Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes in
writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah, right,
remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a better chance
of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you really
value becasue they are right more often than not in your experience? Or
they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My brain
also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says is virus
really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that streaking
tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the leaves
of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture, thrips,
cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old fungus/batcterial
spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check them all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone would
cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the scientist
in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last time. Yeah,
that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no matter what.
That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the others
and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able to
go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves are,
*G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a dry
pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water or mist
plicate leaves.)

I *get* the writing it out to put thoughts in order. If I'm really, really
angry (doesn't happen all that often, but when it does it ain't pretty), I
try to put it all in a letter to the transgressor. By the time I'm finished
I don't have to send it. Of course, today we have that infernal *send*
button, so ya gotta be careful.

Anyway:

Hypothetical question: What if you have every plant tested and 50% of them
test positive? What would you do?

Another question: What's wrong with testing just the one plant at issue?

Still another question: What makes you think your plants are the only one
with yucky leaves? G

And the $64,000 question: How many large collections do you suppose are
truly 100% virus free?

Diana


"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes
in writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah,
right, remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a better
chance of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you
really value becasue they are right more often than not in your
experience? Or they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My
brain also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says
is virus really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that
streaking tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the
leaves of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture,
thrips, cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old
fungus/batcterial spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check them
all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone
would cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the
scientist in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last
time. Yeah, that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no
matter what. That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the others
and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able
to go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves
are, *G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a
dry pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water or
mist plicate leaves.)

Oh, and one more thing: Have you consulted the Orchid Gods??

Diana

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
.. .
I *get* the writing it out to put thoughts in order. If I'm really, really
angry (doesn't happen all that often, but when it does it ain't pretty), I
try to put it all in a letter to the transgressor. By the time I'm finished
I don't have to send it. Of course, today we have that infernal *send*
button, so ya gotta be careful.

Anyway:

Hypothetical question: What if you have every plant tested and 50% of them
test positive? What would you do?

Another question: What's wrong with testing just the one plant at issue?

Still another question: What makes you think your plants are the only one
with yucky leaves? G

And the $64,000 question: How many large collections do you suppose are
truly 100% virus free?

Diana


"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes
in writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah,
right, remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a
better chance of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you
really value becasue they are right more often than not in your
experience? Or they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My
brain also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says
is virus really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that
streaking tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the
leaves of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture,
thrips, cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old
fungus/batcterial spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check
them all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone
would cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the
scientist in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last
time. Yeah, that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no
matter what. That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the
others and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able
to go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves
are, *G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a
dry pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water
or mist plicate leaves.)

Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
.. .
I *get* the writing it out to put thoughts in order. If I'm really, really
angry (doesn't happen all that often, but when it does it ain't pretty), I
try to put it all in a letter to the transgressor. By the time I'm finished
I don't have to send it. Of course, today we have that infernal *send*
button, so ya gotta be careful.

Anyway:

Hypothetical question: What if you have every plant tested and 50% of them
test positive? What would you do?

I thought of that. Old orchid growers say that any orchid grown for the cut
flower trade is guaranteed to be virused... as long as the virus didn;t
affect the flower the plant was allowed to grow. Which shoud make people
wonder... But to directly answer your question... if a plant I didn't truely
love showed up as virused I'd toss it. If it was my Owen Holmes.. I'd have
to think about it.... but I'd probably eventually toss it. (slicing throat)



Another question: What's wrong with testing just the one plant at issue?


Gasp! But what of the ones living just next to the plant in question|??
Viruses travel by damage to the leaf...either by sucking insect (thrip) or
just plain old bumping, dropping damage....... how would one know or be
sure??? (See?? I've been in health care too long. LOL!!! You'd think I was
talking about HIV)

Still another question: What makes you think your plants are the only one
with yucky leaves? G


Lord love you!! I hate to think I'm the only one with crappy leaves!! But
I've seen all your pics and I know better!



And the $64,000 question: How many large collections do you suppose are
truly 100% virus free?

Not a goddamn one! There lies the rub. Should *I* keep virused orchids?
Would it damage my image with the tribe? The world ain't a small place
anymore.....

K

I'm burning incese even as i type.....

K

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
.. .
Oh, and one more thing: Have you consulted the Orchid Gods??

Diana

KB,

I find that there are some cranky old orchid growers who seem to get
pleasure out of telling people that their plant is gonna die or has virus.
I know one such person who is an AOS judge and been around since William
Cattley grew his stuff. Hey Bill, you should throw those things out. I
think they are virused. Look at the leaves! Good thing Bill didn't
listen!

