I posted this on the OGD in order to get a wider variety of input, but then
Peter Croezen started up yammering about some god forsaken place in South
America, so I doubt anyone there will answer me, they'll be too interested
in watching the trainwreck that always seems to follow Peter's posts. So I
come to rgo for some ideas.

For the past 2-3-4 years the inflorescences on my catts haven't been
emerging from their sheathes. They've been getting shorter and shorter
until now the flowers open inside the sheathe. I turned over a new leaf
this January and have been taking better care of my orchids, being sure they
are watered, fertilized and disease free. Yet this has been getting worse
and worse as time goes on.

I'm puzzled. What am I doing wrong?

http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath1.JPG and
http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath2.JPG

Kathy, Have you used a systemic insecticide in the last year or
so? About 5 years ago there was Cygon available (Now off the shelf)
Anyway I always red tagged a plant & kept notes on what treatment I
used etc.
Well I noticed this going on with most of my red tagged plants,
as well as a lot of deformed or mutant flowers?
Just a thought?
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

K Barrett wrote:
I posted this on the OGD in order to get a wider variety of input,
but then Peter Croezen started up yammering about some god forsaken
place in South America, so I doubt anyone there will answer me,
they'll be too interested in watching the trainwreck that always
seems to follow Peter's posts. So I come to rgo for some ideas.

For the past 2-3-4 years the inflorescences on my catts haven't been
emerging from their sheathes. They've been getting shorter and
shorter until now the flowers open inside the sheathe. I turned
over a new leaf this January and have been taking better care of my
orchids, being sure they are watered, fertilized and disease free.
Yet this has been getting worse and worse as time goes on.

I'm puzzled. What am I doing wrong?

http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath1.JPG and
http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath2.JPG

Kathy, Have you used a systemic insecticide in the last year or
so? About 5 years ago there was Cygon available (Now off the shelf)
Anyway I always red tagged a plant & kept notes on what treatment I
used etc.
Well I noticed this going on with most of my red tagged plants,
as well as a lot of deformed or mutant flowers?
Just a thought?
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

K Barrett wrote:
I posted this on the OGD in order to get a wider variety of input,
but then Peter Croezen started up yammering about some god forsaken
place in South America, so I doubt anyone there will answer me,
they'll be too interested in watching the trainwreck that always
seems to follow Peter's posts. So I come to rgo for some ideas.

For the past 2-3-4 years the inflorescences on my catts haven't been
emerging from their sheathes. They've been getting shorter and
shorter until now the flowers open inside the sheathe. I turned
over a new leaf this January and have been taking better care of my
orchids, being sure they are watered, fertilized and disease free.
Yet this has been getting worse and worse as time goes on.

I'm puzzled. What am I doing wrong?

http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath1.JPG and
http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath2.JPG

Kathy, Have you used a systemic insecticide in the last year or
so? About 5 years ago there was Cygon available (Now off the shelf)
Anyway I always red tagged a plant & kept notes on what treatment I
used etc.
Well I noticed this going on with most of my red tagged plants,
as well as a lot of deformed or mutant flowers?
Just a thought?
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

K Barrett wrote:
I posted this on the OGD in order to get a wider variety of input,
but then Peter Croezen started up yammering about some god forsaken
place in South America, so I doubt anyone there will answer me,
they'll be too interested in watching the trainwreck that always
seems to follow Peter's posts. So I come to rgo for some ideas.

For the past 2-3-4 years the inflorescences on my catts haven't been
emerging from their sheathes. They've been getting shorter and
shorter until now the flowers open inside the sheathe. I turned
over a new leaf this January and have been taking better care of my
orchids, being sure they are watered, fertilized and disease free.
Yet this has been getting worse and worse as time goes on.

I'm puzzled. What am I doing wrong?

http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath1.JPG and
http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath2.JPG

Yes, I have been being swamped by scale and themn mealies, so it might be
teh systemic... good thought! The coeuleas never got treated with the
stuff, and those have good stems. OK I'll take that into account

K

"wendy7" wrote in message
news:rkM1d.39035$9Y5.23376@fed1read02...
Kathy, Have you used a systemic insecticide in the last year or
so? About 5 years ago there was Cygon available (Now off the shelf)
Anyway I always red tagged a plant & kept notes on what treatment I
used etc.
Well I noticed this going on with most of my red tagged plants,
as well as a lot of deformed or mutant flowers?
Just a thought?
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

K Barrett wrote:
I posted this on the OGD in order to get a wider variety of input,
but then Peter Croezen started up yammering about some god forsaken
place in South America, so I doubt anyone there will answer me,
they'll be too interested in watching the trainwreck that always
seems to follow Peter's posts. So I come to rgo for some ideas.

For the past 2-3-4 years the inflorescences on my catts haven't been
emerging from their sheathes. They've been getting shorter and
shorter until now the flowers open inside the sheathe. I turned
over a new leaf this January and have been taking better care of my
orchids, being sure they are watered, fertilized and disease free.
Yet this has been getting worse and worse as time goes on.

