Hi all, A friend and I are working on a problem with our Phalaenopsis and other orchids, and the likely suspect appears to be the chloramines in the municipal tapwater that he and I use in our greenhouses.
Starting about three years ago some of our plants began to show signs of decline, particularly in Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum. We began experiencing widespread root death and lack of growth and vigor, and signs of nutrient deficiency. We discovered that this time period coincided with our local municipality switching from the use of chlorine gas to chloramines to disinfect the water supply. We added filters to our irrigation water in late winter. I use a series of activated charcoal filters while he uses a KDF filter, which incorporates copper and zinc metal to change the chloramine. Our plants are beginning to improve dramatically. We've made no other changes in our culture, but we are seeing a flush of new roots, even deep inside pots of old potting media, and increased healthy top growth. As I said, this is after three years of root damage and poor growth. A simple filter seems like an absurdly simple cure for the problem, and I am curious if any of you have heard of chloramine damage in orchids. After doing some research on the internet I found that aquarium keepers have been battling chloramines for quite awhile. Its pretty routine for them to run all their aquarium water through activiated charcoal filters. Apparently Reverse Osmosis units are only effective in removing chloramines if they have in-line charcoal filters. Any comments would be appreciated. Ed Merkle Merkle's Orchids 1008 Maplewood Place Nashville, Tennessee 37216 _________________________________________________________________ On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
