I know that Crinums can be grown as house plants - like Amaryllis/Hippeastrum. If you can plant them up in 9L/2gall. buckets and give them care they will probably come through the shift, though it might take them a year or so to settle in again. If you're talking about the Irises with rhizomes (Bearded), suggest you check on that forum to see what other Iris fans have done in similar circumstances. Taking young growth with an active root system and trimming back to a fan would certainly reduce the impact. I think I would choose a fairly shallow container if your Irises need a good baking to do well the following year. The Pacific Coast and Louisiana irises would need different care again. If you're moving something like I gracilipes, though, an azalea pot might be best, with a good autumn treat of leaf mould over the root system. Those particular Irises do NOT appreciate lots of sun! Do ask the folk over at the Iris forum and put your mind at peace on this aspect.

The suriest way is to hire a garden sitter. One that comes with references. I provide this service to those that can afford me. I require an A/C room with private bath/shower Access to your kitchen and a stocked refrigerator. My taste are simple. Steak and beef roast, pork chops, and chicken breasts will do fine for meat and unless you live by the sea don't even think about sea food. My veggies I will secure from your garden. I drink quite a lot of Coke so at least two, two liter bottles of caffine free coke per day. I also require that you provide appropreate wine. For the beef I would like a nice red, dry please. For the Pork and Chicken a nice dry white will do. Allow at least one bottle per day for the wine and please send me in advance a list of what you prepose to provide. Errny and Jules will not do. One of my added services is that I will cook for your Hubbie in your absence. Please be prepared for him to gain a few pounds as I am a so called Gumay cook. In addition to the drinking wine for meals I would also like several bottles of sherry and port as I use a lot in cooking. If you live a distance away from me then also please provide first class air fare both ways. The use of a car while there goes without saying. Your car will be fine as long as it is not a Chevy. I prefer BMW or MB or at least a German car of some kind. A VW Beetle is better than a Ford Tbird.I think that about covers it so check my page and email me for the details. OH, and have a nice trip. OH, one last thing. I will not work in NJ.

There may not be a one size fits all regimen, but there IS a one size fits 99.9% regimen which has proven to bear fruit for a LOT of growers. I probably have about 300 plants covering at least 200 species and I don't know how many genera - maybe 125 to150. All those plants are treated exactly the same, except for allowances that a little more than half of them snooze the winter away, dormant, in a cold garage where they need no care other than the snow I toss on top of them occasionally through the winter so roots don't dry out. The houseplants and succulents grow under the same lights, get watered ON A SCHEDULE at the same time, get fertilized with the same fertilizer, and manage to remain in excellent health, year after year. It's true that when all you have is natural light, plants will need to be sited in consideration of their light preferences, and temperatures are a consideration, but the portion of the cultural conditions that are provided by the grower that are most apt to spawn trouble will relate to a triangle formed by soil choice, watering habits, and proper nutrition. These three factors are so intimately related that it's difficult to discuss one without including the others unless you're growing in a soil that allows you to water correctly. The idea that different plants require different treatment (other than light and temps) comes largely from the fact that some plants are better able to tolerate adversity. 'Tolerate' somehow translated to 'appreciate', and soon people were believing some plants LIKED soils wetter than other plants. Most of the plants you'll grow perform best when their soils are barely damp - not wet, and never soggy. If you're interested, read the link I left below. It will help you avoid most of the frustration suffered by people new to the growing experience if you put it to practical use. Al Here is a link that might be useful: More here

Hope, I didn't meant to alarm you! LOL... It may not be that at all. But I always check my plants when the leaves don't look right...just in case. And since you just brought this baby home, a thorough inspection wouldn't hurt. To check for spider mites, here's a simple, quick method: Place a blank, white piece of paper under a leaf of your plant and shake, shake, shake or tap, tap, tap the selected foliage. Small specks of dust and debris will fall onto the paper. Get up close and personal with the fallen debris on the paper and watch carefully (make sure the lighting is good where you view the sheet). Dust and dirt donÂt move but mites do! If spider mites are present, you will see tiny specks moving across the paper. Check more than one leaf, even healthy ones, to make sure your plant is mite-free. This simple but useful method is a technique that helps detect the presence of mites that canÂt be otherwise seen by the naked eye. You can also check the plantÂs leaves, stems, axils, etc, for fine webbing, which is a sure sign of mite infestation. Again, this is just a precaution! And it's good to rule out any pests for your plant's sake.