Quote:
Originally Posted by james mickelso
Why do you think this will abort the flowers if it gets dry? Mine dry out a lot when they are in bud and they flower fine. In their natural habitat the dry season is when they flower. The energy to flower is already there in the pbulb. No, withholding water or letting them dry out when they can get water is not good for the plant. I just wanted to make the point that being dry will not abort the flowers, or buds.
---------- Post added at 10:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 AM ----------
Do you belong to an orchid group? Neighbors? I would water them for you if I were near enough. They make this gel substance that holds water forever. Can you make it back to your place for a day during the weekend to water? The cats will be fine but the paphs....
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I don't "think" that, I know that.
Anything that grows need water. After all, most of the volume of living things whether it be plants or animals, is water. Nothing grows well, if at all, when there is not sufficient water. That explains why plants grow when there are a lot of water available.
As plants grow leaves, or develop flowers, a lot of water is needed.
My brassavola, dendrobiums, African violets, and many other plants either dried up and died and gave up flowering due to overdrying. It doesn't take much thinking to know why.
By the way, even in the "dry" season in many of the plant habitat, plants still get quite a bit of water as the air is nothing like that of dry home environment.
My plants have been getting enough water to grow leaves and sheaths (and soon buds in the case of a few cattleyas). When there is no way of getting any moisture, well, they start losing more water through transpiration than no water they take in. Result? abortion of anything that can be made later on when the conditons become favorable again in trying to stay alive and survive through the unexpected "dry spell".
Extended period of "no watering" will result in the death of the plants as I (and I'm sure many many other people who tried growing plants) have witnessed at some point.
I'm planning to move plants away from the window, so at least they are not sitting in the heat of sun while they are not getting watered.
I know two weeks of no watering (away from the sun) will not kill anything I grow but maybe some delicate houseplants that do dry out in three days or so, but I'm just worried how much the damage might be. hopefully not too much. I will only find out when I return.
I appreciate your offer, but It's just that I am not comfortable having any "stranger" in my place. I do know some people in my group but not close to anyone.
I will be away away in the west. can't really come back to NYC to water my plants. lol
Yeah, I have no doubt that cattelyas will be perfectly alive, but those long awated sheaths that are ready to grow buds in them....I'm so frustrated. I'm just hoping for the best. this isn't the first time.
and for my paphs, yes, I am VERY concerned about their survival.
---------- Post added at 11:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by SJF
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Thanks, but I don't think it will do much good.
The continuous supply of water for two weeks may rot the roots I'm afraid.
The best I can think of is to move all the plants away from where the sun reaches directly and lower the window blinds.
and of course, good soaking the night before, of course.
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