Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
gesjenn

Neem oil harms flowers on catt and Dens?

gesjenn
13 years ago

Hi all,

I havent posted here for awhile!

Question: I just got some new orchids and have neem-oiled all of them. I used the Rose Defense brand.

I have one catt(Haiwaian Wedding Song) which just bloomed. I sprayed the two flowers (not heavily) because I didnt know what else to do. The flowers opened two days ago, and I didnt feel like cutting them off. I dabbed the blooms later with a tissue paper and have two fans on for air circulation.

Do you think they will be ok? I did the same thing with the remaining blooms on my Dendrobium Little Sweet Scent.

Will the flowers be ok?

Any one know? Thank you ahead of time.

Comments (11)

  • cody_mi
    13 years ago

    i've never had neem harm a flower. if they were already open you may get some spotting

  • gesjenn
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi Cody
    Thanks for replying.
    It doesn't really look like the blooms were harmed, but I didn't spray heavily.
    Now I hope that the plants that I put under the lights wont burn from the neem oil. Right now they are on the edge of the new high intensity flourescents, not directly under. The catts seem to be ok so far.

  • julysun
    13 years ago

    Why did you spray them?
    Julysun

  • gesjenn
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I sprayed them because some of the new orchids I bought at the show last weekend had signs of mealy bugs, even in the potting mix in one case. I have had a really horrible experience with mealies in the past, and I wanted to catch this early before it spreads.
    I will be repeating the neem oil treatment again this wednesday, 7 days later.

  • ron_tacoma
    13 years ago

    Every new orchid I get I spray with isopropal and then neem. I have had some bad experiences with new orchids. I also repot. This way I know what I got. I know a lot of people say you shouldn't repot when in flower. But they are already open and you have no idea when they opened. So you are going to lose the flower anyway. If it is not in flower you are not going to hurt a thing. Most nursery plants have been in the same media for a long time they don't repot its too expensive. I am sure you have repotted Phals and they are so root bound they can not possible get any air. Plus the moss is probably already broken down or full of concentrated fertilzers. Phals I will take over to the sink and wash the old moss out. I don't damage the plant or flower in any way. I got some Phals that I bought at our January show are still in flower and putting branch spikes out.

  • gesjenn
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I just finished spraying all my orchids (flowers included)with neem oil today.
    Two new phals were first sprayed with isopropyl 2 days ago and then sprayed with neem oil with the rest today.
    My orchids look so much better. Cleaner feeling,too.
    I agree, Ron, that one should treat new orchids immediately, even when they don't seem to be that infested. I've had to learn the hard way about that.!!!
    Advice to beginners: when you get a new orchid, spray it first with rubbing alcohol (including pouring it through the potting medium) and get them on the neem oil cycle with the rest of the plants.

  • julysun
    13 years ago

    Well, all that is information that I will use,THANKS to all of you!

  • ron_tacoma
    13 years ago

    I just learned something about hard scale. I will pass it on. I am not sure if its true but boy it sure sounds logical. If the scale has the hard shell it means it already has produced eggs. So if you just squash them you are spreading the eggs. I take a 2X2 guaze pad and wash the leaves down with the alcohol. As soon as the alcohol is dry I spray with neem. I don't want any chance of reinfestation. It sounds like my orchids are standing tall But I was in the hospital in November for 7 days then came home and couldn't do too much for another two weeks. We had a Cold spell in Washington at that time. Doesn't happen often but it did then. Murphy's law my heater system died in the greenhouse. When I finally got in there in December all I could do was sit there and cry. Some plants were a complete loss other just had the droop. I will say the droopy ones are coming back. It is amazing how hardy these Orchids really are.

  • gesjenn
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Ron,
    Really sorry to hear about that.
    That must have been traumatic.
    How did the catts do? I understand the Laelias can survive a bit below freezing, or so I heard.

  • gesjenn
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Oh, I wanted to add, that when you spray with either isopropyl or neem be sure to spray on the pot and bottom of the pot, including whatever you use to catch water draining from the bottom of the pot. Spray everything...

  • ron_tacoma
    13 years ago

    Caths were some of the droopy ones. Oncidiums held up well. Lost practially all my Miltonias and About 5% of my Paps. Normally I bring my Nobil Dend inside the house to my solarium in November. So they don't get wet from the misters. I didn't this year. I had some that flowered better than they ever have. I also got a couple I don't know. Time will tell I am still in the process of repotting everything. Cold and wet is not good for Orchid roots.

Sponsored
Premier Home Services, Inc
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars19 Reviews
Loudoun County Complete Turn-Key Contracting Solutions