Control Of Pest and Diseases - Which Insecticide/fungicide Should I Use?

CONTROL OF PESTS AND DISEASES - WHICH INSECTICIDE/FUNGICIDE SHOULD I USE?

By Lois Walters - Member Noosa District Orchids & Foliage Society

We all have bugs and diseases on our orchids – it’s your choice as to the way you want to deal with these issues. Do you let nature take its course, do you get out the organic remedies or do you reach for the chemicals – it’s your decision. 

Personally, I use chemicals; however, I am mindful that some chemicals kill off the good predators and this can cause an imbalance in the ecosystem of the garden/shadehouse, so I try to use them accurately and only as necessary.

Systemic chemicals travel through the plant and harm any insect that chews or sucks on the plant.  

Contact sprays will kill anything the spray contacts.  But remember, good bugs don’t chew or suck on the plant anyway.  If you are interested in biological control, look up the website www.bugsforbugs.com.au.

Below is a list of chemicals currently available and the bugs or fungus diseases they kill. There are a few organic remedies thrown in, which I do use.  LOIS.

 

CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES/FUNGICIDES FOR USE ON ORCHIDS

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AS AT JUNE, 2020.

INSECTICIDES

Searles Conguard - Systemic control of insect pests - aphids, bronze orange bug, mealybugs, thrips, soft scale, curl grubs, boisduval scale, flyspeck,

Yates Pest Oil - Insect control contact spray.  Controls Citrus leaf miner, red scale, white/pink wax scale, soft brown scale, aphids, mealy bugs, white fly and  spider mites, boisduval scale.

Yates Success - Caterpillars

Pyrethrum/pestoil - Aphids, thrips, caterpillars, ants, flies.

Dipel - Cabbage moth, white butterfly, caterpillars, grasshoppers.

Derris Dust - Grasshoppers, caterpillars.

Yates Mavrik - Caterpillars, aphids, mite.

Yates Rose Shield - Systemic insecticide, mitacide and fungicide.  Controls black spot, powdery mildew, aphids, two spotted mites, thrips, caterpillar, whitefly, rust. 

Searles Trifend - Same as Rose Shield.

Neem Oil Systemic - control of Boisduval scale, dendrobium beetle (spray every 5 days - 5ml per litre + detergent) mealy bugs, red spider mite, aphids, scale and thrips.

Isopropyl Alcohol - Mealybugs, boisduval scale

Baysol, Defender - Garlic Snails, snails and slugs

 

Never use any insecticide that is not specifically labelled for ornamental plants  

FUNGICIDES

Searles Trifend - Systemic control of black spot, powdery mildew, rust, anthracnose, guingnardia (phyllosticta).   Same as Rose Shield

Yates Mancozeb Plus - Miticide and fungicide contact spray for petal blight, anthracnose, septoria spot, botrytis, leaf mould, flyspeck, black spot, powdery mildew, glomerella, guingnardia (phyllosticta). 

Yates Anti-Rot Phosacid - systemic fungicide – phytophthora, root rot, collar rot, downy mildew.

Yates Rose Shield - Systemic fungicide:  Controls Black spot, powdery mildew, rust, anthracnose, guingnardia (phyllosticta).  Same as Trifend.

Yates Greenguard - Pythium root rot, Fusarium, Sclerotinia

 

A wetting agent can be used with chemicals to allow the chemical to spread evenly over the plants rather than remaining in droplets and will penetrate better into those difficult to eradicate pests like scale and mealy bugs.

Always use insecticides/fungicides/ according to directions.

 

KEEP A DIARY TO RECORD INSECTICIDE/FUNGICIDE SPRAYING AS WELL AS WHEN PLANTS HAVE BEEN FERTILISED