If you are worried about the plant just mark it with a tag (I use big red
tags for watch plants). Use extra care when repotting and cutting this
plant and wait it out. See if the flowers are affected. The streak in a
leaf could be a cultural thing. If the plant goes into decline or the
flowers look infected they get rid of it.

Somewhere I recently read a comment that every orchid greenhouse that has
been used for any length of time has viruses around.

Good Growing,
Gene



"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes
in writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah,
right, remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a better
chance of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you
really value becasue they are right more often than not in your
experience? Or they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My
brain also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says
is virus really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that
streaking tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the
leaves of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture,
thrips, cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old
fungus/batcterial spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check them
all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone
would cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the
scientist in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last
time. Yeah, that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no
matter what. That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the others
and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able
to go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves
are, *G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a
dry pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water or
mist plicate leaves.)

But to directly answer your question... if a plant I didn't truely
love showed up as virused I'd toss it. If it was my Owen Holmes.. I'd have
to think about it.... but I'd probably eventually toss it. (slicing
throat)

Agreed, 100%.

Gasp! But what of the ones living just next to the plant in question|??
Viruses travel by damage to the leaf...either by sucking insect (thrip) or
just plain old bumping, dropping damage....... how would one know or be
sure??? (See?? I've been in health care too long. LOL!!! You'd think I was
talking about HIV)

Yeah, but what if the plant in question is just fine? That would eliminate
all the other issues in that paragraph!

I hate to think I'm the only one with crappy leaves!! But
I've seen all your pics and I know better!

Trust me. I have some plants with *very* crappy looking leaves. When we take
pictures we don't generally try to include the garbage, LOL!

Diana

Gene, you hit it right on. At a show a year or so ago, a judge noticed that
a Laelia anceps was about to throw up another bloom. The timing was off a
bit. She said she hoped the plant (as healthy a specimen as one is likely to
see) wasn't about to die. The owner, who has some of the most magnificent
orchids around and keeps a spotless environment, was scandalized. Needless
to say, the plant is thriving.

Diana

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news:Gk9Ph.114$P84.7@trnddc07...
KB,

I find that there are some cranky old orchid growers who seem to get
pleasure out of telling people that their plant is gonna die or has virus.
I know one such person who is an AOS judge and been around since William
Cattley grew his stuff. Hey Bill, you should throw those things out. I
think they are virused. Look at the leaves! Good thing Bill didn't
listen!

If you are worried about the plant just mark it with a tag (I use big red
tags for watch plants). Use extra care when repotting and cutting this
plant and wait it out. See if the flowers are affected. The streak in a
leaf could be a cultural thing. If the plant goes into decline or the
flowers look infected they get rid of it.

Somewhere I recently read a comment that every orchid greenhouse that has
been used for any length of time has viruses around.

Good Growing,
Gene



"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes
in writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah,
right, remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a
better chance of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you
really value becasue they are right more often than not in your
experience? Or they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My
brain also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says
is virus really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that
streaking tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the
leaves of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture,
thrips, cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old
fungus/batcterial spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check
them all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone
would cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the
scientist in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last
time. Yeah, that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no
matter what. That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the
others and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able
to go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves
are, *G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a
dry pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water
or mist plicate leaves.)

You are succeeding in making me feel better....

K

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
.. .
But to directly answer your question... if a plant I didn't truely
love showed up as virused I'd toss it. If it was my Owen Holmes.. I'd
have to think about it.... but I'd probably eventually toss it. (slicing
throat)

Agreed, 100%.

Gasp! But what of the ones living just next to the plant in question|??
Viruses travel by damage to the leaf...either by sucking insect (thrip)
or just plain old bumping, dropping damage....... how would one know or
be sure??? (See?? I've been in health care too long. LOL!!! You'd think I
was talking about HIV)

Yeah, but what if the plant in question is just fine? That would eliminate
all the other issues in that paragraph!

I hate to think I'm the only one with crappy leaves!! But
I've seen all your pics and I know better!

Trust me. I have some plants with *very* crappy looking leaves. When we
take pictures we don't generally try to include the garbage, LOL!

Diana

You know, I thought about the red tag thing last night.... are you sure we
don't have some sort of a weird Al telepathy thing going on?

Between you and Diana I've started feeling better about things.

