Dear Orchid Doc: Help! My orchids are sick. The underside of the dendrobium leaves are dark brown and it won’t rub off. Can you tell me what to do, please?

— Kay

Dear Kay: You seem to have what is know as orchid rust. Combine 2 tsps of Topsin with 1 tsp of Caprid in a gallon of water. Spray once per week, preferably when it is cool, as the sun will cause the chemical to burn. Do this for four weeks, then spray every two weeks for two months, before going back to your regular routine. As a preventative, use 1 tsp of Topsin. Your plants should be better within four weeks, but the old rust will not come off the leaves unless you pick them off. The idea is to stop it from spreading.

Dear Orchid Doc: I have a friend who lives in Stony Hill and she doesn’t water her vandas as much as you have told me to, and hers have beautiful, healthy blooms.

— June

Dear June: Remember that the temperature in Stony Hill is quite cool. You live in a hotter area with less rainfall, therefore conditions are quite different. Operate accordingly.

Betty Stephenson Ashley Betty’s Landscaping, Farm Garden Supplies 161 Constant Spring Road, Kingston 8, Jamaica Telephone: 1 876-322-4585, 870-0191, 931-8804, 755-2204 Fax: 1 876-931-8805 betty-may2@ hotmail.com