That week my prize orchid collection got spider mites was brutal

I came home from the shop last Tuesday to find tiny webs on my 7 year old Phalaenopsis that I've babied since it was a seedling. Spent 3 straight nights wiping leaves with alcohol and now I'm paranoid about the rest of my 20 plants. Anyone else ever catch an infestation before it spreads too far?

3 comments

3 Comments

sandra_bennett5913d ago

Oh man, spider mites are a headache but people act like they're the plant apocalypse. I've had them pop up a few times and honestly a good spray with water can knock most of them off if you catch it early. Your alcohol wipe routine is probably more work than you need to be doing, and you're right to wonder if handling the plant that much is actually helping or making things worse. They're annoying but not exactly flesh eating monsters, you know?

angela58713d ago

Wait, is there EVER a reason to go full alcohol wipe on a plant instead of just a solid water spray?

hugoj1213d ago

12 years growing orchids and I can tell you spider mites are barely a problem lol. I had a full blown infestation take over my entire collection when I got lazy with a Dendrobium from a nursery. 7 days of neem oil and quarantining did the trick. The whole wiping leaves with alcohol routine is overkill for something that common. Youre more likely to stress the plants out handling them that much than the mites will do any real damage. Let them be for a week and theyll sort themselves out if you just spray the right stuff.