I think I'll just have the few that have bloomed weird tested, and then mark
the rest with tags. One of my awarded mini catts bloomed with streaks this
time, which I chalked up to the Orthene I used (it was very old Orthene),
but I'd actually like to be sure. As well as the plant that caused all this
commotion in the first place, as well as a few that I've wondered about
myself.... no time like the present to learn to trust one's gut.

Anyway, thanks for your input!

K


"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news:Gk9Ph.114$P84.7@trnddc07...
KB,

I find that there are some cranky old orchid growers who seem to get
pleasure out of telling people that their plant is gonna die or has virus.
I know one such person who is an AOS judge and been around since William
Cattley grew his stuff. Hey Bill, you should throw those things out. I
think they are virused. Look at the leaves! Good thing Bill didn't
listen!

If you are worried about the plant just mark it with a tag (I use big red
tags for watch plants). Use extra care when repotting and cutting this
plant and wait it out. See if the flowers are affected. The streak in a
leaf could be a cultural thing. If the plant goes into decline or the
flowers look infected they get rid of it.

Somewhere I recently read a comment that every orchid greenhouse that has
been used for any length of time has viruses around.

Good Growing,
Gene



"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes
in writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah,
right, remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a
better chance of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you
really value becasue they are right more often than not in your
experience? Or they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My
brain also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says
is virus really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that
streaking tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the
leaves of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture,
thrips, cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old
fungus/batcterial spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check
them all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone
would cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the
scientist in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last
time. Yeah, that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no
matter what. That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the
others and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able
to go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves
are, *G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a
dry pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water
or mist plicate leaves.)

Good!

Diana

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
You are succeeding in making me feel better....

K

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
.. .
But to directly answer your question... if a plant I didn't truely
love showed up as virused I'd toss it. If it was my Owen Holmes.. I'd
have to think about it.... but I'd probably eventually toss it. (slicing
throat)

Agreed, 100%.

Gasp! But what of the ones living just next to the plant in question|??
Viruses travel by damage to the leaf...either by sucking insect (thrip)
or just plain old bumping, dropping damage....... how would one know or
be sure??? (See?? I've been in health care too long. LOL!!! You'd think
I was talking about HIV)

Yeah, but what if the plant in question is just fine? That would
eliminate all the other issues in that paragraph!

I hate to think I'm the only one with crappy leaves!! But
I've seen all your pics and I know better!

Trust me. I have some plants with *very* crappy looking leaves. When we
take pictures we don't generally try to include the garbage, LOL!

Diana

I just read you post and the replies that have come in up to now. I'll
offer my opinion of what you should do because I know what I would do if
I was in your situation. (Actually, I am in you situation but on a
smaller scale.)
If you don't mind too much spending the $100 or so, then go on and test
the the plants you wonder about the most. After those results come in,
you can decide if you are done or not. What if you tested 20 plants but
only 3 or 4 of those most suspicious plants turned out to be virused? I
would toss the bad ones and relax. Few of the untested plants are likely
to be virused.
On the other hand, if 12 or 15 of those worst looking ones have a virus,
I would continue testing another batch to see how they turn out. Keep
track of those already tested. If I could find green tags, that would be
a good color tag to use in the ones that tested clear of virus. Maybe
the red tags for any virused plants that you don't dump right away for
whatever reason.
That's what I think you should do and I should quit putting it off and
do the same thing. I hate the thought of finding out that I should throw
away some of my favorite plants that I have been growing for decades, in
some cases. Ignorance is bliss, I guess, but knowledge is power.

Steve








K Barrett wrote:
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes in
writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah, right,
remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a better chance
of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you really
value becasue they are right more often than not in your experience? Or
they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My brain
also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says is virus
really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that streaking
tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the leaves
of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture, thrips,
cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old fungus/batcterial
spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check them all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone would
cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the scientist
in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last time. Yeah,
that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no matter what.
That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the others
and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able to
go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves are,
*G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a dry
pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water or mist
plicate leaves.)

Steve, why do yo uhave to be so *&(+^%$ sensible??

Diana

"Steve" wrote in message
...

