Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm

This is in part a test, as I tried to follow the directions for
"bot-proofing" my address -- if I did it right, you won't be able to use the
Reply function any more, you'll either have to reply to the group or remove
the "nospam" to send me a private email.

But in answer to the question: we've never grown anything that couldn't go
a week or more on its own, whether mounted or potted. [We grow LOTS of
catts, dens, oncids, phals, vandaceous, a few paphs and a smattering of
oddballs -- but nothing leafless, so I can't speak directly to those.] If
your plant-sitter is a "novice" [and perhaps it's me, or maybe your
nervousness showing, but I'm reading "complete idiot" as something you meant
but were too polite to say], and you are not going to be gone more than 5-7
days, I think you'd be better off just giving everything a good soak before
you leave and another upon your return, rather than risk the attentions of
the "novice." A dehydrated plant can generally be cured by a good soak or
2; other problems can be harder to cure.

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"House of Paisley" wrote in message
news:Njocb.426212$cF.131792@rwcrnsc53...
Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm

Crystal,

This subject of mounted plants was on my mind also- just getting too busy
some days and forgetting to mist. So I was thinking of loosely wrapping
plastic wrap on the mounts- creating a "potted" plant and holding in more
moisture. With hanging my plants it gets time consuming to take them down
for their dip.

What do you think- it would work for a few days anyway.

Diane

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
This is in part a test, as I tried to follow the directions for
"bot-proofing" my address -- if I did it right, you won't be able to use
the
Reply function any more, you'll either have to reply to the group or
remove
the "nospam" to send me a private email.

But in answer to the question: we've never grown anything that couldn't
go
a week or more on its own, whether mounted or potted. [We grow LOTS of
catts, dens, oncids, phals, vandaceous, a few paphs and a smattering of
oddballs -- but nothing leafless, so I can't speak directly to those.] If
your plant-sitter is a "novice" [and perhaps it's me, or maybe your
nervousness showing, but I'm reading "complete idiot" as something you
meant
but were too polite to say], and you are not going to be gone more than
5-7
days, I think you'd be better off just giving everything a good soak
before
you leave and another upon your return, rather than risk the attentions of
the "novice." A dehydrated plant can generally be cured by a good soak or
2; other problems can be harder to cure.

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"House of Paisley" wrote in message
news:Njocb.426212$cF.131792@rwcrnsc53...
Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm

That would work, I think, for a few days to keep the mounts damp. Also,
there are inexpensive timed watering devices that you can purchase with a
good number of leads. You can attach a lead to the top of the root ball
(maybe adding some spagh), set the timer whatever way you like, and go away
without worry.

Diana

"Diane M." wrote in message
t...
Crystal,

This subject of mounted plants was on my mind also- just getting too busy
some days and forgetting to mist. So I was thinking of loosely wrapping
plastic wrap on the mounts- creating a "potted" plant and holding in more
moisture. With hanging my plants it gets time consuming to take them down
for their dip.

What do you think- it would work for a few days anyway.

Diane

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
This is in part a test, as I tried to follow the directions for
"bot-proofing" my address -- if I did it right, you won't be able to use
the
Reply function any more, you'll either have to reply to the group or
remove
the "nospam" to send me a private email.

But in answer to the question: we've never grown anything that couldn't
go
a week or more on its own, whether mounted or potted. [We grow LOTS of
catts, dens, oncids, phals, vandaceous, a few paphs and a smattering of
oddballs -- but nothing leafless, so I can't speak directly to those.]
If
your plant-sitter is a "novice" [and perhaps it's me, or maybe your
nervousness showing, but I'm reading "complete idiot" as something you
meant
but were too polite to say], and you are not going to be gone more than
5-7
days, I think you'd be better off just giving everything a good soak
before
you leave and another upon your return, rather than risk the attentions
of
the "novice." A dehydrated plant can generally be cured by a good soak
or
2; other problems can be harder to cure.

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"House of Paisley" wrote in message
news:Njocb.426212$cF.131792@rwcrnsc53...
Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm

"Kenni Judd" wrote in message . ..
+ But in answer to the question: we've never grown anything that
couldn't go
a week or more on its own, whether mounted or potted.

What Kenni said. And I am not growing in South Florida in a
greenhouse. Part of the reason I've ended up with far more orchids
than any other plant(s) is that they're really much tougher than
everybody thinks. Don't water an African violet for a week during
warm weather and the results will *not* be pretty; don't water an
orchid for a week and you will just give it a break from the
overwatering that most people give them. Fewer of them than you
think will look even the least bit bedraggled and even those will look
good a couple of days after you get back. Do go heavy on the water
for the mounted plants for a couple/few days before you leave and they
won't even know you were gone.

