Cold Weather and orchids

[Cjcorner]

For most of you, our current temps would be no big deal. But my warm growing orchids are in their new "grow area" until the temps come way up. I'm not sure who handles the cold worse...me or the plants. lol I'll be back after Christmas when I get feeling better...Till then Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Holidays to All....

Outback, one mounted catt is hanging in there all wrapped in a lap blanket. Below are several other catts all covered up....



Unwrap the blanket and you find a couple buds.



I've got buds in sheaths....



One of my newer plants...check out that orchid honey.

[Cjcorner]

The Nepenthes is in bloom...



The cerastylis has a couple blooms again...



The Blue Madonna buds went bad....bummer!



I haven't found a phal unhappy so far. Their spikes are everywhere...and some of them are downright the fattest spikes i've ever grown. The phals like this cool weather....

[Cjcorner]

Their new area...



In bloom again....



Cool spikes...this Vanda is doing good..



This encyclia cross isn't handling the cold well, but the spikes are still growing.



I hope this weather ends soon....Be back soon. Miss everyone....

[Dorsetman]

I got off on the wrong foot ; thought your interspersed comments applied to the pic above the words, not the poiuc below ( or maybe I have thios back to front still) however my comments may at least amuse you for a moment or two , so I'll let them stand.

"Cool spikes...this Vanda is doing good.."

Connie, your vanda is a Brassia, or maybe a multigeneric with a lot of Brassia in it, such as a Miltassia or a Brassidium. I have a lot of these - buy them whenever I see them, but nothing so like yours that I can say , oh yes its so-and-so...

Do you know they guy we English call "The Bard" ? ( aka William Shakespeare) one of his lines in Romeo and Juliet is "What's in a name ? - that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet"....

I sometimes quote this at my Orchid Society when someone gets worked up about a plant being misnamed ... I do get some funny looks ...



Its a lovely orchid , anyway.

[Birdie]

I don't have any tips to offer, as I am new to orchids. But you have some beautiful plants full of buds!! Congrats! Mine live in a north-facing windowsill & move to a warmer spot in the kitchen during winter days. Maybe I need to put them in the garage at night for a bit & maybe I'll get some more bloom spikes.

[Rachelle-Lapensee]

How cool is the temperature that your Phals are spiking in???

[Cjcorner]

First of all...my phals are potted, not mounted. And I live in Florida with high humidity. Winter even with lows in the 40's at night, we still have 50% humidity. My phals stay outside until it hits around 55. If it is not windy and their roots are dry I let them stay out to about 48F. During the summer they endure high temps and high light levels with up to a daily humidity over 85%. It helps that we live close to the coast, West of Tampa Bay; and we get a very nice breeze nearly constantly. Hope this helps...

[catttan]

Your orchids seem to like the 'cold' in your new grow area. They are all looking fine and ready to show off their blooms. Ingenious way of keeping your orchids warm - the blankets and wraps , I mean.

[zainal abidin]

Wow your new growing area is huge, can accommodate many orchids, it's seem your orchids love the cool environtment can see many flower spikes just a matter of time to show off their beauty. Good growing Connie.I like your new growing area.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Nice growing, Connie! Sorry about the blue cattleya, but look at all the other buds and spikes! Amazing. You are about to have lots and lots of blooms to share.

Cheers,
BD