I just read you post and the replies that have come in up to now. I'll
offer my opinion of what you should do because I know what I would do if I
was in your situation. (Actually, I am in you situation but on a smaller
scale.)
If you don't mind too much spending the $100 or so, then go on and test
the the plants you wonder about the most. After those results come in, you
can decide if you are done or not. What if you tested 20 plants but only
3 or 4 of those most suspicious plants turned out to be virused? I would
toss the bad ones and relax. Few of the untested plants are likely to be
virused.
On the other hand, if 12 or 15 of those worst looking ones have a virus, I
would continue testing another batch to see how they turn out. Keep track
of those already tested. If I could find green tags, that would be a good
color tag to use in the ones that tested clear of virus. Maybe the red
tags for any virused plants that you don't dump right away for whatever
reason.
That's what I think you should do and I should quit putting it off and do
the same thing. I hate the thought of finding out that I should throw away
some of my favorite plants that I have been growing for decades, in some
cases. Ignorance is bliss, I guess, but knowledge is power.

Steve








K Barrett wrote:
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes
in writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah,
right, remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a
better chance of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you
really value becasue they are right more often than not in your
experience? Or they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My
brain also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says
is virus really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that
streaking tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the
leaves of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture,
thrips, cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old
fungus/batcterial spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check
them all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone
would cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the
scientist in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last
time. Yeah, that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no
matter what. That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the
others and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able
to go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves
are, *G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a
dry pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water
or mist plicate leaves.)

As a matter of fact I can find green tags. so I'll put red tags in the
suspects, green tags in the clean ones... Kind of like Clue! Col. Mustard
in the greenhouse with secateurs...

I bought a bunch of freezer bags to send 20-30 samples to Critter Creek
Labs. I'm keeping them isolated from teh rest on the bench until I get a
report from CC Lab

Thanks Steve!

K

"Steve" wrote in message
...

I just read you post and the replies that have come in up to now. I'll
offer my opinion of what you should do because I know what I would do if I
was in your situation. (Actually, I am in you situation but on a smaller
scale.)
If you don't mind too much spending the $100 or so, then go on and test
the the plants you wonder about the most. After those results come in, you
can decide if you are done or not. What if you tested 20 plants but only
3 or 4 of those most suspicious plants turned out to be virused? I would
toss the bad ones and relax. Few of the untested plants are likely to be
virused.
On the other hand, if 12 or 15 of those worst looking ones have a virus, I
would continue testing another batch to see how they turn out. Keep track
of those already tested. If I could find green tags, that would be a good
color tag to use in the ones that tested clear of virus. Maybe the red
tags for any virused plants that you don't dump right away for whatever
reason.
That's what I think you should do and I should quit putting it off and do
the same thing. I hate the thought of finding out that I should throw away
some of my favorite plants that I have been growing for decades, in some
cases. Ignorance is bliss, I guess, but knowledge is power.

Steve








K Barrett wrote:
Sorry, but I just gotta talk. I probably won't even post this, sometimes
in writing a solution becomes clear or I get my thoughts in order (yeah,
right, remember my thoughts resemble Wendy's tags, except she has a
better chance of straightening hers out.)

You know how you get mentors in this hobby. People whose opinion you
really value becasue they are right more often than not in your
experience? Or they've been growing orchids for a million years?

Well I'm stuck between two of them with opposing opinions.

Mentor #1 says a plant I have has virus, Mentor #2 says no way.

My brain says the only way to be sure is to have the plant tested. My
brain also says if the vague streaking in the leaves that Mentor #1 says
is virus really *is* virus then I'd better have every plant with that
streaking tested. Only one way to be sure.

My brain also says there are so many oddball spots and streaks in the
leaves of all my orchids (which I have been pertaining to poor culture,
thrips, cytotoxic effects from Orthene, and just plain old
fungus/batcterial spotting) that if I check one, I may as well check
them all....

Ack! We'd be talking about thousands of dollars. The Cattleyas alone
would cost me $800. The whole collection about $2500. If not more.

So of course the other side of my brain is now second guessing the
scientist in me. Maybe I'll only test the ones that bloomed weird last
time. Yeah, that's the ticket. And the one's that get weird spots no
matter what. That'd be about $100, maybe $125. That's do-able.

But the other brain is screaming at me! No! Thats' just spot checking!
You'd never really be *sure*. You'll never rest until you KNOW!

So I don't know what to do.

I'll probably just check the 20-30 plants that are weirder than the
others and see if I can decide from there.

Maybe keep really good records of what the symptoms are so I may be able
to go back and diagnose from that. Spots OK, streaks bad. Like that.

[sigh]

I hate this.

K Barrett
(now you know why I usually comment on how clean other people's leaves
are, *G*.)(Now you also know why I usually tell people not to fertilize a
dry pot, not to use insecticide on a dry pot, and not to overhead water
or mist plicate leaves.)