Cold tolerant suggestions

[cakedaddy]

I found a thread here a while back that listed lots of cold tolerant plants. I am going to a show this weekend and am really interested in trying my hand at catts again now that I have moved to a different part of the country. I know that anything with heavy laelia anceps influence is good to start. How bout Richard Mueller crosses? Are any of those suitable? I am not really all that knowledgeable about parentage of named orchids. What commonly found hybrids are l.a. heavy?
I am also a paph freak...any suggestions there would also be wonderful!
I plan on bringing home a masdie or two already.
Thanks in advance.

[wetfeet101b]

It depends on how cold it gets.
And what winter conditions are you anticipating? temperature, humidity, light, etc.
Depending on the secondary factors, some plants may be able to tolerate colder weather to a certain degree.

And on the opposite end of the thermometer, how warm do the summers get?
There are some cold hardy orchids that prefer to stay cool all year and will hate warm weather.

[pavel]

John's points are very valid. I would add to that the question of where do you plan on growing said plants -- outside year-round? Inside for the winter? Inside for the summer? & so forth.

In some areas of CA, cymbidiums are commonly used as garden plants. There are a number of dendrobs that are cool tolerant to various degrees as well as many pleuros besides masdies. But until the above Q's are answered, it is difficult to give any reliable advice.

Have fun at the show!

[cakedaddy]

Our typical winter temps are 50F by day and 37F by night. Typical summer high is 82f. The diurnal range in summer is around 30 degrees! The humidity is where my biggest problem lies I think...winter is our rainy season. Blah. I want things that I can grow outdoors as I have gas heat. Everything currently stays outside...I will be bringing the maudiae paphs in soon. I bought a dendrobium specio-kingianum a few weeks ago from a greenhouse in the city that has a decent cool room.

[orchidpeople]

Some Standard Cymbidiums are temperature tolerant down to 28 degrees. I know because I've seen them survive it nicely in N. Calif