Re: cymbidium bud-drop
- Subject: Re: cymbidium bud-drop
- From: T* a* M* R*
- Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 05:40:57 +1200
> Reid Family wrote:
>
> Barbara Sargent wrote:
> This is the first time that almost all the buds have
> dropped from my cymbidium without flowering. The only
> thing different this year was that I sprayed the
> developing flower stalks and buds with dish detergent and
> some eucalyptus oil because they were being decimated by
> aphids which had been encouraged by ants. The aphid
> problem was solved.
>
> Do you think my method disturbed the bud formation or was
> this coincidental?
Sorry to hear you have lost most of the year's flowering. it is so
disappointing. I myself lost spikes on a few Cymbidiums last season
which I had been lazy about putting under cover and they got zapped by a
frost of quite exceptional severity. Fortunately the plants were
unharmed and I must just be more careful in future.
In your case I am pretty sure the culprit was the oil you used. Even
with the proper horticultural light oils they usually advise caution I
think. Quite a few plants are sensitive and may lose leaves (or in your
case flowers) if oil is applied. If at all unsure it is best to treat
just a small portion of the plant first and see what happens.
As to controlling aphids, dish soap plus oil sounds like an overkill to
me. All I ever do is wash them off, usually with a jet of clear water.
One could also try a soapy wash rinsed off with clear water to make sure
of getting all of them, especially if there are ants tending them, but I
would be more inclined to use a natural soap (castile soap or soft soap)
for this, rather than a synthetic dish detergent, with plants which are
evidently sensitive.
The ant /aphid situation is always a bit of a catch 22 if one is trying
to keep off dangerous chemicals. I think it quite likely though if you
can get rid of all the aphids the ants will simply depart. I guess to
hasten their depature one could also try the trick often done in houses
of putting out baits on the surface of the pots and on the surrounding
bench consisting of borax and sugar, which will get rid of many ant
species. Perhaps it would be worth investigating how and where ants are
getting into the greenhouse or whatever area where your plants are
growing.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata NZ,
where it's Summer in January and Winter in July.
