I treat all of my orchids AS IF they are virused, old or new. This is not because any of my plants are known to be virus-infected; instead, this is sort of a "mental precaution" for me not to do anything that might spread a virus, or other disease, from one plant to another. I feel that being extra cautious with my plants keeps the chances of spreading a pathogen to a minimum.
Precautions I take:
All cutting tools are cleaned and flame-sterilized (to glowing red) before and after working on a plant, or they are chemically sterilized with an extended soak in a strong oxidant (like full-strength bleach) before and after use.
All pots are either discarded after use, or (1) plastic pots are scrubbed then bleached for an extended time, or (2) terra cotta pots are scrubbed, bleached, rinsed, dried, then slowly raised to 500 degrees F in the oven and held at that temperature for a half hour.
All plants are watered individually. No communal baths in a bucket, which can spread viruses and other diseases.
I do check leaves and flowers for signs of diseases, including viruses. This is especially true of new plants.
By taking these precautions, I have some plants that have been in my collection for 29 years.
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