i began switching my houseplants - mostly aglaonemas - into a hydroculture set up about 2+ years ago. i tend to use the Pot-in-Saucer method described in the link below. the beauty of this type of grow method is that it is basically impossible to over water plants. and the water line in the clear saucer makes it simple enough that a 5th grader can figure out if you need to add more. so it's nearly impossible to under water either. this past year my husband's father became ill and died, and we've been away for long stretches of time. by placing the pots in larger reservoir tubs, and having a friend drop by to check on things once in a while, i've been able to be gone for 3 or 4 weeks at a time, multiple times, without losing any plants. they can easily go 2 weeks without anyone checking on them. [when i'm home, i place the plants back in the smaller reservoir trays because i think that it's healthier for them. this gives them about a 1 to 2 week watering interval for most plants.] i feel like i'm still learning about my method - for instance, proper fertilization levels and such - but most plants have done well for me. i'm convinced that if i hadn't made the switch, i wouldn't have any surviving plants after this past year... and unfortunately, the next few years are likely to be more of the same. if anyone is interested in this method, check out the link below. there is also a lot of good info on the First Ray's website. his information is mostly slanted toward orchids, but it applies to houseplants as well. please don't think i'm implying that this method is 'no work' or 'perfect', but the question was about vacations, and i think that this is where this method shines. the snags, or complaints, are that the pots are heavy, the Hydroton media is expensive, and if you don't water and fertilize properly you can salt up the media and kill your plants. and if you decide to give it a try, as with any dramatic change... try switching a few test plants first, not your prized specimen or your grandmother's favorite plant. cheers, nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Houseplant Hydroculture

THANK YOU everyone for your all of your thoughtful insight. hcmcdole: I really like your idea of trying to grow them as a free form esapaillar. Or what if I just prune REALLY aggressively on the backside???... So here's what I'm thinking I'm going to do: I am going to prune REALLY aggressively on the backside of the plant to minimize it's growth and spread against the wall... Do you think this would work??? I don't mind how much if it wants to spread forward away from the wall or side ways in width. I would also like to minimize and maintain about a 5 foot height... That way it can overlap the bottom edge of my windows... And I can see the flowers even from the inside of the house. Is limelight the kind of hydrangea that will respond well to pruning and shaping during the growing season??? I know that I would probably make my life a whole lot easier if I just got the Little Lime variety... But it was nearly twice as much for a 2 gallon... Which isn't in my budget. What do you all think??? Am I going to be sorry years from now for even considering this idea and thinking I can keep Limelights growth maintained with pruning during the growing season??? I've never had much luck with hydrangeas in the past... So it's difficult for me to fathom a hydrangea that will grow 8 feet tall and grow so quickly.

Loretta, at the risk of being chastised for hijacking the thread ... If it is squirrels in there, they most likely will not go away until spring, when they and their babies (raised in your attic) will move back to their summer home. In the meantime, for their winter nest they'll make use of anything you have so thoughtfully placed up there for them: boxes, fabric (they seem to particularly like Barbie clothes), fiberglass insulation ... shavings from the electric wiring insulation (guess they like a little texture in their bedding). The babies, having been born and reared inside, will think that's their rightful place and, like salmon, will be determined to return every winter to your - or a neighbor's - attic. They will chew through walls to do so. They literally tore out our soffit vents and when we secured those they chewed through the cedar shakes, vapor barrier and sheathing to get into the house. I used to think squirrels were cute ... now I have to agree with my husband: they're tree rats. Please don't ignore them. Diane

Bob, what are your favourite orchids? You are so missed here please come back and post some orchid pictures! :) Lol!!! Mike!!! What did we do!! we are way in over our heads lol oh dear! You know how it starts, we see a glimpse of some adoptable dogs on the newspaper and we say we're just going to look for fun you know we won't take a little one home. And wouldnt you know it they steal your heart and you take one home! it's always the story isn't it lol. We got our little Sesame over a week ago! I will post pictures once I can for some reason it is not posting i attach it here but it isn't showing. She is some sort of australian sheperd poodle mix. She is rambunctious and already too smart for us :) Mike let me know the name of that rose I remember Amy and me were going to buy it but it sold out that last time it was mentioned lol I'm getting some avocadoes as well! How I will fit them in I have no idea Mike! Mike you will have to tell me how you get your orchids to bloom I bought five at the last orchid show and they are all cattleyas and they are not flowering I do see a new growth that just looks like another leaf. I love the fragrant ones i bought all fragrant orchids all cattleyas. let me know if you have any secrets to get them to bloom! Or maybe don't on second thought lol otherwise I will fall in love with orchids too and down the rabbit hole I go! I am so jealous your gardenia is still alive! MY frost tolerant one did not tolerate the frost! lol Mike during the quarantine I got really into Philodendrons rare ones but they are so delicate, one thrips attack and they're all wiped out! As I type, I'm contemplating which avocado tree to get lol Phoenix perennials our local nursery has 5 in and I just don't know. Have you put all your trees out yet? I did it two weeks ago and opened all the greenhouse doors and windows and man did it feel good! I never get full sized fruits so i am contemplating maybe putting in some lighting to make up for the fact that we have a north facing yard and the citrus are in complete darkness from september to march. I lost one tree a santa theresa that was left outside when I got sick and the weather dipped to -10 for a week, it was an arctic blast!! Now I'm trying to figure out which lemon to get theres genoa, ponderosa, eureka etc I just want a very vigorous lemon tree that gives me many many lemons all year long in a cold greenhouse with not much light lol is that a unicorn tree that doesn;t exist??? YOu know what's truly dangerous for us citroholics? going to the oscar tintori website oh Mike you should see all their tiny trees with 20 full sized fruits on them it's amazing!! and the variety!!! oh my there's so many types that i have never heard of before! oh and their espalier lemon up an arch way oh that made my heart grow three times the size!! well..... i suppose there's only one thing to do! get a larger greenhouse lol! You know we are finally getting our backyard done we saved up a little and decided to give it a facelift I shall take some before and after pictures! mostly we are getting rid of our pond that has not been working for years! Anyways, time for dinner. Will be back to post some pictures if this will allow me next time! Please show us your pictures Mike! of your orchids, roses, citrus of course and everything you grow lol talk soon HUGS!