going away and dendrobium problem

[moken33]

I am going away for a week at the end of Feb. i have 3 phals that are starting to spike and a slipper (mottled leaves) that is getting a bud. They are mostly getting window light and are obviously happy. So what do i do while I'm away? I can have someone come in and mist them but don't know what else to tell her to do. Any idea would be appreciated.

Also, dendrobium thong chai gold: I had been keeping it pretty dormant and it had green leaves w/ 2 new canes. (the older canes have a green spikey looking thing at the tips, does anyone know what that is?). Anyway, I digress. I finally decided to water the plant and within days the old canes lost all their leaves. The two new ones still have green leaves on them. I don't know what to do next. Any help would be appreciated.

Maureen

[hcubed]

How often do you water them?

I don't water mine more than every two weeks at this time of year, so I went away for two weeks with no care and everything was fine. I know MA (I'm actually from near you) can be a lot drier in the winter though so it sort of depends on what your watering regimen is.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

If you have a friend who can come in and mist them, teach her how to tell if they need water using a q-tip. I bet they will not suffer to much if they are being misted regularly.

Cheers,
BD