DUH!!!

[Bird Song Farm]

Originally Posted by Kaykay

Just bringing my outdoor orchids in for the colder weather and... knock cleanly off the spike on an oncidium- by trapping it in the sliding door. How could I be so stupid. So frustrating, and it was maturing nicely too. Gah. That will teach me!

Ouch!!! Sorry, I know your pain.

[cowboy51278]

I have 2 from just this week. Hmmmm, only 2 this week??...that number seems too low. Anyways, the first one was on Monday morning when I tried to pick some companion plants (oxalis) out of my Cym. Dorthy Stockstill and managed to break off 2 tiny spikes....the only 2 on the whole plant......On a side note, the oxalis is still there. My second "Bozo No No" was when I got the brain storm to raise the rack system that hangs over my center bench for all my hanging and mounted orchids. I figured it would get some more light to the plants sitting on the bench below (which it does). While adding a 12" extension pipe onto one of the legs the big 10 foot long 1inch galvanized steel cross member came undone and fell 3 feet right onto the top of my head. Yep.....concussion. And yes, I know I should have waited for help and not done it myself. I'm sure I'll have at least one more "DUH" before the week is up.

[RJSquirrel]

my latest DUH!!
I was trying to make a platform for my phrags in my phrag tank. So I was drilling a hole for some drainage. I had a nice Towel down so not to get plastic chips all over the place as last time I got some in my hands and its just as sharp as glass.
Got thru the plastic and into the towel, the towel flew around stuck on the drill bit which at that time was running rampant knocking over an open pint of contact cement. I try to recover and knock over a bucket of pea gravel..Now I got contact cement and pea gravel everywhere. I still have some stuck to my shoes...Ill never get all that stuff up off the floor..4 days later I'm still cleaning it up .Now have to refinish my table top bec I wiped the top with the same towel that had contact cement on it..I threw the whole damn mess away after that.

Covered the table up with orchid books looks like I'm really doing something with all them books out turned studiously to a page...If they only knew the truth

[cowboy51278]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

my latest DUH!!
I was trying to make a platform for my phrags in my phrag tank. So I was drilling a hole for some drainage. I had a nice Towel down so not to get plastic chips all over the place as last time I got some in my hands and its just as sharp as glass.
Got thru the plastic and into the towel, the towel flew around stuck on the drill bit which at that time was running rampant knocking over an open pint of contact cement. I try to recover and knock over a bucket of pea gravel..Now I got contact cement and pea gravel everywhere. I still have some stuck to my shoes...Ill never get all that stuff up off the floor..4 days later I'm still cleaning it up .Now have to refinish my table top bec I wiped the top with the same towel that had contact cement on it..I threw the whole damn mess away after that.

Covered the table up with orchid books looks like I'm really doing something with all them books out turned studiously to a page...If they only knew the truth

Well, I usually heat up some metal and burn new drain holes in my plastic pots but given your catastrophe, I'm not going to suggest playing with fire

[Bird Song Farm]

Originally Posted by RJSquirrel

my latest DUH!!
I was trying to make a platform for my phrags in my phrag tank. So I was drilling a hole for some drainage. I had a nice Towel down so not to get plastic chips all over the place as last time I got some in my hands and its just as sharp as glass.
Got thru the plastic and into the towel, the towel flew around stuck on the drill bit which at that time was running rampant knocking over an open pint of contact cement. I try to recover and knock over a bucket of pea gravel..Now I got contact cement and pea gravel everywhere. I still have some stuck to my shoes...Ill never get all that stuff up off the floor..4 days later I'm still cleaning it up .Now have to refinish my table top bec I wiped the top with the same towel that had contact cement on it..I threw the whole damn mess away after that.

Covered the table up with orchid books looks like I'm really doing something with all them books out turned studiously to a page...If they only knew the truth

This sounds so much like something I would do/have happen to me! that's when it's time to go get a beer
(or 2) and give it up for the day!!

[Amanda L]

It's been awhile since someone posted in here, so let me be the one to post in an old thread .


About a month ago I was cutting up some chicken for the dog and was thinking to myself "Man this knife is really sharp". No sooner than the thought finished in my head than I cut my finger. It was fairly deep for a finger wound and bled profusely. It's all healed up now, but still hurts at times. I guess, I did some kind of damage. Oh well, reminds me that knives are sharp!

My recent orchid DUH was trying to pry some roots apart on a cym and while holding the plant broke off a very healthy, very well growing new growth .

I can't even count the times I have damaged orchids because I can't keep my hands off them!

[Leafmite]

I was so glad to see this thread today! I recieved a shipment from Hausermann's yesterday and, as always, the plants were perfect, lots of roots, new growth, perfect health. They had even substituted blooming size catts for the cheapo size I'd ordered. As I was cutting the one out of the pot, being careful not to cut the roots, I knocked off one of the two new leads. Sigh. I set it on a bed of sprag instead of giving it the proper burial I gave the two spikes knocked off this winter (a phal and sharry baby). I certainly needed the reminder that it is okay to make mistakes. Thanks!
Leafmite

[Amanda L]

Without making mistakes we can't learn and grow. Sorry to hear about the leads you knocked off. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can save them!

[Leafmite]

Thanks for the sympathy! It is only one lead of the two that the orchid was producing and I'm hoping another will develop from the second eye of that bulb. Still have one developing unscathed. Nothing all that terrible, just another 'Duh!' event to keep life interesting.
Leafmite

[Triffid]

For all those who have gone before me on this thread I sympathize and offer ether hugs.

And now I announce that my "luck" has finally run out. Please feel free to point and laugh... I'm used to it

After numerous attempts at flinging itself down the stairs with no ill effects My parkour loving phal noid finally
broke it's spike.

I had removed the plant from it's heavy stabilizing pot so that I could clean the hefty thing. I thought I had secured the plant in an upright position in the bathroom, only to hear that ubiquitous crashing noise that I have come to associate with this particular plant!

I rush back in, to see it on the floor (yet again!) and when I carefully lift it and examine it I see that the spike has finally gone! The depressing thing was that it was getting to be around 50cm+ long or so and showed no signs of stopping with the sequential mass of lovely blooms!... I was really proud of this one, Noid or no it was impressive (well to me anyway).

On the bright side, no permanent damage done and the spike was put in a vase.... Oh well... better luck next year!

My advice to others out there? Don't just double check that you heavy plants are stable, triple, quadruple or more check before you turn your back on it