DuMb Question about orchids

[DEC]

Yes, this may be a dumb question but I would rather appear stupid than to jeopardize my plants. I grow outside but I would like to bring in to the house some of the plants that are in bloom so I can enjoy them more. I'm thinking mainly about Cattleas.
Is there any problem with this?
Any special care while they are inside?
How long can I safely keep them in the house?
Any special care when I take them back outside?

[Cjcorner]

That's not a dumb question. I still worry about the same thing when I bring them in. The main problem with having them inside is that bugs sometimes come in with them. Frogs...all kinds of moving things. When I have a cattleya I want in the house, I have decorative pots I sit them into. It keeps your tables dry and generally keeps things inside the pot. When you need to water you will want to leave it outside for a little while so it can drain properly. I've seen a few people that use baskets and decorative moss with several different plants in bloom for a display and they are amazing displays. Just make sure you do not sit a plant directly under or next to a vent. Heated air from a furnace or chilled a/c air will cause bud blast and your plant will start looking sick. You can use a small fan for air movement if necessary, and for phals you will want to find a spot that isn't too sunny or the leaves will burn. I love having plants in the house...it is also good to keep new plants segregated anyways so you can see if they have bugs. New plants almost always come inside for a few days at the very least.

[Kmac]

I bring mine in all the time when they bloom...in fact, usually before they bloom, as I am afraid one of my squirrels might be tempted by a nice, juicy bud...

[tucker85]

I live in Florida also and I bring orchids inside all the time. I have not found that they need any special care when you bring them in or take them back out. Like Connie said, you may bring in some unwanted visitors. Orchid pots sometimes have ants in them. I get little frogs with huge vocal cords that live in my orchid pots. They only get as big as a thumb nail but they make a racket at night. I had one in the living room that kept me up all night and couldn't find the little 'you know what'.

[cdayinflorida]

.....and frogs are the reason I seldom bring them inside.
Connie covered it on a/c and heat vents. That would be your main concern.

[wetfeet101b]

Indoor humidity is also usually lower than outdoors.
So make sure to keep an eye on the plant and water more frequently if needed while indoors.

From personal experience with cattleyas, I found that waiting until the flowers are fully open or starting to break open before I move them indoors allows the flowers to transition better.
If the buds are too young, they might blast if they do not like the transition from outdoors to indoors - even if they are only "a few days away from opening".

Hard cane dendrobiums in my collection are the worst when it comes to transitioning indoors.
I have to wait until all flowers on the inflorescence are open before I can even think about moving them indoors.
Otherwise, all closed buds will blast the moment I move the plant.