Dear Orchid Doc:

The leaves of my orchids are being eaten.

I cannot see any insects on them, but each morning the situation gets worse.

Any ideas as to what could be eating my orchids?

— Palmer

Dear Palmer,

Take a good look to see if there is a slug or snail trail on either the medium, the body or the leaves.

If this is so, it might be a slug problem.

You will need to be careful what you use, especially if you have pets.

The pellets are very effective, but you must be careful with pets as they might be tempted to eat them. Do ensure that they are not within reach.

The alternative is to use the liquid guard. Failing that, you could always resort to the old method of going out at night to catch them.

Their resting place in the day is usually in the cooler areas, like under pots or inside the medium.

Dear Orchid Doc:

I would like to put some orchids on a palm tree. Is there a special type of orchid that is tied on the tree?

— Anna-Marie

Dear Anna-Marie,

Any sun-loving orchid can be used; as a matter of fact, after you have put on all the sun-loving Vandas, you could examine the tree to see where you would have the most shade and tuck a phalenopsis here and there, and a few dendrobiums on the side with a little more sun, an oncidium, or a cattleya. Just be mindful of where the sun rises and sets when you are positioning them.

Betty Ashley is an avid orchid enthusiast who has spent decades successfully cultivating orchids for herself, as well as for orchid lovers across the island, earning herself the title ‘Orchid Doc’. Send your orchid questions and/or concerns to: bettymay@flowja.com