Orchids, like all plants, have natural enemies in the form of insects and other small creatures. Among them you should look out for red spiders, woodlice, thrips, slugs and snails. Cockroaches and beetles can also be threats.
To grow orchids successfully, you must take measures to defeat these pests before they can damage your plants. There are particular measures you can take for each kind of pest. To shield against all pests, take steps to clean your new orchid plant thoroughly.
Despite the best intentions of agricultrual control regulations, imported plants will often come with pests attached.But even nursery grown orchids can have pests clinging to their roots, or hiding in their potting soil.
Many problems could be avoided if people would inspect every plant thoroughly before they allowed them to enter their homes. Inspect your plant visually and immediately destroy all pests that you see. If you don. The flowers also will be ravaged by these invaders, a frustrating thing if you've doled out both care and money on a plant.
It is wise to treat every new plant with suspicion, especially if you already own other orchids. It's an excellent idea put it in an "isolation" room or other structure for the first few days. If you spot insects on it, do not put off the task of rdding it of them.
If you wash every part of your orchid plant, you will leave little opportunity for pests to ecape destruction. The best procedure is to thoroughly cleanse the bulbs and foliage. Carefully tap the plant out of its pot, trim off any decayed roots, wash the good roots in clean water, and then re-pot using new material and a clean container.
Done well it is a sure means of eradicating pests that a neophyte grower would have to search closely for to see. Some pests could be found in the shape of eggs. Others appear as insects but are so tiny they cannot be seen without a magnifying glass. However, a good cleaning regimen, as suggested, will destroy even the pests that you cannot see.
A good guide to orchid growing will have many more tips and suggestions for making sure that a pest doesn't put an end to your prized plants. The most thorough guide to modern orchid cultivation, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's guide is a complete education in itself, suitable for the novice as well as those more experienced. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing database of postings on all topics of orchid cultivation.
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