I don't really get pest issues from taking plants outside (unless it's something that's REALLY pest prone. Hi, you stupid A. Squarrosa*. Fortunately, none of the aphids or whiteflies this thing got ever spread). The high humidity outside keeps mites in check. Scale and mealies... I don't see those much around here, and bringing those in on and infested plant from the store is far more likely. I DO tend to get a lot of spiders. I stopped caring about bringing those in with me, so a fringe benefit of growing plants has been that my arachnophobia has improved a lot. Anyway, I'm moving to an apartment next year for gradschool. No dorm means no going home for the summer means no putting plants outside. I think I'll be okay for the most part, except for a few things: * Delonix regia - This doesn't really make a good houseplant, and it's pretty much deciduous. It's actually stayed more-or-less in-leaf this year, but it needs to be outside to get properly leafy. * A. Squarrosa - This doesn't seem to make a good plant indoors or out, although outside it actually grows beyond just replacing old leaves. * Blechnum gibbum - Way too dry for these indoors. It seems perfectly capable of surviving half the year in a fairly brown-and-crispy state, but it *needs* summers outdoors. I might have to set up a humidity tent for it or something. * Pineapples - A little too dry indoors for them, and they need full sun to really grow. Also they're sort of huge. * Key lime - It doesn't grow well indoors. It does okay and won't die, but it just does better outside.

Sharon, you mention that not all of your catts are suited to S/H. Can you give me an idea what kinds are or aren't? I'm just starting to change some of my plants over to S/H and trying to figure out what will work best. I have a Bc. Nanipuakea 'Dogashima' that I put into S/H a while back. I was trying to resuscitate it after it lost its roots due to a period of neglect while I was ill. It's one of those plants that tends to grow its new growth up. The older, rootless growths have never grown any roots. The younger growths, above the LECA, have put out some nice, vigorous roots, but they don't seem to be able to penetrate the LECA. They've just kind of bent trying to find somewhere to go. I finally divided it today, putting the newer growths w/ strong roots into the LECA, and the rootless portion into a conventional bark mix. I've tried putting a couple of other distressed 'chids into S/H without seeing much in the way of root recovery. Perhaps this isn't the best way to bring back ailing plants. Any comments and/or suggestions would be welcome. Roxanne

If it was sun damage it would not start as a small spot and grow it would have immediately presented as a bleached or blackened spot and the lower leaf in the same general vicinity would have been likewise damaged. No, it is consistent with a chronically underlit plant (10' overhang?!) with a hard done by immune system. A single horizontal cut across the leaf below the worst of the damage will suffice for the bad leaf. The other leaf I wouldn't mess with unless the spot grew bigger. If so you could take an Exacto knife and cut it our like a paper doll. The real lesson of course is to locate the phal where it will receive some sun. Not enough to burn it but enough to ensure that it receives enough solar energy to fuel its metabolic processes. 3/4" to 1" of new growth each month is not too much to expect. I see no new growth at all on that plant and I suspect it has been in stasis for quite a long time. H

You might be able to get a basal keiki, but I fear you have killed the remaining roots with the peroxide spraying. You should stop that immediately! You had a chance because you had viable roots. The leaf is a gonner. You need to protect those roots. Your only shot is to increase your room temps. 70's if possible. Increase light (even though the leaf will fall off). Increase humidity. If you have some rooting hormone, put a little around the root base. Put the plant in some moist, small bark or sphag and warm it up (Arthurs suggestion of heating pad is a good one) -- then, forget about it! Don't look or water again until you see some signs of life which will probably be early Spring - March or so. You got crown rot because your temps are too low for that plant and you might have gotten some water in the crown. Phals like warmth, 60's is too low to promote growth. Your main thrust should be to warm the plant and forget about it. Jane