Clean New Orchid Plants to Defeat Pests

As with any plant we like to grow, orchids attract natural enemies, including insects and other small creatures. The major threats include red spiders, cockroaches, thrips, beetles, snails and slugs.

To grow orchids successfully, you must take measures to defeat these pests before they can damage your plants. There are specific things you can do for each kind of pest. Thorough cleanliness is your best defense against all pests.

In spite of all agriculture control efforts, pests will ride along with a certain percentage of imported plants.But even nursery grown orchids can have pests clinging to their roots, or hiding in their potting soil.

Check all new plants thoroughly before bringing them into your home. Before anything else, you should destroy every pest that you can find by visual inspection. If you don. The flowers will be destroyed by these marauders, as well -- a frustrating situation after you've lavised much care and expense on your plant.

Especially if you have other orchids in your garden or greenhouse or home, you should treat every new plant with suspicion. You would be wise to isolate it from your other plants for a few days. If you spot insects on it, do not put off the task of rdding it of them.

Washing every part of a plant will practically ensure that no pests will escape destruction. Undoubtedly, the most effective procedure is to fully cleanse the bulbs and foliage. Carefully tap the plant out of its pot, trim off any decayed roots, wash the good roots in clean water, and then re-pot using new material and a clean container.

If executed efficiently, this is a sure means of eliminating those pests that a novice orchid grower would need to search closely for to see. Some pests might show up in the form of tiny eggs. Others appear as insects but are so tiny they cannot be seen without a magnifying glass. Cleaning your plants as recomomended above will get rid of all traces of pests, including those the eye cannot see.

A good guide to orchid growing will have many more tips and suggestions for making sure that a pest doesn't put an end to your prized plants. The most complete guide to modern orchid cultivation, in the opinion of many, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Howard's wonderful guide will furnish a complete immersion in the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of articles on all topics of orchid cultivation.