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Old 06-01-2004, 06:06 PM
Rob Halgren
 
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Default cleaning orchid leaves




I guess somebody else will have to try it, I can't get ABPO. *grin*



Grin right back at you! I would be more than happy to post for you! ;-)



Hmmm. What other lame excuse can I come up with... Actually I
don't have any hard water marks on my cattleyas... There, that is a good
one. And true, since I use only RO water... And I don't really have
that many cattleyas.

Although since I've been called out on it, I will donate a plant to
science and see what happens. I'll even wear gloves. So, with a low
number of replicates (1) it counts for beans, but how about this for an
experiment...

One leaf washed with 1N sulphuric acid (battery acid - IIRC,
although to be a true test I should use the same concentration as in a
car battery. Anybody know?)
One leaf washed with 0.1N sulphuric acid
One leaf washed with 1N acetic acid
One leaf washed with 0.1N acetic acid
One leaf left unwashed

Observations at 0,1,3,7, and 14 days.

I can't get sulphamic acid (actually I can, but I'd have to wait
several weeks to get it), and I don't think I have any oxalic acid.

I think I have an old Hausermanns yellow cattleya that has enough
leads on it to try the experiment, although it isn't particularly well
grown. Any other conditions I should try?

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit