sappy

[SallyAnn]

Can anyone tell me if it's normal for my orchid to be dripping clear sticky sappy stuff? I've had this plant for about a year & a half & it's beautiful, but now it's dripping & it never used to. I'm also having problem with scales, at least that what it looks like, they show up & I pick them off & it seems to control them. When I used a spray insecticidal soap on it I just about killed it. I guess I wasn't supposed to get it on the flowers. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[robb]

welcome to Orchidgeeks.com! a little more info on what kinds of orchids you have would help, but in general: my phalaenopsis plants do have a clear, sticky substance oozing from them occasionally, as long as it is not from an infection point, or some injury/wound to the plant, it probably won't hurt it. can't give you much help on the scales, no experience there (yet?)

[kmarch]

Quite a number of Phals, Oncidiums, Cattleyas, etc "leak" sap from joints. It is fairly common and nothing to worry about.

However, if the sap is coming from sucking insects, the plant needs to be treated. No insecticide is good for spraying directly on flowers not even the mild kinds like Safer's Insecticidal Soap but I would much rather loose flowers now to save the plant so that it will give me more flowers in the future.

I find though that insecticidal soap does not work well for scale. You'
ll probably need something more potent.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Sally, look for Bayer Advanced Rose & Flower ready to spray. Use this a few times a week or 2 apart, and that should get rid of the scale. It is systemic and is very easy on your plant. If you have too many plants which make the Rose and Flower too expensive, use the Tree and Shrub formula mixed to give you the same concentration of imidacloprid as the Rose & Flower.

The one case where a sticky substance is a worry is if it is leaking over a large area instead of just at a few joints. The large area stickiness will likely be mites, which you will need a very strong magnifying glass to see. Under the disease section is a 'sticky' on mites.