Wild life in flowerpots
I keep about 80 potted plants, some under lights in the basement and some
upstairs in living quarters in addition to 15 orchids. Most of them go outside in summer. In summer I do a small organic kitchen garden. I see a pot as a mini ecosystem. It should contain one or more plants, growing medium and composting bacteria, a lot of small invertebrates and sometimes even a little fungus, moss and or lichens. When orchids are put outside, the pots become populated, as they should. Most are beneficial to harmless. But, sometimes we get an unwelcome visitor, often one that can reproduce rapidly. So it is important that we identify what is there. [I am aware that disease can spread very rapidly in any crowded population and that some gardeners want to kill everything that moves.] On repotting my mini cats I found some things that were strange to me. The strangest was small, white, very hard, smaller than a pinhead, and round. They were many patches of them on the bark, on the dead roots and on the inside of the flowerpot. They were held together and to the surface with white strands that remind me of fungus mycelium in compost. I think they were too hard to be eggs or fungus, so I cannot guess what they might be. Has anyone here seen anything like this. Is there a website that might help to identify this and maybe an insect or two?? Thanks again, Ben |
Wild life in flowerpots
Hi Ben, I found this stuff in my orchid pots & did some extensive research.
I took a sample to our local Agricultural Dept. & they told me it was Saprophytic fungi. They could not tell me how to treat it. There are supposedly thousands of different types. I have tried many different antifungus treatments & found that repotting helps. One item I came up which is called PrimaStop but it is not allowed in Calif.? So now when I repot, I wash the plant with a Physan solution first. If you find out anything more I would love to hear from you. -- Cheers Wendy Remove PETERPAN for email reply "Ben Lurkin" wrote in message hlink.net... : : : On repotting my mini cats I found some things that were strange to me. The : strangest was small, white, very hard, smaller than a pinhead, and round. : They were many patches of them on the bark, on the dead roots and on the : inside of the flowerpot. They were held together and to the surface with : white strands that remind me of fungus mycelium in compost. I think they : were too hard to be eggs or fungus, so I cannot guess what they might be. : : : : Has anyone here seen anything like this. Is there a website that might help : to identify this and maybe an insect or two?? : : : : Thanks again, : : : : Ben : : |
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