Sweet Sugar and Temperature

Question for all you oncidium experienced out there:

I have a little Sweet Sugar in a north window (actually gets more light than the west window due to other buildings) and gets enough ambient light to grow, but no direct light. Probably not ideal for blooming, but it is there mostly for recovery purposes- it was struggling but showing lots of new root growth, so I am getting more optimistic. In any case, it seems to be happy enough where it is for now so I am loath to move it while it is recovering.

And here is the problem - it is sharing said windowsill with a cymbidium that I would like to try and flower come fall (and temps here are already heading that direction). The plan is to leave the window open all night and monitor the nightly lows.

Given that I don't want to move the recovering oncidium until I absolutely have to, what do you think are the lowest temps an oncidium can deal with comfortably?

Well most oncidiums are listed as intermediate growers with a minimum of 55F for the night temps.... I'd say you probably don't want it getting any cooler than that and might want to stay a little warmer - say maybe 60 - just to be on the safe side.

But... I'm pretty new at this thing, still... I'm just going by what the books tell me.

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-Sara
Addicted and loving it.

Mine is growing outside for the summer. Pretty cool here at night, upper 40s to mid 50s I'd say. It's sporting two spikes currently.

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Lynda

sweet sugar will take very low night temps if kept dry.Last week my 8 plants of it were treated to a night low of -0.3 oC,that about 30-31 oF .That was the second time this year that it has happened and last year there were about six or seven nights that were colder.

__________________
Growing orchids is not an addiction
but a disease,that,can not be cured


murray

Ok, good to hear, I don't anticipate going below freezing since the plants are still inside. And I read somewhere that 45F/7C ought to do it, possibly even a little higher, for the cymbidium. So I think that is as low as I will go. So I guess that means that I don't need to move it at all probably. Great!

And thanks for the input all!

Yay! I love getting better info than the boring ol' books has.

My Sharry Baby is winging it out on the covered balcony the past few days... I think the spikes have each gained 2" (still no buds ... yet). Temps are supposed to top out between 87-90F between today and Saturday with lows in the 67-70 range... and the balcony only gets direct sun from dawn till about 11:30am. Considering throwing my Bc/Blc's out there to keep company...

How hot can these go without taking damage? Was thinking if it gets any hotter than 90 it's time to pull them back inside...

__________________
-Sara
Addicted and loving it.

it the humidity is kept high,that is by misting 3-4 times per day, 38 oC or higher will be OK

__________________
Growing orchids is not an addiction
but a disease,that,can not be cured


murray

Humidity has been high enough on it's own at 50% + at midday and increasing when it's cooler. ... Actually, its 86 F (30C) and raining a little with the sun out. Hehe. I love when the weather is confusing.

Sharry Baby seems really happy outside. The paper at the nodes of the spike has started swelling and splitting open and the tip of the spike where the younger nodes are has honey dew at each node!! Hopefully the Sharry Baby will show my Catts how it's done. Tossed a tiny splash of water on the catts this morning. They were totally dry to the pencil test (and had been for over a day).

I hope this works!

__________________
-Sara
Addicted and loving it.

humidity- at the high temps keep it above 75%
In the summer months all my get this same treatment

__________________
Growing orchids is not an addiction
but a disease,that,can not be cured


murray