Pest and disease control techniques for homegrown orchids
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Orchids are susceptible to numerous pests and diseases, which can cause severe damage if not controlled promptly. Common diseases include viral diseases, white mold, and leaf spot. Prevention should begin with improving cultivation conditions and strengthening daily care. In the early stages of infection, viral diseases can be treated with a 1000-fold dilution of aspirin; white mold can be treated by diluting one vial of chloramphenicol injection with 1 kg of water and watering the affected plants once daily for two consecutive days; leaf spot can be treated with a 2000-fold dilution of penicillin every two days for 3-4 consecutive days. Major pests include scale insects , aphids, and spider mites. For orchids with few scale insects, remove them one by one with a toothpick or toothbrush; for large infestations, spray with a 500-700-fold dilution of malathion. Aphids can be effectively treated with a 500-fold dilution of 10% aphid-killing wettable powder.
I. Simple Pest Control Methods
: ⑴ Aphids: Mix 5 grams of laundry detergent with 1.2 kg of water, stir thoroughly, and spray. Spray once every 3 days, repeating 2-3 times for a 100% kill rate. ⑵ Snails: Pour beer into a shallow dish and place it on the ground or potting soil. Snails, attracted by the beer aroma, will crawl into the dish and drown. ⑶ Ants: Crush garlic cloves and bury them in 3-4 holes in the flowerpot soil. After 2-3 days, ants, earthworms, and nematodes in the soil will disappear. ⑷ Spider mites: Light mosquito coils containing pyrethrum and place them in the orchid pot . Seal the pot with a plastic cover and fumigate for 1 hour to kill spider mite eggs and adults. ⑸ Scale insects: Soak 500 grams of mature neem fruit in 1 kg of water for over a month, then extract the juice for later use. Use a 1:1000 dilution for prevention in late spring and early summer; if small scale insects are found, use a 1:500 dilution to kill them, once every 5 days, for a total of 3 times to kill the small scale insects.
II. Orchid Enthusiasts' Experience in Pest Control
1. Tobacco. Nicotine and nicotine in cigarettes can control pests such as aphids, spider mites, stink bugs, and ants.
Preparation: ① Soak 40 grams of tobacco leaves or stems in 1 kg of water for 24 hours. Filter and dilute with an equal amount of water. Add 2-3 grams of laundry detergent to dissolve (if using shredded tobacco, the concentration can be higher; adding laundry detergent helps with adhesion and also has an insecticidal effect). ② If a weighing device is unavailable, soak several cigarette butts (without paper) in about 30 times their volume of water until the water turns yellowish-brown, then add a small amount of laundry detergent to dissolve.
Filter the above-mentioned pesticide solution before use. Spray both sides of the leaves. For severe infestations, immerse the affected parts of the plant in the tobacco water for 1-3 hours, simultaneously soaking the potting mix . This will effectively kill pests on the leaves and in the soil. Remaining tobacco water can be poured into ant nests or sprinkled around the pot to kill ants. Burying unsoaked cigarette butts in the soil can control small flying insects.
Precautions: ① Contains nicotine; do not add vinegar, as this will weaken the insecticidal effect. ② If adding laundry detergent, rinse with clean water the day after spraying (or immediately after soaking). ③ If primarily used for scale insect control, it is best to add laundry detergent, or use laundry detergent alone.
2. Garlic. It can control pests such as aphids, spider mites, scale insects, and nematodes, and also helps prevent powdery mildew.
Preparation: Take a few cloves of purple-skinned garlic from northern regions, peel and crush them, dilute with 10-20 times the amount of water, and filter out the residue after 24 hours.
Spray the leaves with the prepared juice; pouring the residue and remaining juice into the pot can control nematodes and scale insects.
Note: Garlic juice has a certain viscosity; to prevent dust accumulation, rinse the leaves after a few days.
3. Leeks. Effective against aphids, spider mites, and other pests, especially aphids.
Preparation and use: Crush 500 grams of leeks, add 1.25 kg of water, soak for 24 hours, filter, and spray the supernatant three times every other day.
4. Onions. Effective against aphids, spider mites, and other pests, especially aphids.
Preparation and use: Soak 20 grams of onion scales in 1 kilogram of water for 24 hours before use. Spray 2-3 times consecutively within one week. To ensure full extraction of the active ingredients, onions can be chopped or crushed before soaking. Filter before use.
5. Dried red chili peppers. Effective against aphids, spider mites, whiteflies , and stink bugs.
Preparation and use: ① Thoroughly dry the dried chili peppers, grind them into a fine powder, add 50 grams of chili powder to 1 kg of water, boil for 10 minutes, then cool and filter. ② Take an appropriate amount of dried chili peppers, add 20 times the amount of water, boil for 20 minutes, cool, and filter. ③ Boil 250 grams of dried chili seeds in 2.5 kg of water for 30 minutes, cool, and filter.
Spray the leaves with the powder, and sprinkle a small amount of coarse powder on the surface of the potting soil; also spray the leaves and potting soil.
6. Wood ash. Can control aphids.
Preparation and use: Soak 1 part wood ash in 5 parts water for 24 hours, filter, and spray. Use this method for prevention, generally once a month. It is best to alternate between different methods. The above are folk remedies, suitable for orchid enthusiasts with limited resources. Professional orchid growers should use with caution!