol just to be safe.
I also have 3 small succulents that sat next to it. I'm having a hard time determining if they spread to those plants because of their coloring- is it possible/likely? Should I isolate them and/or spray them with some diluted alcohol just to be safe? Or maybe I should post this on the succulents forum?
Is there anything else I should be doing?
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Comments (16)
shavedmonkey (Harvey in South Fl.)Z10b
7 years agosd2102 (8b PNW)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
Extra orchids?
Comments (18)Hi Harrison, Sorry for not being able to get back to you sooner. When growing orchids organically, I find the inoculation or encouragement of beneficial microbes (mainly good bacteria and mycelium) Into the growing medium to be of most importantance. They supply all the necessary nutrients to the plants through their life processes which include dieing and being eaten! The aim would be to establish large enough colonies to sustain the plants and protect them from disease. You can do this largely by watering correctly for the type of orchid you have with reverse osmosis water or rain water and avoiding the chemicals that prevent beneficials from establishing themselves. You can also add probiotics to the water. If you do a google search you can find probiotic products made specifically for orchids. Beneficial microbes feed off exudates excreated by the orchid roots. They also eat each other, many pests and any organic material in the medium, effectively locking up excess amounts. In exchange they supply the orchid with nutrients and hormones. Usually when I acquire a new orchid its first new lead (growth) will become smaller because I take it that the plant goes into a bit of a shock after being taken off chemicals and also because there just aren't enough established microbes in the medium ( it takes time). The fact that there are chemical residues in the medium that slow or prevent their establishment also doesn't help , but in time, as long as you avoid adding additional toxins and you water correctly, the good guys do establish. I find the orchids next growth after that to become very large. Whenever my orchids begin to show signs of new growth, I like to water with a weak aerated tea made from an organic fertilizer just to increase microbial activity. Always keep in mind that orchid roots require a lot of oxygen around their roots so don't over do it with anything or you will very well smother their roots. Its really all about finding the right balance and developing an "instinct" or at the least learning to read your plants correctly. Hope this helps with your experimenting! Its a lot of fun actually :)...See MoreIs heat or sun the problem?
Comments (27)It's work, but its work I like. The hardest thing is keeping it weeded. Once weed seeds get imported with new plants, they are there to stay. Sometimes I discover grace errors in plant selection as well, like the 20 foot Hong Kong Orchid tree (Bauhinia) I just dug out and removed this week...the size wasn't the problem, I could easily keep it pruned, but it became infested with mealybugs and I tried everything (I mean EVERYTHING) but I couldn;t get rid of them. Bayer Systemic for trees didn't work, Neem didn't work (the leaves of Bauhinia don't 'hold' moisture, it just slides off) Soap didn't work, Cygon, Orthene and Isotox didn;t work, and coffee didn't work. So out went this huge tree, in sections. There was enough root mass left to plant the tree in the yard though. It will grow here, I only had it in the greenhouse for effect by the streamhead. The speckled plant in photo #7 is a Neoregelia bromeliad, growing under the green and white variegated Philodendron. There are other spotted broms in photo #8, they are all Billbergias The pink flowers in #11 are from a small blooming Phalaenopsis orchid that is mounted on a log spanning the stream. This particular species Phal makes keikis (baby plants)on long stolons so it is slowly spreading in that while area....See MoreHelp reviving orchid
Comments (24)Hmm...not sure... Yeah, if the new leaf starts growing into the bark I'd say just move the bark out of the way. For roots, I think small nubs will begin to appear on the base of the keiki and elongate into roots. You should be able to tell which roots are coming from the keiki and which roots belong to the mother plant if you look closely. Here's an image from another post here (http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1558277/keikes-on-phals?n=40) of a keiki on a flower spike. Yours is a basal keiki, but I think the roots will look identical. See that nubbin on the bottom of the phal keiki? I think that's a root forming. Yours should look the same. Here's another pic of a healthy phal with a mature basal keiki from (http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3296393/phalaenopsis-leaf-growing-under-roots-and-media?n=5). You can sort of see which roots belong to the keiki and which roots belong to the mother plant. When you cut the keiki from the plant, make sure it has at least 3-5 roots, all at least maybe 5 inches long. Once your keiki is ready to be separated from the mother plant, I can post a video if you like of someone cutting a keiki from a mother phal. I'd say maybe a year until it's ready.* *Just estimating, other growers may probably have more experienced advice to give....See MoreMold issue with new potting media after repotting first phal
Comments (33)First of all, put down the orchid and step away. You're killing it with kindness. If you want, just leave the phalaenopis unpotted until you get back from your trip. Orchids are tougher than you think. In my early years, I used to nitpick about every little detail about caring for my orchids. And I killed many of them in the process. I had to learn the hard way that they can care for themselves, just as long as you give them what they need, plenty of water and bright indirect sunlight. I've had this rescue phal sitting outside all summer long without a pot or any orchid mix whatsoever. It was potted up, but I didn't care for it because it lost all of its leaves and I thought that it was dead. But then I noticed this basal keiki growing off to the side of it. That's when I removed it from its old potting mix and left it completely bareroot. I did this because its roots can photosynthesize energy just like their leaves can, and I wanted it to gather as much energy as possible to help it grow. So its been like this all summer long. All I do for it is spray it down with a garden hose whenever needed. But now that it's growing its third newest leaf, I'll finally get around to potting it up today. The vast majority of orchids are epiphytes, meaning they grow up on the trunks of trees in the rainforests. Potting them up is more for our convenience than it is theirs. Dousing your plants with fungicides won't do it any good....See More
westoh Z6
7 years agosd2102 (8b PNW)
7 years ago
goldstar135
7 years agolauraeli_
7 years agowestoh Z6
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agotommyr_gw Zone 6
7 years agosd2102 (8b PNW)
7 years agotommyr_gw Zone 6
7 years agoAndrew t
7 years agosd2102 (8b PNW)
7 years ago
Maritza Gonzalez
7 years agotommyr_gw Zone 6
7 years agowestoh Z6
7 years ago
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sd2102 (8b PNW)Original Author