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snow mold treatment

Discussion in 'Issues, Disease and Pests' started by Dennis B, Jul 16, 2016.

  1. Jul 16, 2016 #1
    Dennis B

    Dennis B New Member

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    I'm disappointed that one of my orchids contacted this, but I'd like to save it. As I've never dealt with a plant disease, I looked around the net and found a site that recommended I buy a fungicide with a particular chemical in it for snowmold, but most products don't show such detail on the bottle, and they offered no product names. So I do need a suggestion for an effective fungal dip product by name hopefully. Or maybe a link to a reliable guide on how to treat it?
    Thanks!
     
  2. Jul 16, 2016 #2
    Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

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    I've used Physan very effectively against snow mold.
     
  3. Jul 16, 2016 #3
    Dennis B

    Dennis B New Member

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    Okay! I'll give it a shot. Thank you again.
     
  4. Jul 17, 2016 #4
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

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    I hate to show my ignorance but does snow mold hurt the plant? I know it is unattractive on a mount.
     
  5. Jul 17, 2016 #5
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    Dennis- what type of plant? There are some that do not take kindly to Physan.

    You might consider Biosafe Disease Control instead. Very effective and displays no phytotoxicity whatsoever.
     
  6. Jul 18, 2016 #6
    Dennis B

    Dennis B New Member

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    It is a Zygopetalum 'Hybrid Advanced Australia'. It has extremely fragile roots with corn like leaves.
    Also I was planning to get rid of some algae in my Sherry Babies SH container, but since its doing so well Id hate to risk injuring it with anything. Will Algae negatively impact the conditions in a SH setup?
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2016
  7. Jul 19, 2016 #7
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    Algae does no harm in a S/H pot, unless it has gotten so bad it clogs up the airflow.

    I recommend against trying to kill the algae in the pot - all you end up with is a pot full of dead, decomposing vegetation around the orchid's roots. Instead, repot into a clean pot and medium.
     
  8. Jul 19, 2016 #8
    Selmo

    Selmo Active Member

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    Snow molds will do nothing to the plant or it's roots unless it is smothering them. Which will prevent water and air from getting to the roots. The mold grows on the dead or decaying media not on living tissue. This may be a sign of over watering, the more you water the faster the media breaks down. Repot the plant in fresh media and get rid of the old media, use a new container or sterilize the old container, If it is on the roots or plant wash carefully with water and a mild brush ( toothbrush), be careful not to damage the roots. This should solve your problem.
     
  9. Jul 19, 2016 #9
    Dennis B

    Dennis B New Member

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    Thanks all for the help. As the plant came to me healthy but tightly packed in peat, I should have asked how to deal with this, but I decided to just switch to ceramic. After an hour soak, I carefully removed nearly all of the peat, but some is embedded in places along the surface of the roots. I found they snap quite easily, like tiny crisp pickles, so Im going to avoid brushing them clean as much as I'd like to.

    I'm sure this is the source of the decaying organic matter, but then why is the fuzzy white mold growing mostly on the new root growth?
     
  10. Aug 2, 2016 #10
    Dennis B

    Dennis B New Member

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    Mold is dead, and just for reference the Zygopetalum hybrid seems Physan tolerant.

    Used the recommended strength for Orchids. Its still green and the roots are clear.