Houseplant pests and diseases

Types of Pest or Disease...

Aphids (Black, White or Green Fly)

Scale (Little brown "Army hats" found of the veins of leaves)

Thrips (Quick moving jumping black fly found on the top of compost)

Mealy Bug (White cotton wool like fluff)

Red Spider Mite (Very small webs with tiny red spider which can be seen through a magnifying glass)

Vine Weevil (Larvae like maggots in summer found in compost and turn into hard backed black Beatles in the Autumn.

Botrytis (Grey moulding of leaves and stems)

Oedema (Scabbed, split and crinkled leaves)

Due to recent EU regulations many chemicals have become unavailable for common use. However we still have a few products available which can help prevent or cure pests and disease.

Provado Ultimate Bug Killer is avaliable as a ready made spray or as a concentrate, this is highly recommended and will deal with all of the pest listed except Vine Weevil. For Vine Weevil there is a product called Provado Vine Weevil Killer which can be used.

Care of your Oncidium (Golden Shower Orchid)

Oncidiums originate from places in the Americas, right from Florida to Argentina. They are epiphytic, which means they grown on the bark of trees and have pseudobulbs producing lengthy flowering spikes. Their flowers are small and curiously shaped with the dominating lip well defined and decorative. The egg shaped flat pseudobulbs grow closely together and carry one or two star shaped pointed leaves. The slender flower stems stand erect with six to twelve flowers which generally appear in the autumn and can last into early spring!

When the flowers are finished, cut the stem down at its growing point in the leaves. Keep your Oncidium in a good light but protect from direct bright sunlight in the summer. During the winter never let the temperature drop below 12 degrees C. Humidity is essential for these plants, stand the pot on some gravel with water added but not allowing the water to rise above the gravel. This houseplant needs to be watered weekly in the summer and fortnightly in the winter. To maintain the plant, refresh the compost in the spring after flowering has finished. By doing all of these things your Orchid should remain healthy and lively.