I'm puzzled. What am I doing wrong?

http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath1.JPG and
http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath2.JPG

Hi Wendy,

Yes, I agree that insecticides may deter formation of buds; however, if
the plant is a first bloomer it may rid the sheaths for a year or two.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wendy7 wrote:

Kathy, Have you used a systemic insecticide in the last year or
so? About 5 years ago there was Cygon available (Now off the shelf)
Anyway I always red tagged a plant & kept notes on what treatment I
used etc.
Well I noticed this going on with most of my red tagged plants,
as well as a lot of deformed or mutant flowers?
Just a thought?
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

K Barrett wrote:
I posted this on the OGD in order to get a wider variety of input,
but then Peter Croezen started up yammering about some god forsaken
place in South America, so I doubt anyone there will answer me,
they'll be too interested in watching the trainwreck that always
seems to follow Peter's posts. So I come to rgo for some ideas.

For the past 2-3-4 years the inflorescences on my catts haven't been
emerging from their sheathes. They've been getting shorter and
shorter until now the flowers open inside the sheathe. I turned
over a new leaf this January and have been taking better care of my
orchids, being sure they are watered, fertilized and disease free.
Yet this has been getting worse and worse as time goes on.

I'm puzzled. What am I doing wrong?

http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath1.JPG and
http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath2.JPG

Hi Wendy,

Yes, I agree that insecticides may deter formation of buds; however, if
the plant is a first bloomer it may rid the sheaths for a year or two.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wendy7 wrote:

Kathy, Have you used a systemic insecticide in the last year or
so? About 5 years ago there was Cygon available (Now off the shelf)
Anyway I always red tagged a plant & kept notes on what treatment I
used etc.
Well I noticed this going on with most of my red tagged plants,
as well as a lot of deformed or mutant flowers?
Just a thought?
--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

K Barrett wrote:
I posted this on the OGD in order to get a wider variety of input,
but then Peter Croezen started up yammering about some god forsaken
place in South America, so I doubt anyone there will answer me,
they'll be too interested in watching the trainwreck that always
seems to follow Peter's posts. So I come to rgo for some ideas.

For the past 2-3-4 years the inflorescences on my catts haven't been
emerging from their sheathes. They've been getting shorter and
shorter until now the flowers open inside the sheathe. I turned
over a new leaf this January and have been taking better care of my
orchids, being sure they are watered, fertilized and disease free.
Yet this has been getting worse and worse as time goes on.

I'm puzzled. What am I doing wrong?

http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath1.JPG and
http://www.orchidtrek.com/sheath2.JPG

Yes, I have been being swamped by scale and themn mealies, so it might be

It seems a lot of people post about major insect problems. In my experience
scale and mealy bug problems have more to do with the growing enviornment than
anything else.

If you are have major problems simply spraying for insects without correcting
the underlying cause does not work in the long term.

Low humidity and keeping plants too dry overall seems to attract scale and
especially mealy. Perhaps you might want to examine your watering habits and
see if increasing the humidity will reduce the problems.

I can't tell you the last time I sprayed an insecticide in my greenhouse. If I
ever need to spray I would use Knox-Out since it is very effective and will not
damage flowers or buds.

Yes, I have been being swamped by scale and themn mealies, so it might be

It seems a lot of people post about major insect problems. In my experience
scale and mealy bug problems have more to do with the growing enviornment than
anything else.

If you are have major problems simply spraying for insects without correcting
the underlying cause does not work in the long term.

Low humidity and keeping plants too dry overall seems to attract scale and
especially mealy. Perhaps you might want to examine your watering habits and
see if increasing the humidity will reduce the problems.

I can't tell you the last time I sprayed an insecticide in my greenhouse. If I
ever need to spray I would use Knox-Out since it is very effective and will not
damage flowers or buds.

What environmental problems attract spider mites?

I didn't seem to have a severe problem till i shuttered my orchids in for 2
days while frances blew overhead.

Thanks,
Philippe

What environmental problems attract spider mites?

I didn't seem to have a severe problem till i shuttered my orchids in for 2
days while frances blew overhead.

Thanks,
Philippe

Warmth and low humidity.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..
"Philippe" wrote in message
9.195...
What environmental problems attract spider mites?

I didn't seem to have a severe problem till i shuttered my orchids in for
2
days while frances blew overhead.

Thanks,
Philippe

Again, "warmth and low humidity" might be true; however, sheaths often don't
mature on immature plants.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray wrote:

Warmth and low humidity.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
.
"Philippe" wrote in message
9.195...
What environmental problems attract spider mites?

I didn't seem to have a severe problem till i shuttered my orchids in for
2
days while frances blew overhead.

Thanks,
Philippe

Again, "warmth and low humidity" might be true; however, sheaths often don't
mature on immature plants.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray wrote:

Warmth and low humidity.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
.
"Philippe" wrote in message
9.195...
What environmental problems attract spider mites?

I didn't seem to have a severe problem till i shuttered my orchids in for
2
days while frances blew overhead.

Thanks,
Philippe

Read more than the subject, Pam. The question was about spider mites, not
non-blooming sheaths.

insert grin here

Besides, despite my comment, it seems unlikely that temperature and humidity
are issues during a hurricane. Upon rereading the issue, I'd bet the bugs
were already present.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..
"profpam" wrote in message ...
Again, "warmth and low humidity" might be true; however, sheaths often
don't
mature on immature plants.

. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray wrote:

Warmth and low humidity.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
.
"Philippe" wrote in message
9.195...
What environmental problems attract spider mites?

I didn't seem to have a severe problem till i shuttered my orchids in
for
2
days while frances blew overhead.

Thanks,
Philippe