Treating Orchids Grown in the House

[Phred]

One of the difficulties of growing orchids in the house, whether under lights or in front of the window, is treating them with chemicals. Sooner than later, if you bring new plants into your collection, you’ll end up with a pest, bacterial or fungal problem that needs attention. In the summer you can bring your plants outside to spray them but in the winter it may be too cold. You won’t want the chemicals you’re using to go down the drain so it’s a good idea to have an alternative setup for those situations. I use a plastic file folder box I got at Walmart. You’ll want to put something in the bottom you can place your orchid on so it can drain. I use a piece of plastic egg crate on 4 small pots. When I spray the plant everything stays in the box and the treated plant can drain. I empty the water into a pail then dump it under one of the trees in the yard. Today I treated some plants with acephate as a precaution.

 

[musa]

A good setup. I just wonder what is the difference between damping chemicals in the drain and in the backyard? Using the backyard they will go to the groundwater and end up in tabwater again. But it is definitley a good thing to be aware of the problem in using chemicals which we can't avoid sometimes.