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

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
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"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
:
: