How cold is too cold?

[Diane]

In another thread I mentioned that I don't have any of my plants outside during winter (except cymbidiums - which apparently don't count much with this group....;-} ). The temperatures in my little micro climate rarely get below 40F, sometimes drop to 35F. But another member said that many plants should be able to stand that much cold. Soooo... what plants if any would you leave out in the cold? (Sheltered on 3 sides, and top)

[Gilda]

From my experience in placing orchids outside for the summer...the majority of mine have experienced a week or so of 35-40 temps...that being said, I wouldn't leave them out for months at a time in those temps, but once they are outside, if it comes a brief cold snap..mine stay out..all except phals, paphs and phrags...these never go outside..

Do your temps stay in the cold range long or is it just a few days ??? If just a few days , I wouldn't worry too much.

PS...I love cymbidiums... I had a huge Golden Elf(loved the lemon pledge fragrance) ,but they take up too much of my growing space !

[bench72]

ok.. just for the record, I love Cymbidiums I just don't want to grow em... let's just say I still need some cathartic experience to overcome childhood or was it a cathartic experience that put me there in the first place... :/

Anyways, I digress... cold aye... here I am with three layers and I'm inside the house so it's # cold!

But outside are my babies... and it must be close to freezing out... and these babies are Dendrobium kingianum, speciosum, fleckerii, hybrids etc. Also, I have all my Cattleya alliance (yes I do have lots of floof!) In fact, it would probably be easier to say that the only things that are not in a growing situation you described, Diane, would be my Bulbos, Paphs and Phals. Here's a link to my growlist

And to make it more complicated... I have Paph insigne, Paph philippinense and Paph lowii outside!

Cheers
Tim