WARNING: In an attempt to enlighten, the following post may/will quote and/or copy verbatim portions of text that are copyrighted by individuals and business concerns that in at least one instance are not native to the United States of America. The miscreant begs the forbearance of concerns local and abroad displeased or injured by his well meant actions. "Light is the only plant food. All the other things we give a plant are just to help it digest and use the light. The more light a plant gets the bigger and fatter it will become, provided all other needs are being met. If there is not enough light, nothing else will make the plant bigger or produce more." That quote comes from a British hydroponic gardening website which link was furnished by RP1, a regular contributor. I grabbed it because it says in one succinct paragraph everything I try to say in six. I couldn't help but notice this line from fatplants last post "I won't be able to keep them outside in the shade much longer because temps..." With the opening quote in mind, shade is an absence of light. It can be the total absence of light or it can be partial but usually it leans more to total than not, regardless of what it seems to our eyes. Porches are not good places to grow orchids unless carefully studied for light supply. That opaque 100% shade roof makes only the low angle early morning/late afternoon sun available and because of other structures nearby those light sources may be absent to some degree. FP also says that "it is a phal. I know I can easily maintain it's temp. requirements, not so much the others." Which others? Phals don't have particulary 'easy' temp requirements for Zone 7. Yes during the height of summer but not at any other time of year. Most any other orchid you can name will be more willing to poke along for months at typical household temps (~70F) than phalaenopsis. Mehitabel says, "With orchids, you're always having to make judgment calls on what conditions to provide. Decisions, decisions..." 'Aint that the truth. But allow me to offer some simplification: for much less money than a mini-GH one can buy and operate a small light fixture with a 42W CFL light in it and this will prove of much more utility in regrowing roots and keeping life in indoor plants of all kinds. Every few months another orchid grower goes out of business. If orchid growers would recognize and promote the value of indoor lighting the way they promote their wares the future of the hobby and by extension, their livelihoods would be much more robust. H

Mehitabel They never do look promising when they are in rehab. You'd be surprised. Have faith. Keep conditions steady and literally forget about them. Make them work for their water. Be careful outdoors. You don't want too much rain on a recovering plant. I also find clay pots work best for adult plants. You can have a bit of control over dampness by removing the plastic. Plastic pots may be better for seedlings depending on their size. A comm pot may be a thought, but you sound like you're on the right track. With seedlings, its really tough once they slide. You absolutely cannot water. They need to be kept warm. Do the seedlings have root rot? What kind of medium are they in? Do you have a pic? I try to avoid seedlings. Its 50-50. At first I over watered them. Depending on their size, a mist (with a mixture of ST and or KLN) at the medium 2x/week is about all they need. Same with adult rehabs. I do a real watering with adults about every 2 weeks. Treat them like a plant that gets a mild winter rest. You really can't mist at the or water them very much at all The a/c may be a problem for seedlings. Two ways I have had success: 1. 100w or 120 w (equivelent) CFL's placed fairly close to them. The cfl's emit heat. You may want to consider running a warm air humidifyer. That also cuts the need for water. Think of water as acid for sick plants. 2. Don't laugh- the plastic muffin containers you buy in the bakery section of the grocery store. You know the 4 or 6 pack with the lid. It works really well. Plant them right in the muffin box and close the lid but don't snap it down. Its like a mini G/H /community pot for them. I also use this for leafless orchids and keikei's. Then the a/c is a non issue With smaller plants, I have placed them in the long tupperware containers, put Lava rock on the bottom and then a little water in the tupperware to keep the rock wet. No need for plastic wrap or a bag with that, especialy if you get a deep container. That can go outdoors. You don't want plastic wrap outdoors in summer. It gets far too hot for them. I learned that the hard way I have to thank you for getting me to photograph the entire process. I don't know why I never did it previously. Here's one of "Augusto" . I have loosely saran wrapped him in both directions. Looks tight but it isn't, just placed and folded on top. You always bring up the best discussion topics! I suppose I should put the entire series of rehab photos on a web page. It may help someone who has never gone through it Clara

Sujiwan, You'd be surprised what these plants are capable of and how remarkably they will recover from certain death. So, unless the thing is completely brown, with no green left in the roots or leaves, and with dried up and crispy stems, then there is a chance that it could live. How big of a chance? Hard to say. Depends on the plant, depends on the environment, and a lot of other variables that are too numerous to list. So, I say try it out. Just keep in mind that it could take many years before the plant recovers enough so that the scars of its current condition are gone and for it to bloom again. Also, since we're moving into winter, you may not see any signs of recovery until next spring or summer. So be patient. You may find that the plant quickly develops some new roots. That's a good thing. In my experience however, most of the time you have to look for a new "eye" or growth bud that will start to fatten up near the base of one of the newest growths. That will eventually sprout, and produce roots.

Stick to your guns Susie. I can feel your tension and hope you take good care of yourself. You will never be there for mom if you don't attend to your needs first. Being healthy and strong allows you to give more with less effort. Sounds like your mom is throwing a guilt trip at you so shrug it off. So hard when you want to help someone and they turn good intentions against you. Moms good luck with all those children... hope the sicky ones recover, those to be come healthy, and those that hope find their dreams. I didn't post yesterday as I was on the road for hours. My alma matter had invited me to attend a lunch/lecture/ and what was probably a wake. A dear departed "sociological technologist" was appreciated with a presentation of his final study given by one of his associates. Lunch was steak strips with a fancy peppery sauce. My table was joined by three beautiful current students happy to enjoy a free lunch. I couldn't hear those across the table from me but the young lady next to me was excited about pursuing a career in enviromental law. We had an alumni at the table currently working in that field so the talk was hot and heavy about what law school might be a good choice. The study was presented after lunch and was about the Internet habits of young people. It looked at the integration of technology into the social lives of high school students... facebook, my space, and creative outlets. Later we met in a quiet room of mostly faculty and memories of the late 60's and 70's and the school's founding were shared by those who were at the scene of the crime. Then we got down to business with cocktails and a connection time. I was a bit of an oddity because most students are fairly wealthy and go on to graduate programs and fancy careers. The college has some intest in using me as an example of what can be done with a liberal arts education without law school. They like that I was able to reinvent myself over and over to meet the challenges of my life. For awhile I sat with the Dean and drunkenly bent his ear about skills I've found critical but aquired after school. I stopped for a burger at a the Harrison Roadhouse which is just off campus and sobered up for the long drive home. For me drunk is about three drinks these days so an hour and food was plenty to get me on my way. I so needed that touching back with a place and people that gave me my adult life. Back to work today. A pocket full of business cards and head full of projects. : ) lyra