vacation question

[Sharry]

Dear Orchid members,

I need some advice. As way of belated introduction (I have posted here before), I have collection of around 40 orchids mainly phals, mini-catts and oncidiums and have been "orchiding" for about 7 years now. Some of the collection are mounted. I need to go away for a week. What do people do for their plants when they go away? I prefer not to get a house sitter/plant waterer if I can help it.

Thanks

[Tindomul]

I am faced with the same dilema. I have a few mounted in unprotected environments and no one to mist them. I was thinking of either setting up an automatic misting system( ihave to get one anyway) or placing them in a large fish tank with some water at the bottom to keep up humidity.

[Ray]

Orchids tend to be pretty hardy, so a week is not the stress you might think it is.

When I had a small collection, I would water them thoroughly a couple of times each, two days in a row to make sure the medium or mount was really saturated. They were usually bone dry when I returned, but fine.

Another alternative is to put them in a cool, shady room so they'll dry more slowly. Clustering them in the bathtub is a common trick for that.

I am on vacation right now (Outer Banks of NC), and my greenhouse is scheduled to be misted automatically Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, after I thoroughly watered them on Saturday before leaving.

[Sharry]

Thanks for the tips!