Sheila, If you need to make a 100 mile R/T, please make certain to stop along the way to purchase a gift for your OS member! :)

--Stitz--

Stitz, I AM talking 'boonies' here. The nearest 'side trip' would double the mileage and their plants are not affordable. She'll get an IOU; we are going to a show together the first of October! She's recently been working on a collection of C. purpuratas.

Any opinion on whether these plants would go into a temporary dormant state and survive a week without moisture?

I think they'll be just fine. 1 week is not so long, many shipped plants spend nearly that much time in a box.

If you really feel you need to do something, take a larger pot, put the Vanda in it and fill it with bark, water upon leaving for your trip to the civilized world. Upon return get rid of the bark and all is well.

Nick

Thx for the tip Nick...sounds good! 'Civilized world' huh? Watch out, there are other Texans on this forum! What we're opting for is a "COOL" world. High 70s to lows in the 40/50s...heaven...but less than a week, then back to H***!

Wish I could pack up the 'kids, they'd love it too!

I agree with Nick that a mature vanda will last a week without watering. I once had a large order of mature vanda sent via regular mail which took about a week. Some where dyhydrated but I watered the heck out of them for a few weeks and they all came back. Another thing you might do is put spagnum moss on the top of the plants. That should help hold some moisture. The worry wart that I am, I'd pay the piper and have them watered once while I was gone. I've been known to bring compots on our 800 miles car trip to S. Carolina. Matter a fact I have a few I'll need to bring along in a couple of months. My worry at the moment in about lots of little paphs. I just ordered one of the shares from the liquidation of Nick Tannaci brachy paphs. It includes 100 out of compot and 60 of the 2 to 4 inch size. We go away for 3 weeks so just leaving them won't be an option. Luckily, I have a neighbor who maybe doesn't do the best job, but they do get some attention.

I just noticed that on my post above I said spagnum moss on top of the plants. What I meant was live spanish moss.

Wish I had live spanish moss. I am concerned about too much moisture on them. Won't I be encouraging mold?

Bob, my DH is very much accustomed to my taking plants...but always just a few babies.

This is a bad time for us to be leaving...so many of the catts are spiking/budding. I hope they don't blast when I bring them indoors. I especially want to see the first bloom of C. Interglossa...may have to pack it. None of my paphs are spiking yet. I only have a few and they stay in the house, so no problem with leaving them.

I've only been growing orchids for 3 or so years and am definately a novice but I go away often, usually for 1 to 2 weeks at a time so I'll let you know what I do. 1 week isn't a challenge in PA even in the summer, but in Texas it probably is. I use several old fish tanks - 10 gallon, 20 gallon etc. for my orchids. The day I leave I put an inch or two of damp bark on the bottom, water each orchid well, drain, put them into the tank and cover 80% to 90% of the top of the tank with plastic wrap, then put them in a bright area but absolutely no sun. So far so good, I have phals and paphs (very successful) and a few different types of catts. None have died after being gone for up to 2 weeks, the leaves may be darker green but their roots usually look better than ever. 8 days should be no problem :)

Maybe mine are used to higher humidity and that helps, not sure, usually 50 to 70% normally, but I've never had a mold problem using fish tanks over the past 2 years

Thx angeleyedcat. I have a 30 gal long tank (with tropical fish). I remove the light fixture top and have a rack set-up for across the top. This is where the catts in bud will rest while I'm gone. I've used this area in the past for letting recently repotted plants recover.

I do have an old 20 gal stashed in a closet...hadn't thought of that. I could let them have some light that way...might be better than a box. I don't think they'd all fit, but I would sure find out which method was the least stressful.

According to Dr.Martin Motes, well known orchid hybridizer and auther of several books on orchids, vandas in particular, a hard drying out perioid is advantageous, now and then, for good vanda culture.

I left a few Vandas several years ago for 2 weeks.
I put them in large ziplock bags with wet spagnum covering their roots.
They were perfect when I got home.

Thx plantladyco. I got home yesterday and the vandas did just fine. I didn't even bother with the spag; just watered the roots, shook off the excess water and put them in the bags.

Glad I could help...and glad it worked !