The water runs through the medium in *all* of our orchid pots. The point is
to water heavily, when you water. Then the Phals won't shrivel.

Diana

"Manelli Family" wrote in message
...

"Ray B" wrote in message
news:O0Qjj.8782$ib7.7216@trndny04...
I suspect I have even less time than most....

In addition to running the orchid-related business, which takes up about
25-30 hours a week, I have a full-time job in the chemical industry, and
my office is 50 miles west of here, so I am typically gone 11 or 12 hours
daily, and that's when I'm not out-of-town.

My point was that it is not a good idea to dunk plants, not that the dunk
tank should be cleaned and refilled for each plant.

I believe in watering the top of the pot and letting it drain. Yes,
water splashing from one plant to the next can spread pathogens, but not
as easily as sharing the same bucket of water.

Here I agree but watering mine instead of soaking doesn't work. The water
runs right through the chunks of medium and the phals start to shrivel.


--

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


"Manelli Family" wrote in message
...

"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.