Topic: Any orchid experts out there?

[grannyjanny]

I have orchids & a couple of them have what I think are mealy bugs. I have tried using meths on a cotton bud but it's now very bad :'( :'(. If I were to put meths in a spray bottle & use it as a bug spray would that be to aggresive for them. 

[landimad]

Other half got one for christmas a couple of years back and hers was in flower.
Since then no flowers and no growth. still give it rainwater though.
Possibly mine in wrong place.

Not sure what to suggest as I am new to these as well. :-[

[tonybloke]

use a kiddies paint brush, get right into the leaf axils, and around the root area as well. meths is the best way to deal with them.
 ;)

[Digeroo]

I have several that I got from Lidl some of them have been going for 18 months. As soon as one flower finishes another one starts.  I have been giving them tap water. (Very hard!!!) I put the orchid pot on top of another pot and keep watering a little bit every few days.  The other pots are sainsbury's quark pots.  They fill with water and seem to keep the whole plant moist from below.  Important to keep the roots moist but not wet the leaves.  They also seem to like quite a sunny situation.  Have mine on a south facing windowsill, though there are a couple of shrubs giving a little bit of shade.  The instructions said not direct sun, but actually seem to like it a lot.

I moved them a couple of weeks ago from sitting room window into bedroom so window could be painted.  I have suddenly been getting blisters on the backs of my hands and my face.  Think it is something to do with the orchids.  Love the flowers looks like I am highly allergic to them.  End up half way through the night itching like mad.  Last night slept in spare room no itching.  My lovely orchids will have to go.

[BockingBill]

I have several that I got from Lidl some of them have been going for 18 months. As soon as one flower finishes another one starts.  I have been giving them tap water. (Very hard!!!) I put the orchid pot on top of another pot and keep watering a little bit every few days.  The other pots are sainsbury's quark pots.  They fill with water and seem to keep the whole plant moist from below.  Important to keep the roots moist but not wet the leaves.  They also seem to like quite a sunny situation.  Have mine on a south facing windowsill, though there are a couple of shrubs giving a little bit of shade.  The instructions said not direct sun, but actually seem to like it a lot.

I moved them a couple of weeks ago from sitting room window into bedroom so window could be painted.  I have suddenly been getting blisters on the backs of my hands and my face.  Think it is something to do with the orchids.  Love the flowers looks like I am highly allergic to them.  End up half way through the night itching like mad.  Last night slept in spare room no itching.  My lovely orchids will have to go.

Are you sure that it isn't the paint thats causing the blisters as I am allergic to paint.

As to the mealy bugs I find that they particularly like phalaenopsis and also a hard bug loves the cymbidium. Brush them with meths but in the end the plants seem to fade away what with all of the mealies and the meths. Found though that vandas, moth orchids and dendrobriums are all ok although right next to the others. So slowly but surely replacing the types that the mealies love with ones that aren't attacked.

[Digeroo]

No OH painted outside sitting room not inside bedroom.  Not had a problem with paint.   I have a problem with pollen from iris, seems also now orchids.

[grannyjanny]

Digeroo what a shame we don't live closer. Thanks everyone for the advice I shall get it done.

[Robert_Brenchley]

When I grew cacti I used to get the occasoinal plant with mealy bug. The trick was to exterminate them before they spread. It was quite easy with a small paintbrush and meths.

[Unwashed]

When I grew cacti I used to get the occasoinal plant with mealy bug. The trick was to exterminate them before they spread. It was quite easy with a small paintbrush and meths.

Funny, I started my gardening with cacti and had the same experience - I think I was 9 or so.