Observations from a landscape (not greenhouse) gardener regarding
imidocloprid best use and best effect in zone 5a Maine.

God help you folks with greenhouses and orchids!

I'm using this product for 3rd annual application. I use it for pest
control of specifically japanese beetle and birch leaf borer, and
anything else that wants a piece of my landscaping.

I've found it works best on NEW growth. This seems to be shown true
with other posts. I'm applying it right now (5/6/07) as birches and
elms are just starting to swell leaf buds.

One fluid ounce of concentrate per inch of circumference of tree trunk
at chest height mixed in a gallon of water and watered in at base of
tree with dry ground and no rain expected for 24h hours and followed
with another gallon of water as a 'chaser'.

This is the ONLY way to get ALL edible parts of the trees. OLD
greenery on trees is not protected by late spring application, IF it's
your first application.

Chewing and sucking insects --- DIE! DIE! DIE!

This is a SYSTEMIC pesticide. I do NOT think that any 'foliar' or
'watering greenery' application techniques will have ANY effect,
except that product which hits the earth and is then taken up by root
system of plants. Note that there are folks posting this method of
application. I consider it a waste of time and product. Use other
appropriate pesticides for 'immediate' and 'application active'
effects.

The planning of early application (pre-greenery) and patience of
waiting for the little buggers to DARE chew/suck on greenery grown
from bud while soil treated have paid off well.

I also apply this to rugosa rose and clematis and wild filbert bushes
- whatever I've seen the ******* japanese beetles chewing on over the
past 14 years - scorched earth policy. These buggers are flying in
from other folks' lawns, because I have treated my minimal grassed
areas with nematodes, etc, to eradicate the larvae.

I cannot say what can and cannot be treated and at what application
rate with this product with greenhouse plants and orchids, but it must
be new growth for under 1 month initiation of protection and must
always be root application for effect. Treat all plants yearly from
smallest green thing onward?

I do think that it does stunt the rapid growth of elm trees, however.
I have three Elm Institute Dutch Elm resistant trees from 1991 - 1993
propagation and they do not seem to be growing with the 6 - 12 feet
leaps they used to have. It may be the imidocloprid and it may be
their current growth phase/size (40 -55 ft)

I've had the INTENSE and MULTIPLE pleasure of having a UMaine botony
master's student providing orchids in full bloom 'extracted' from the
Deering Greenhouses's and installed (temporarily) in my men's dorm
gang bathrooms (like they needed the moisture in bloom!?) back in the
early 1980's, so I can appreciate what some of you folks are enjoying.

Good luck. And, happy (bug) hunting!

Thanks.

ChristopherD