Is there any "natural" or "at home" way to kill fungus?

[NewGrower]

Hello everyone!
I am wanting to clean off one of my orchids because it has some black spotting and I am assuming its from some type of fungus (thats what a few people have said on my other post).
Is there any way to kill off a fungus with out going out and buying something specific for orchids? Is there any type of cleaner I might have around the house or could go out and get easily? Or even some type of "natural" way or doing so?
Thanks so much

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by NewGrower

Hello everyone!
I am wanting to clean off one of my orchids because it has some black spotting and I am assuming its from some type of fungus (thats what a few people have said on my other post).
Is there any way to kill off a fungus with out going out and buying something specific for orchids? Is there any type of cleaner I might have around the house or could go out and get easily? Or even some type of "natural" way or doing so?
Thanks so much

NewGrower, I learned that the BEST way to combat fungus is:
air circulation.

I noticed that you grow in Florida. You NEED good fans to circulate air if you grow your plants in confined spaces (greenhouse, indoors, etc). If you don't supply this basic need for your orchids, you may expect disease and pestilence.

GOOD LUCK!

--Stitz--

[plantloverlisa]

I know some people spray roses with baking soda/water mixture. I do not know how well it works, dosage, or if it will bother orchids.

[digitalgate]

good air flow , good amount of sun light (since where does sun alway shine?) and a proper distance between plant. Putting them close together increase the chances of spreading fungus.
However, fungus is ever where. Comes with good air flow. It will attack the plant when the condition is right. Some time you can to lower the humidity to discourage the growth of fungus. But orchid like humid and hot(most of them) so fungus love humid.
conclusion :? I really don't have a good answer.

[orchids4me]

If its bad you need big guns but try brookin's recipe in the thread the best stuff ever first and see how it does.... Reminder cinnamon extract is an oil so no direct sun light for a few days or so after spraying it on it.

[terra_australis]

Cinnamon is good. I've heard good things about honey as well. People use it in weak dilutions as an antimicrobial spray.

Other household things... lets see... Bleach kills fungus/mould/bacteria on contact... unfortunately it will probably also kill your plants. Fire is effective but falls into the same category. Hydrogen peroxide might work but it would have no lasting effect as it degrades quickly. Isopropyl alcohol... same.

[rcb]

A weak bleach solution will not kill the usual orchids, I'm not sure about the more sensitive ones.

I've used a 2% solution of bleach and a Q-tip to clean off sooty mold from the leaves when we have really wet conditions for a while, like after a tropical storm moves through.

[terra_australis]

Yeah, a weak solution on leaves should be fine I expect. I was implying (or trying to) that using it neat as a full plant soak would probably be a bad idea.

[Ray]

One ounce per gallon of typical (5% sodium hypochlorite) household bleach will not harm most orchids.

Hydrogen peroxide is OK for a quick contact, but provides no residual protection.

Of you make a cinnamon infusion in rubbing alcohol (one tablespoon per pint, left to soak overnight, filter out sediment) or water (let is soak for several days), you end up with a cinnamaldehyde solution that kills on contact, and leaves a mildly-protective residue (until washed off via watering).

However, while they may be curative of external infections, the best thing you can do is keep the air flow going, as has been wisely recommended above.

[NewGrower]

I live on the space coast so I get a good sea breeze every day around 10am to noon which blows all day... So I feel like there is good air circulation on my patio. I am wondering if it isnt fungus but bacterial... Not sure :/

[Ray]

If the infection is systemic, none of the topical treatments discussed will work.

[NewGrower]

Ray, what do you mean by systemic?

Sorry I am still a newbie!

[plucker]

systemic is something that is absorbed into the plant and remains in the plant for a while. If it were an insecticide, everything that ate it would be poisoned, even if it missed the direct spray.

As for fungus, prevention is the best method.
Water first thing in the morning to allow drying by night time. Most fungus attack at night. Air circulation will assist the prevention.

[NewGrower]

Thanks.... dont mind my ignorance! Haha!

So does anyone know anything that would work if thats the case?

Yesterday I soaked my wild orchids and mount in a weak bleach solution (and then rinsed them and soaked them in water again)... The only bug I found was a tiny termite (I am pretty sure thats what it was). Considering I used my sink I only got 3/4ths of the log in the water so I am going to do it again in my tub tomorrow so I can get the entire thing under water.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by NewGrower

Ray, what do you mean by systemic?

Sorry I am still a newbie!

Infections can be limited to the surface of the plant, where most anything can be effective, or internal, leading to rhizome or pseudobulb rot. Those are tuough to deal with.