Really frustrated lately

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Just venting, as the whole this year, the fall here in Miami is just horrible, I feel like there will be never dry season anymore, it is raining constantly pretty much every single day for past 4 days, not talking about short rain, soaking wet all the way to the inner balcony doors rain for some 6-8 hours straight. I did check my plants, and I feel like I will be loosing some, unfortunately. Even leca pebbles do not work at this time of the year, my Cymbidium was in it, and I took it out today to find pretty much roots soaking wet and rotting. And it is about to start another hell rain any minute now. This is just sooooo frustrating, after great care in the summer to be loosing the battle now when they need dry season and winter rest:-( Wishing all the luck to everyone growing outside in Florida!

[Bud]

I am very much affected by reading your thread. I am scared for all your wonderful collections. You are deluged with the monsoon rains....invest on a clear plastic retractable awning ....maybe Home Depot can have someone come to install it for you.

[nikkik]

Sorry to hear the weather hasn't let up! I really hope all your plants will be okay. When I was reading your post I had the same thought as Bud about some type of protection for your plants. A cheap quick fix may be weighted shower curtain liners on a tension rod, not permenant or expensive. Good luck, I hope you get relief soon!

[Lynn in Michigan]

i feel your pain. I had that happen to me and I lost a lot of plants. I had them out side and it just rained for days. Try to find something to cover them. Good luck.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

The thing is, condo association, of course, I am LUCKY that they do not complain about everything hanging out of my balcony and at my balcony, which is not allowed, I can not put anything to cover the balcony, unfortunately. And I do not want to even start, since they are not making any fuzz about my plants, I know once I start some covers, it may all turn back to me:-(((
They JUST said now on the TV forecast, we got yesterday 1/3 of ALL the rain that we usually get in this dry season, one third in one day, of the water we get usually in 4 months, this is just so so so painful, they said extremely unusual for this dry season, that is all nice, but really not helping at all, and the forecast, rain again, as it is the whole day today again, so pretty much I guess in last 3 days we got already half of all the rain we usually get in this dry season - I would LOVE to see dry season, as I do remember it from previous years, not happening:-(((
I read so many threads on FB in Florida orchid growing from members they did some balcony covers, had issues with associations, had to get rid of them:-(((

[MattWoelfsen]

Tommy, I hope you dry out soon. You have been such an inspiration with all of your plants, I hope none of them succumb so far that a good, dry day, with warm, gentle breezes doesn't cure what the rain has wrought. I'm in Indiana, we just finished three days of torrential rain, preceded with wind gusts and tornadoes last weekend. Tomorrow we're expecting snow showers! No accumulation, but freezing cold, around 20*F.

[nikkik]

I get HOAs; I actually had a very difficult time finding one in a nice neighborhood because I needed a fence for the dogs and my husband has a company van that must be parked outside our home.

With that being said, in the evening (after dark) could you put up a tension rod with plastic shower curtains and then remove it in the early morning before your neighbors are up, so at least your plants may get some relief in the evening when it's dark and most humid? If no one knows or sees especially if you situate it back a bit in the dark, it can't hurt. I know it's extra work, but you have such an awesome collection. I picked up a thick tension rod at homegoods for about $4, even clear tarp held there with hooks on each side would work.

If this isn't possible, I'll cross my fingers for you. I'd really hate for you to lose any, especially because of things out of your control.

[hcastil3]

This is frustrating for sure, that would drive me nuts, I know you have been struggling with the rain for a while now, I really do hope you get you dry season soon. and yes those association things can be hard to livewith, so many rules ...

[AnonYMouse]

I'd like to help by taking all your rain but alas, nature doesn't work that way.

Can you put couple of patio umbrellas up during a shower?

I do this for frost protection with cheapo umbrellas:

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

Tommy, I hope you dry out soon. You have been such an inspiration with all of your plants, I hope none of them succumb so far that a good, dry day, with warm, gentle breezes doesn't cure what the rain has wrought. I'm in Indiana, we just finished three days of torrential rain, preceded with wind gusts and tornadoes last weekend. Tomorrow we're expecting snow showers! No accumulation, but freezing cold, around 20*F.

Thanks so much Matt for a nice worlds. I hear you, at least, I can still grow outside year round, which is great. And let's be honest, it is only this year, something strange is happening with the weather, we have pretty much rain the whole summer and the whole fall, very unusual and strange, and the rain in this amount now, in our "dry season", when in one day we get 1/3 of the rainfalls usual for the whole 4 months of dry season, is just strange. I wish it would stop, I would never believed how depressing weather can be - every day when I wake up and I see that nasty dark cloudy sky and rain with no sun, my day is ruined, I can't think about anything except my orchids and their suffering again:-(

---------- Post added at 07:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------

Originally Posted by nikkik

I get HOAs; I actually had a very difficult time finding one in a nice neighborhood because I needed a fence for the dogs and my husband has a company van that must be parked outside our home.

With that being said, in the evening (after dark) could you put up a tension rod with plastic shower curtains and then remove it in the early morning before your neighbors are up, so at least your plants may get some relief in the evening when it's dark and most humid? If no one knows or sees especially if you situate it back a bit in the dark, it can't hurt. I know it's extra work, but you have such an awesome collection. I picked up a thick tension rod at homegoods for about $4, even clear tarp held there with hooks on each side would work.

If this isn't possible, I'll cross my fingers for you. I'd really hate for you to lose any, especially because of things out of your control.

Thanks Nikkik, I could do that, however the most of the rain is actually afternoon, hardly it rains over night, THANKS GOD, last 3 days it starts at around noon and rains all the way till 8-9pm, today the same, it did stop at 7pm. Very usual for Florida, afternoon rain, not morning and hardly ever over night! So not much I can do during the day:-(

---------- Post added at 07:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:15 PM ----------

Originally Posted by hcastil3

This is frustrating for sure, that would drive me nuts, I know you have been struggling with the rain for a while now, I really do hope you get you dry season soon. and yes those association things can be hard to livewith, so many rules ...

Thanks Hector, you know, I am actually DREAMING sometimes about that awesome fall weather we used to have, always gorgeous, sunny, no clouds, no rain, but not so hot since humidity is down to around 60%, the fall, winter and spring used to be my favorite time of the year in Florida, but this year I hate it, to my bones, it is the nastiest fall ever. In 11 years living in Florida I do not recall having this much rain in one year and in fall especially!