Protect your homely beauty: how to treat Actara orchid?
Orchid is a delicate and lush flower native to the tropical jungle. Previously, the beauty was seen only in the wild, but thanks to breeding work, today they enjoy her flowering at home. She is not full of health at all gardeners.
The first flower blossoms on it in the 7th year of life. Then it blooms annually until it becomes a victim of pests. To combat them, they use the Aktar insecticide. Next, find out what kind of drug it is and how to use it.
What is it and how to dilute an insecticide?
Definition Actara is an insecticide that belongs to the group of neonicotinoids. It is compatible with other growth regulators, insecticides and fungicides. It is effective when an orchid is struck by pests from the list below.
- spider mite;
- mushroom mosquitoes;
- mealybug;
- scale shield;
- thrips;
- aphid;
- flat body.
Release form
The manufacturer made sure that each grower found a drug suitable for themselves in the form of release. Some opt for liquids in the form of a suspension concentrate, while others choose granules that dissolve in water. Buying the product in solid form, get a package with a weight of 4 grams. This dosage is enough to spray the orchid and rid it of the pest. Large farmers and owners of agricultural enterprises buy the drug, packaged in large packages of 250 grams. The suspension is commercially available in a vial or ampoule.
Scope of application
Actara acts on the nicotine-acetyl-choline receptors of the insect nervous system. The main active substance goes deep into the leaves, moving on the vascular system. The drug is redistributed throughout the tissues twenty hours after watering. After 1-3 days, it reaches the upper parts of the peduncle and the tips of the leaves.
Each grower uses Aktara as they wish. Sometimes an insecticide is diluted in the right amount of water to protect the plant from the pest (the period of action is 14-28 days when spraying the leaves and 40-60 days when watering the soil).
Experienced growers know that it is necessary to increase the dosage of the drug during repeated treatments. Without doing this, they are not surprised by repeated outbreaks of aphid damage or scabies.
The main scope of application is the control of pests, or rather, their larvae, which can hatch from eggs laid deep in the substrate.
Active substance
Thiamethoxam is the main active ingredient. It accounts for ¼ of the weight of the drug, and другие for other beneficial substances. Actara is absorbed into the tissue of the leaves through the skin, and into the deep layers of the roots during watering. The drug quickly moves through the vessels, fills each tissue with itself. In this case, the insecticide works, even if the room is hot.
Safety precautions before use
Any insecticide is used carefully. Actara is a means to which the third class of toxicity is assigned. Processing with its help leaves and substrate of orchids, put on rubber gloves, goggles and a respirator. It is advisable to carry out the processing not in home but in special clothing, which is washed and ironed after the procedure. After using the drug, the instruments are washed, the face and hands are put in order. Having done everything as described above, sit down at the table, eat and drink.
Important! Experienced gardeners process the orchid in the fresh air or in a room that can be ventilated.Safety measures are not accidental. Actara causes poisoning during careless use, which manifests itself as follows: vomiting, nausea, worsening of well-being. Having noticed the symptoms, they stop processing and go outside.
If the drug gets on the skin, soak the area with a cloth or wash it under a tap with soap. In case of contact with eyes, a 15-minute rinse under running water will not hurt. To remove an insecticide that accidentally enters the stomach, take several tablets of activated charcoal. Do not interfere with a visit to a doctor in order to avoid causing serious harm to health.
What should flower growers remember?
- It is forbidden to store the insecticide in containers from food products.
- Do not breed it in the dishes from which they eat.
- Do not pour the remnants of the solution near water bodies.
Step-by-step processing instructions
The orchid is treated with Actara, having noticed the first tick, bug, caterpillar. Act as follows:
- Carefully choose the place where they will be processed. Orchid is a home plant. The pot is transferred to a room that is well ventilated.
- The solution is prepared immediately before treatment in a backpack sprayer. It is not stored ready-made: it is bred exactly as much as needed.
- For cooking, take 5 liters of water (25 ° C). In this amount of water, 4 grams of the drug are bred.
- After thorough mixing by stirring, the solution is ready for use.
Dosage
Orchid is an indoor flower. To spray it, take 4 grams of the drug. This amount is diluted in five liters of water at room temperature. With so many Actaras, you can process not only one orchid, but another 124 flowers. If desired, watered the substrate, diluting it in a different concentration: 1 gram per 10 liters. If there are a lot of pests, water the soil and spray the ground part of the plant at the same time.
- 4 grams of the drug in five liters of liquid. This breeding scheme is used to protect orchids from pests.
- One ampoule per 0.75 liters of water. This is how Aktara is bred to combat spider mites, aphids, etc.
Watch the video on how to measure the right amount of Aktara, if all the packaging is not required immediately:
Plant treatment
Actara is a drug that is used not only for preventive and therapeutic purposes. It is used to process material that is transplanted into another pot. In this case, a highly concentrated solution is made by diluting 4 grams of powder in a liter of water. Full decomposition occurs after sixty days. In the solution, the parts of the plant are soaked before transplantation so that they become stronger, take root after the transplant and are not exposed to pests.
Actara is a drug that, when the dosage is repeatedly exceeded (for example, the concentration is twenty times higher than the manufacturer recommends), will not harm the orchid. Florists are not afraid to measure a little more than 4 grams of powder. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that in a few days it turns the plant's juice into poison for pests.
Note! If you water the flower before treatment, the concentration of the solution absorbed by the roots decreases and the beneficial effect decreases. At one time, aphids or insects cannot be hatched.Analogues of the drug
- Tiara. This insecticide helps to effectively destroy many agricultural and indoor pests. Although the main active ingredient is thiamethoxam, the effect is not similar to that of Actara.
- Kruiser. This tool is used to treat seeds against early and soil leaf pests. It gives a long lasting protective effect. When processing orchids, he quickly captures with himself all the cells of the plant. Juice is a prey for pests. After drinking it after such "transformations", the nervous system of insects suffers.
- Doctor 8 Arrow. This insecticide is produced by Green Pharmacy Firm LLC. It costs thirty-five rubles. Although the packaging is unattractive, it is effective. When using the flower grower, he must carefully stick arrows in pieces of bark. Some people dig up the substrate, put an arrow in the resulting void and cover it with pieces of bark. Before processing, wipe the leaves with a solution of laundry soap, since the drug will work only after 7-14 days.
Storage conditions
Aktara is stored at a temperature of from -10 to +35 degrees Celsius. The drug is cleaned in a dry place. It is stored in the basement or in the pantry, but away from food and medicine. Children and animals should not have access to this room. The container in which it is bred before processing is discarded after use and the final victory over pests.
Useful video
Watch the video on how to process Aktara orchid:
Conclusion
Aktara is an effective tool for controlling pests that choose an orchid as a sacrifice. Novice flower growers can use it without fear of an overdose.