Springtime - although not as cold as Winter - still is not the ideal time for many Orchids. Diseases such as Erwinia, Crown Rot, Botrytis, Brown Canker, Root rot and leaf Blights will all try and get the best of your plant.
Stay prepared and spray your orchids with Physan 20 as a preventative spray to keep them healthy and disease free. Mix 1 teaspoon of Physan 20 to 1.8 litres of water and apply as a foliar spray fortnightly during Winter.
To treat Orchid Rot (Erwinia):
Mix 1 Tablespoon of Physan 20 concentrate with 3.7 Litres of water in a bucket. Remove plant from potting medium and soak entire plant for 10 – 12 minutes. Cut away all rot with a treated tool.
(You can mix 1 teaspoon of Physan 20 concentrate in 0.9 Litres of water for a tool disinfecting solution)
Soak plant wounds again for another 10 minutes and repot in Physan 20 soaked compost.
For Orchid maintenance:
Mix 2 teaspoons of Physan 20 in 3.7 Litres of water. Spray anytime disease other than rot is evident. Spray once per month as preventative maintenance and be sure to soak potting medium when fungus is evident.
To treat botrytis:
Mix 1 teaspoon of Physan 20 per 11.3 Litres of water. During cool damp weather spray plants, flowers and under benches at first sign of the spotting on flowers. Normally weekly spraying will greatly reduce or eliminate the botrytis spotting.
Other Orchid diseases may require different mix ratios and directions, so check the Physan 20 bottle booklet for more treatments and instructions!
Keep your Orchids safe this Spring!
Advantages of using Physan 20: