| Q I have what looks like tobacco virus on my cattleyas. They are in a free standing
greenhouse with protection from direct sun and fans keep air moving. We live in lower
Mississippi with temperatures rising to 100 F. The greenhouse is kept be low 90 F and at
night the temperature goes down to 75 F. A The symptoms of tobacco mosaic virus may be caused by a variety of other factors, so if you feel that your plants may be virused, it is advisable to have them tested. A list of testing facilities can be obtained from the AOS office by re quest. However, unless you have obtained your plants from other than reputable sources and have been very incautious with your potting techniques, I doubt that your entire collection would have spontaneously developed virus. It takes a "typhoid mary" to be the source and human interaction with dirty tools to spread it. — Ned Nash. |
Reprinted, with permission, from "Orchids" - The Magazine of the American Orchid Society, Oct. 2000.