White mold....help!

[tammy]

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Hello! I'm new to the orchid world and I have recently purchased my first plant. When I brought it home I gave it a good watering like all the webiste seem to recommend. When I woke up the next day there was a lilght covering of white mold on the top of the potting bark. I removed most of it yesterday but I seem to have alittle bit left today. I've checked it for bugs/eggs and I can't seem to find anything.....

My question is whether or not I should repot my plant now or wait until it finishes blooming. My plant seems to be doing very well and has 5 flowers and five new buds. I'm afraid if I repot the plant, the blooms will die....but I also don't want to risk losing my plant.

Any advice someone could give me I would really appreciate!

[CharliesAngel51]

tammy. When you have made 5 posts you can post a picture. It would be helpful to be able to see what you are seeing on your plant.
Nice to have you with us.

[patticake]

Making posts means IN a thread. Not making new threads! I'm sure some others will hop on soon.

[Plucky Purcell]

You could try a fungicide/algaecide like Physan 20 to limp it along until it's done flowering but it does probably need new medium. Welcome and good luck!

[solay]

I get that in my Cymbidium pots and don't even know until I re-pot them. It is white and grows like webs sometimes. I don't think they kill the plant or at least not fast since I don't re-pot Cyms. for 2 years sometimes and who knows how long it's been growing.

I guess it's a choice you'll have to make. I personally would re-pot since I don't like the mold. It's gross. Then again you can leave it until after the blooms are done. Although many of us re-pot orchids in bloom with no problems. Good luck!

[violetta]

Hello tammy, welcome!
What kind of orchid do you have? If it's a Phalaenopsis, it can be repotted without losing the blooms, I do it every time I buy one.

[digitalgate]

put it in direct morning sun for 15min everyday. That should kill the mold. It is FREE.

[dorothea]

it happened to me 2-3 times on different phals, but I just let them dry few days longer than usual and after next watering it didn't happen again.

[Raptuserum]

I have a brassia rex I purchased a few months ago,

I started seeing those while, powdery molds on the medium. It was just recenetly when I checked the lower portion of the medium through the holes in the pot and it was all white undeneath! I'm about to repot the brassia when the leads start to develop new roots. I'm spraying the bottom of the plant with fungicide (cream colored when diluted in h2o, not sure what the name is) and it kept the molds at bay.

[mehitabel]

As Plucky mentioned, Physan 20 stops that yukky white mold. You can spray it on the medium, or pour thru (as long as you water first).

If you do repot, at the most you will lose a few of the oldest flowers. Like several others here,I repot every new plant, usually the day I get it. When you repot, get rid of all the old medium and spray the roots with Physan 20. I do that anyway with new plants.