On 2014-03-11 22:04:14 +0000, Martin said:

On Mon, 10 Mar 2014 22:52:51 -0000, "Bob Hobden" wrote:

"Nick Maclaren" wrote
Bob Hobden wrote:

I have 2 Phal orchids, one of which I water about every 2 weeks
and lives in a warm room (and by the way has just 2 flowers
left on the spike after 8 months in flower), the other every 4
weeks (there's not so much root) and lives in a cooler room.

Now I have a sudden opportunity to go away for 5 or 6 weeks and
am wondering what is best to do?

Thanks Bob. Humidity is probably the main problem, I can not
see swmbo allowing a bowl of water placed on the sideboard next
to the orchid!

I've realised of course that the house will be a lot cooler
anyway as we'll turn the heating down low as we go away this
week.

If they are cool then raising the humidity isn't that important.
They used to say if you get the humidity right the wallpaper will fall off
the wall. :-)

Actually, I think that a lot of this is overstatement, because that
may be what is best but is not necessary (at least for the commonly
available varieties). We had one that sat on a south-facing window
ledge and thrived on intermittent watering and the occasional
repotting for many years.


Very true, a lot of the more commonly available orchids have been
"domesticated" and although in an ideal world require all sorts of humidity,
air circulation, watering and strict temperature ranges they often have not
read the books. I can remember decades ago when Phals were £25 each, only
available from specialist orchid nurseries, and a devil to grow even in
specialist greenhouses, now anyone can grow them on a windowsill it seems.

None of our orchids are in the sun. When they are not in flower they
live in the
kitchen on a north facing window ledge.

I 'disobeyed' all the rules with one of mine. It was on the kitchen
window sill facing west-ish and there's an Aga in there. It sent up
one spike of perfect pink flowers which has been blooming for at least
3 months now. I have another in the same place doing not very much and
another on the bathroom window sill, facing east though above a
radiator, which I know is bad for it. But I have a bowl of water
between it and the radiator and the window is usually open a little. I
don't think we have any 'cool rooms' in the real sense and if we did,
I'd forget to water the darned thing because it wouldn't be a room I'd
go into very often!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk