"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
. ..
I know that contamination is hard to prevent. That doesn't mean I won't try
my best to keep disease from spreading. I do, in fact, wear latex gloves
when potting, and I change them frequently.

I don't wear gloves but do wash my hands with an antibacterial soap between
plants when repotting. Old potting media is composted for the vegetable
garden.


If I don't change a pair I'll
wash my hands with the gloves on, in a bleach or TSP solution. They are
much less costly than losing a favorite plant or worse, several. We keep a
bunch of sets of cutting tools so each can sit and sterilize for a while
before being used again.

Excellent, but not everyone an afford a bunch of sets of cutting tools.

I've seen how fast disease can move through an orchid collection even when
precautions are taken. I'm not about to add to the danger. But, that's me.
To each his own.

You still have insects to contend with and in some rural places such as
where I live, frogs going through the plants.


Diana
"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.