bad to worse in my greenhouse - be nice

[Lorraine]

Vanessa, it will be alright. I don't have a greenhouse but I feel your pain. I agree with all above about cleaning out the greenhouse. Here is 1 more recipe for you...tall glass, ice, some OJ add pineapple juice then some nice smooth rum. Find a nice relaxing chair, put your feet up and sip till the glass is empty. I guarantee you will feel better. THEN get that RAT!!! Peanut butter really does work. I'm still counting 25+rats DOA..er DIT (dead in trap)

[DebsC]

Vanessa, I feel for you! This hobby is so rewarding when everything works right but oh so discouraging when it doesn't.

Arkansas is no picnic to grow orchids in, either. Just when you think you have the weather figured out...you're wrong!!

I too, have a new swamp cooler for the greenhouse. The last few years have been dryer than usual while still being close or over those triple digits.

But this year, it's back to heavy humidity again along with the heat. Still, the swamp cooler has been a life saver! Well worth the money. BUT and isn't there always a BUT with this hobby?

I also have been plagued with a few bugs and more than a little rot. Sometimes I just can't spray them when I need to and other times it seems nothing works and I lose a plant no matter what!!

I moved my paphs and phrags in the house simply because even with two big box fans blowing like a hurricane, they were still getting the rot. I lost a large one I don't think I can replace.

But this is what I do. My best. That's all any of us can do. Everyone loses plants, usually their favorites or most expensive.

Replace the plants you can and take advantage of the situation and space to grow something new or different.

Don't sweat the small stuff...even if it feels really, really large!!!

[RosieC]

So sorry to hear about your problems Vanessa, I really feel for you. I think the rat would be the last straw for me as well.

Really hope you get stuff sorted and get rid of that Rat

[UKCat]

This time last year I lost 2/3rds of my collection to rot so I feel for you, but I am still here and I am still growing orchids.
Like you, I went away for a few days and came back to death and distruction (or that was how it felt)

After I had cleaned and sprayed and sorted out what I had left I could have cried, but you don't.
Some of my friends who grow orchids sent me divisions of thier plants to help me try and get my collection back together.
It was great, it picked me up, and it was like christmas had come early with all those little parcels arriving
Being in the UK I can't send you anything but a great big

Think of this as your biggest challenge, you can do this and you will get rid of the rat.

[Gin]

Hang in there as the others said . Crap happens to all of us in one way or the other .. I had to farm out a lot of my plants during a move , from a green house to no place to put them lost a lot of large old Catts. and my big C. dowiana some I can't replace .. Last year I had some of my Catts. under a canopy outside, thought they were safe Ha ! got a storm with large hail that blew sideways and beat a lot of them up they are growing new but still looks like they have a plague .. All we can do is the best we can ..

[vmax3000]

Lorraine - most excellent advice!! The pineapple sitting in my kitchen just ripened enough to be cut....something yummy to do with fresh pineapple and rum!!

Debs - Thanks for the pick me up. I admit I am a little more easily overwhelmed this year by the daunting task of caring for my plants especially when I am battling some disease or pest...and I HATE watching them die, despite my efforts. Some days, our best is just our best, in the face of "rotten" odds.

Rosie - I have had some sleep. So maybe my perspective will be better today! Let's hope so, as I go out there to finish the job that I started yesterday....cleaning out the whole structure and plugging up the hole that I found. It rained, so my efforts were postponed....more humidity, great....

UKCat - I found myself sorry for your loss. So far, my mushy death body count is MUCH lower. I am inspired by your story. Thanks for the hug and right back at you!

Gin - I was looking a the small, but growing list of plants I have lost (there are a couple that are in the touch and go stage). I pull my hair and mourn, thinking those were my favorites, but I know that ANY plant in my collection qualifies as my favorite...even some of the NOIDs! I can't imagine having to choose who to keep....right now, nature is doing that for me. Thanks for the pick me up!

I can't thank you guys enough for helping me get a hold on myself so I can march out there to clean up.

[camille1585]

I missed this thread when you first posted, but I'm sorry to hear about the devastating problems in your greenhouse. Sounds like you've been having a very bad spring/summer. How is the cleaning going? Have you managed to salvage much?

Just a word of advice for the future; avoid using bordeaux mixture on plants in the summer. When it's hot outside it becomes toxic to the plants. It also is nearly useless as a curative. It's better applied as a preventative measure, or at the very beginning of the symptoms.

[Izzie]

Camille beat me to it- I've been meaning to ask, how's it going over there? We're still rooting for you!

btw, glad you like my signature.

[Brenda Aarts]

Vanessa I discovered over the past few days that I too am probably battling black rot and man does it spread quickly. Started with a couple of epis...I think I pulled 40 or so plants out of my sunroom today which are all sick. It is frustrating and gives you a sick feeling in your stomach and I also questioned whether I should slow down or give up. Then I came into my living room and looked at my blooming plants and decided I'm not ready to quit yet! Good luck with your "clean up".

[vmax3000]

Camille,
Thank you so much for the info on bordeaux mix. I will definitely keep that in mind for the future!! In all of the research I did on the mix, I didn't find anything about not applying in the heat of summer. It's good to know.

I moved all of the plants out on the covered portion of the porch and put the hanging plants on a rope stretched between two large trees in my backyard. Of course, it has rained some more. I love rain, under normal circumstances, but trying to "dry off" one's mushy collection when the humidity is that high is darn near impossible.

My spousal unit assisted me in removing the old chiller and the benches. He had built some new benches for me, so he finished up the details while I scrubbed the inside of the gh. I found another rat's nest underneath the old chiller....grrr. We put the new benches and a new chiller in, yesterday. I finished screening, essentially sealing the rat's access hole, installed the water lines and fired up the new chiller, today. If all looks good tomorrow, the plants will be returned to the clean, refurbished gh. In the frenzy of all of the construction and cleaning, I almost missed my Stanhopea blossoming....I remember why I love them so.

Thank you all, again, for being there and cheering me on. I really appreciate your input over these last couple of days. I don't think I can thank you, enough, really.