MG

Why not try this:

Fill the bathtub with a couple of inches of water. You may have to put
plastic wrap over the plug to keep it from leaking out. Water your mounts
well and suspend them over the bathtub. Close the shower curtain to keep
the humidity captured around the plants. Close the bathroom door too to
keep the air from leaving the bathroom.

The plants should be happy for a week or so with the humidity. The lower
light would keep their need for water lower.

To suspend the plants use broom sticks or other poles across the tub.

Good growing,
Gene




"House of Paisley" wrote in message
news:Njocb.426212$cF.131792@rwcrnsc53...
Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm

Another option, if you are truely worried (a pleurothallid grower should
be more worried than a cattleya grower...), is to hit up somebody from
the local orchid society. You are a member of your local orchid
society, aren't you? I'm sure that a member would be more than happy to
come over to your house once or twice and check on the plants. They
might even do it for free, if it isn't too much bother. I would 'tip'
them with a nice plant or two, perhaps something you find on your trip.

More years ago than seems plausable to me (time flies fast), we invited
my brother in law to stay at our Chicago apartment for the two weeks we
were gone on our honeymoon. In exchange for a vacation, he watered the
plants a couple times and kept the cats fed. Worked out well for everybody.

Rob

House of Paisley wrote:

Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm






--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit

Thank you Kenny, Diana, Michael, and Gene! You
all had very good suggestions. I guess I just get used
to fussing over the plants on a daily basis, and spotting
potential problem plants, that is just made me really
nervous. I have such a crazy hodgepodge of species,
that there is really no way to tell anyone not pretty
familiar with the different species how to take care of
them. Not that I would really want to anyway, as I
am sure I would come back to plants hurting from
over-watering.

I think I will probably do what Gene suggested,
although it will probably freak my husband out..but he
is getting used to the crazy needs of these plants. One
day he came home wondering why the whole place
smelled of cinnamon.

Thank you all!
Crystal



--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm
"Kenni Judd" wrote in message
...
This is in part a test, as I tried to follow the directions for
"bot-proofing" my address -- if I did it right, you won't be able to use
the
Reply function any more, you'll either have to reply to the group or
remove
the "nospam" to send me a private email.

But in answer to the question: we've never grown anything that couldn't
go
a week or more on its own, whether mounted or potted. [We grow LOTS of
catts, dens, oncids, phals, vandaceous, a few paphs and a smattering of
oddballs -- but nothing leafless, so I can't speak directly to those.] If
your plant-sitter is a "novice" [and perhaps it's me, or maybe your
nervousness showing, but I'm reading "complete idiot" as something you
meant
but were too polite to say], and you are not going to be gone more than
5-7
days, I think you'd be better off just giving everything a good soak
before
you leave and another upon your return, rather than risk the attentions of
the "novice." A dehydrated plant can generally be cured by a good soak or
2; other problems can be harder to cure.

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"House of Paisley" wrote in message
news:Njocb.426212$cF.131792@rwcrnsc53...
Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm

Actually I am not. I keep thinking of going, but always
find some reason not to travel 3 hours round strip for
the meetings. I am just not that invested. Though it
would be super fun to meet a couple of the people
here that are semi local to me, other than that, the
insane traffic outweighs the fun for me.

Thank you though! At this age it gets harder and
harder to get people to just come stay at the house
rather than just feeding the pets and stuff. How dare
they have busy lives...;-)

Crystal

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm
"Rob Halgren" wrote in message
...
Another option, if you are truely worried (a pleurothallid grower should
be more worried than a cattleya grower...), is to hit up somebody from
the local orchid society. You are a member of your local orchid
society, aren't you? I'm sure that a member would be more than happy to
come over to your house once or twice and check on the plants. They
might even do it for free, if it isn't too much bother. I would 'tip'
them with a nice plant or two, perhaps something you find on your trip.

More years ago than seems plausable to me (time flies fast), we invited
my brother in law to stay at our Chicago apartment for the two weeks we
were gone on our honeymoon. In exchange for a vacation, he watered the
plants a couple times and kept the cats fed. Worked out well for
everybody.

Rob

House of Paisley wrote:

Okay... I'm nervous witless. My husband and I will be planning
to go to a wedding out of state, and I'll need someone to come
in and kill... er - sit my plants. I think most things will be okay
for a couple of days, but am very worried about my mounts,
which have gotten bigger in numbers. Since I don't have a green
house- only a sunroom I'm thinking of rigging a rack in the
bathroom and just having them come in a steam the room up
for a little while. If I did have a greenhouse I think I would be
nervous the place would stay too wet. The person would be
a complete novice. Do you think if they did that twice a day
they could survive for a couple of days? Most concerning are
the two leafless species, and wonder if it would be better to
have them boarded. Any ideas?

Crystal ---- who thought it was rough having to figure
arrangements for house rabbits.

--
http://home.comcast.net/~xtals/orchid.htm






--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit