"Ray B" wrote in message
news:4Dmjj.11758$W73.2610@trnddc04...
Your thoughts are correct, but just as in a hospital, why would you do
something that you know is going to greatly increase the likelihood of
spreading it?

It would take much much much longer to dump and sterilize and refill the pan
after each orchid. I have a decent size collection. You may have more free
time than I do. Sterilizing the soaking pan after each plant is only
practical if one has few plants or plenty of free time.

Orchid roots are the most direct path into- and out of the plant, far more
so that through the foliage we come in contact with (that's one reason
foliar feeding is not very effective in them), and liquids are one of the
best media for a pathogen transfer.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"Manelli Family" wrote in message
...

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
. ..
The problem I have with the bucket method is that you can transfer
pathogens from one plant to the next. If at all possible, flush with a
hose, faucet or wand.

My thoughts are disease will travel in any case. On our hands, on our
clothes and shoes, insects can pass viral and bacterial disease from
plant to plant. We can move our plants around and unknowingly put a
clean pot where a diseased plant sat the day before. To prevent
contamination we would need to wear latex gloves and sterilize them
between plants. Each plant would have a spot and never be moved from it.
We would then still have bugs and insects to contend with. I've already
found frogs on my plants when spending the summer outdoors. Cross
contamination is very difficult to prevent.

I once worked in a hospital and known about contamination.