Archive for January, 2009
Scale attack
Scale until recently was only a problem on my orchids. Lately down here in Houston it has become an outdoor problem as well. I wish it was as easy to fix on trees as it is on houseplants.
Scale is a group of insects that feed on plants. You’ll notice them on your houseplants as hard bumps about an 1/8″ to 1/16″ across and usually dark brown. They don’t move or look like bugs. Usually plants will have sticky areas along the leaves as well.
Scale can also be white and long, thin bumps. However, I’ve only seen these scales outside.
Scale insects suck the sap out of your plant.
Because of their protective shell the only time spray on insecticides help is when they are first born and crawling to the location where they will build a shell over themselves.
Luckily houseplants are small and I’ve found that placing the infected plant in the sink, washing the leaves with soapy water ( ~ 1 tablespoon dish soap to a gallon of water ) will remove all the scale.
I then follow up with an insecticidial oil spray.
More information:
Scale Insects
Keys to scale insects ( photos of various kinds of scale for identification )
Grow your orchids in glass containers
Growing orchids in glass containers is a nice way to modernize your display.
If you have orchids that are young or do not get large you can plant them in large glass containers. I have some planted in sphagnum moss, some in regular potting soil, others in bark.
The trick is to keep the roots moist with out letting water collect at the bottom of the container. And that is more difficult than it sounds.
I have a spray bottle with 10% the regular dose of fertilizer and water. When the roots stop looking green or the planting medium feels dry, I spray the plants until the roots and media are damp. I find that’s about twice a week in the winter when the house is dry. I spray them about once a week in the summer when it’s much more humid in here.
I find phalaenopsis do not do well in glass containers, every other orchid I’ve had in a glass container has thrived.
Cleaning the nooks and crannies of the glass containers can be a challenge. My favorite way is to use some table salt and ice and just shake it around the container. Other people have recommended salt and vinegar or alka seltzer or baking soda and vinegar.
