African Violets and Gesneriads: Please help a very sad Jesse, 1 by Plantcrazii

Plantcrazii wrote:
I am sitting here crying my heart out. My husband just called and said that his boss told him if he left to come home on friday that he is fired. But he said he will pay for me to fly out there to be with him the following week. I am so upset and you guys are the only family that I have so I need to know what to do with my AVs while I am gone. I have a lot of them wicked but I do not have enough pots to do all of them. I need pots and I need them fast. There is a nursery not far from here called Bluebird Greenhouse and they have some pots that I could get in a hurry. They have 2½" and 4" but no 3" which is what I really wanted. Can most of them be put in a 2½" or am I going to have to use the 4"? If that problem is solved my only other problem is what do I do with my leaves? I cannot bear to lose my plants again. I just got a new lipstick plant yesterday that is already started to bloom. I got it from Lowes and I was so happy that I finally could replace one of the ones that I lost last year. Any suggestions on what to do with them. I can do one of two things concerning the lights. I can put them on a timer or I can leave them off. I am not sure if I will have to stay one week or two. This is such bad timing. My DH called and was crying and kept having to hang up the phone because he was crying too much to talk. So we are both crying over this matter. I would appreciate any suggestions that you all may have. I think I can wick all of the AVs that are not already wicked and fill the trays up all the way, leaving a little space between the water and the plants. So I think they will be fine. It is my leaves that I don't know what to do with. And then there is the hanging baskets. Hoyas, Lipstick plant, etc are all hanging baskets. I have heard of putting them in a bath tub on wet towels or wet newspaper. I just cannot bear to lose my plants again. The cacti will be fine and probably the succuletns too if I water them really well right before I leave. Oh, that Bluebird Greenhouse sells the Optimara plant food so I can get it right away. I just wish I knew where to get some 3" pots. Most of my plants are about 6" or less across. I do have a few that measure 9". Do you think that the 2½ will be big enough if I trim them all back and send you guys the leaves? I just need help here. I'm thinking that the one that is 9" can be cut back some and if it measures 7" then the 2½" will do. Or do you think they would be better in a larger pot? Here is a photo of Stephanie. She is one of my larger ones.When I repot her and put the wick in, what size should I use? She is in a 4" right now but that seems like it might be too large when I cut her back. Any suggestions that you all have will be greatly appreciated. I have worked so hard to get these the way they are and I don't want to lose all of my babies. And I do not want to just let them go because all of you sent me these and I don't want to let you down by me just letting them die. Thanks for your help.

Jesse