I don't do no sitting or repotting anymore for anyone!!

About a year ago, a friend asked me to repot a hoya that had been her mothers plant. Her mother had passed on over a decade ago, so this was a special plant. I went to take a look at the plant. The leaves were all yellow and dropping, the temp in her house was in the 50's F and the pot was soaking wet. Wonderful combo as we all know.

I took the plant home, took it out of its pot (no drainage hole) and as one would expect, the roots were all rotted. I thought I could see a faint sign of life, so I trimmed it up, repotted into a much smaller pot, called the friend and told her what I found. I told her I would keep the plant at my house until I thought it had recovered. It didn't. It died.

Even though my friend didn't say anything, I think she blames me for killing her plant. No more, no way. Nope, won't do it.

Be very careful about having that phal near a pot of boiling water. They like to jump.

K

Nope - no plant sitting for me either. I got stuck caring for a friends HUGE Christmas cactus several years ago and promptly killed it. Nope - I do NOT want that level of anxiety in my life.

Good luck with the phal - at least it is only 10 days.

Alexa

'Chid Karma, Carolyn!

Thank goodness my orchid buddy takes the mounties when DH and I are both out of town. She puts them in her orchidarium, and so far, they've done just fine.

I'll return the favor when the time comes.

Have you considered a sacrifice to the Phal Angels so they'll watch over the Phal?

Whitecat8

I babysit a black, standard Poodle - Macy. Belongs to darling daughter who travels often with her family. Macy is a good dog but loves wood chips, will do anything for some wood chips, will knock plants over for wood chips, would rather have wood chips than food...need I say more!

Jane

I don't know if this counts, but the outcome could be similar to Kev's experience although less severe...I was at my friend's house the other day; a house he shares with 2 other guys of which one is the official owner and landlord. Anyway, I noticed a phal on their windowsill that belonged to one of the guys, with 2 spikes that had been cut at various upper nodes over the years ...those spikes looked OLD with a gazillion branches - I bet these guys (who aren't regular orchid growers) were under teh illusion that one shuold never cut the entire spike off a phal lest it never send a new one up.

Anyway, upon closer examination, I noticed colonies of scale clustering all over one of the spikes. I pointed out this rather unpleasant infestation to my friend, who gasped and insisted that I do something about it....I told him I could cut the spike off and examine the rest of the plant for scale, but I didn't want to mess up Rob's plant (even though the infested spike only had like 1 dessicated bloom left and had exhausted all it's nodes anyway). My friend however, who I guess is apparently incredibly distasteful of insects, insisted I do what I had to do, so I chopped it off (after we took extensive photographs as evidence of the pests)

The other 2 guys are away on vacation and we are now awaiting their return to see how they will react to the defilement of their precious plant. In retrospect, I could/should have probably waited, but I think I'll take the heat for cutting off an old spent spike, knowing in my heart that I saved a phal from impending doom.

WC8-

It's probably my time to offer a sacrifice. I have been getting by for so long! But what is the going price?
-buy a new orchid?
-'kevin' an old one?
-perform an act of kindness by way of offering a 'kid for exchange in return for appropriate prose?

Shanti, the orchid eating dog has given that up long ago, so the phal should be safe from forces outside of my control ;)

Actually, what I need most is a sitter for my own muttly crew...Jane, are you available? We're almost neighbors, me being on LI and all...

;)
Carolyn

Hey Carolyn - send them up! What do you have? Macy is a really nice dog, but 'dense.' I had Rotties most of my adult life and this is the first poodle. Rotts never cared for orchids or wood chips. I had one who liked sphag. Since there are always spag bunnies around my floors it was no big deal except she would chew on it for a while and spit out the wet pieces around the house. Sort of like chewing tobacco.

Now Macy is the first Poodle I've ever known. She has a lot of energy and has noticed that she only needs to brush a leaf with her nose and my pots fall over. Loves wood baskets and wood chips. Luckily, no plants have appeared damaged and it forced me to repot many which needed to be. Sphag and chips stick to her Poodle coat and she looks like she took a walk in the woods by the time I get home.

I think she gets bored. So Carolyn, Macy could use some distraction and some friends.....

Jane

Carolyn, only you can know what represents a true sacrifice worthy of the Phal Angels. Heh heh

Jane, is this a young Poodle? My experience w/ Standards doesn't include the behaviors you're describing.

WC8

Carolyn, did your neighbour sign a disclaimer, lol. When was doing the 'phal seedling' thingie years ago, I always told the care takers that it was ok if 1 or 2 died - they were going to do it anyway!!