I hope she does a bit more research on raising a child than she did for this plant. Clara, you are so kind. Why can't you live nearby?? All my intergenerics are suffering 'heat stroke' from being left outside in the sun all summer. They need 'major rehab.'

I was raised to be polite. It is hard for me to clobber someone over the neglect of their plants. As a mother, I couldn't criticize how I felt, they neglected their children. None of my business, unless they ask for help.

You are a good friend, neighbor, person. Just give the Phal some TLC and send it back home. It will probably survive.

Jane

Clara, You are most kind. I might have said something that gave them no false hope but didn't make it their fault - that orchids can be demanding fussbudgets, that a lot of experienced growers wouldn't be able to save it, and that the Windex may have done it in. Then if it lives, it's come back from the near-dead. If it dies w/ them or w/ you, it's because of the Windex.

If it dies, maybe they could buy a new one in honor of the deceased, and you could coach them on care or recommend a book so they can better meet its demands. When experienced folks tell me my orchid needs more of this or less of that, it's okay to hear. If they say EYE did or didn't do something, I'm more likely to feel guilty or defensive.

My guess is that, once the baby comes, they'll have other things on their minds besides orchids. And Jane, I'm with you on hoping they've studied up on baby care. Whitecat8

"If it was so special why did you neglect it?"

Exactly! I bet they're saying this so that you feel really guilty and devote all your time and energy in trying to save it. I'm not saying these people are evil and manipulative, but this is probably the way they get others to do what they didn't have the inclination to do.

I don't believe in beating around the bush with people. If there is something difficult that must be said, just say it in the most calm and tactful voice you can muster. If you don't then you'll have to readdress the whole issue again when the the plant dies. Now that you have the plant, it will be your fault when it does die. You'll look like the incompetent schmuck since you didn't save it. Wont' that be fun??

If there's something difficult that needs doing, I just like to do it and get it over with. If you don't, it just comes back to haunt you.

Kevin

They took it home with them! Can you believe it? I offered to keep it with me. I told them if they they found that it was too much with the baby, to drop it off.

Jane, I have told you that I wish I lived closer in every email you didn't get. New server this month my contact expries! :-) Intergens are a real pain to rehab in our zone. Lava and s/h (spag coat on top to tease out new roots) seems to do best. I let them go dry. The rock hold alot of moisture. Make them work for roots. Some intergens have been made for the indoor grower. Some of them require the most ridiculous light... vanda+ Tahoma Glasier comes to mind. Had my intergens outside all summer in just about full sun. Some did ok and some would not budge (The real bad ones) sprouted the tiniest new growth and stalled. Dust bin.

WC -Why would someone Windex an orchid? I did just that and kind of indicated that the Windex did it....

Kevin- I know what you mean. I'm glad they took it with them. It would be my fault. I really wouldn't know where to begin with the thing. What kind of light do you give it? Tubes on the end, would probably kill it. To make matters worse they've had it outdoors in N light this summer. August turned hot. They watered it once a month!

They told me it was pink. I have 2 pink ones. If they bring it back to me, I am so tempted to put that thing out of it's misery and replace it with mine. If they tell me the colour is different, I could say it was due to the trauma. How bad is that? 2 years is a long time to suffer. RIP. Is that their parent instinct kicking in? hee hee

Clara

Windex contains a little ammonia but is not really that harsh that I would expect that if it was used once to clean the leaves that it would do serious damage. I use my bug spray mix to clean leaves (and DVDs and my glasses) and that has alcohol in it.