When should I bring my orchids inside?

[Chris1140]

I think the presence of mushrooms indicates something is decaying. Maybe repot in a sterile mix?

[OrchidAddict]

I'd think mushrooms in an anthurium pot would be a sign of correct moisture level. I always kill those things! About physan as a routine...could that cause the fungi to become tolerant? If so, would alternating a weak bleach solution be of any help?
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Hmmm...I hadn't thought of that... the funny thing is that the plant is CRAZY happy... I should post a picture of the damn thing.. it's got these humungous red flowers on it and the giant leaves are bigger than my hands. I'm actually sort of frustrated with it because it's getting SO big I don't really have any decent place to put it. I bought it at the supermarket as a little thing advertized as a "love anthurium" around Valentine's day, because the flowers have a distinctive heart-shape to them. I had fallen in love with anthuriums in Hawaii a few years ago, and I always wanted one for my house. But I didn't necessarily want a giant monster of a plant. This thing should have come with a warning!

Anyway, if your theory is correct and it means the moisture level is good, then that's a good thing I guess...I just can't stand looking at those shrooms...they gross me out. I put some gloves on and plucked some of them out of the mix recently and I nearly puked just handling them.

Is bleach a safe thing to water plants with? I've never heard of putting bleach in plant water... what ratio would I use? Would it be the same "9 parts water to 1 part bleach" that I use to disinfect plants when I soak them?

You've really got my curiosity piqued here! I feel like I should really post a picture now... perhaps I'll do that tomorrow. I'll call it "My magic shrooms." *snort*

[cakedaddy]

That's what I was thinking...the 9:1 ratio could be used as a a media drench then rinse thoroughly afterwards. I'd like to see pics of the anthurium. I buy them and they go downhill quite quickly. On a side note, last I "heard", mushrooms were better steeped as a sort of tea. Of course that was back in college when I didn't mind forgetting what I was supposed to scribble on a credit card slip at 2AM! Cashier actually had to tell me to write my name.
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[OrchidAddict]

I think the presence of mushrooms indicates something is decaying. Maybe repot in a sterile mix?

Hmmm...isn't decay a normal part of potting media breakdown, though? I thought humus is pretty much made of decaying stuff, and that's supposed to be good for plants and provide essential nutrients and stuff. I dunno. I have the anthurium potted in very fine orchid bark, since my last anthurium came potted in dirt and ended up rotting. The plant seems to love the orchid bark, but I have noticed that the bark seems to be compacting and generally decaying. The plant is crazy happy, though, so I hesitate to mess with it. Too bad I can't eliminate all the shrooms without disturbing the plant!

The other reason I hesitate to repot it is...well, this is embarrassing...I just don't know if I could deal with the shroom crap. Mushrooms seriously make me gag...just looking at them is torture...and the idea of digging my hands into a damp pile of goodness-knows-how-many different kinds of shrooms gives me nightmares. I think I'd need therapy for a month if I got that plant out and encountered a giant colony of fungus. Oh, icky icky... who wants to come to my house and repot my plant for me?

I think I may definitely need to post pics now...I could do a whole series on my magic mushroom plant and what I find when I dig it out... I can just see the titles now... "Next week, watch as Jenn pukes on her new gardening pants when a rogue mushroom gets caught in her hair!"

[cakedaddy]

Ohhhh...mycophobia is a terrible thing! Truffles! Morels! Trumpets!
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[panam]

The other reason I hesitate to repot it is...well, this is embarrassing...I just don't know if I could deal with the shroom crap. Mushrooms seriously make me gag...just looking at them is torture...and the idea of digging my hands into a damp pile of goodness-knows-how-many different kinds of shrooms gives me nightmares. I think I'd need therapy for a month if I got that plant out and encountered a giant colony of fungus. Oh, icky icky... who wants to come to my house and repot my plant for me?

OK, Jenn - you should seriously consider moving to my neighborhood. It's so dry here that we NEVER get mushrooms unless someone goes overzealously bonkers with the watering schedule of the lawn. Once every year or two we might see someone with mushrooms on the lawn, and stop and stare at them because they're so unusual.

[OrchidAddict]

Ohhhh...mycophobia is a terrible thing! Truffles! Morels! Trumpets!
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Well, now you're just being mean on purpose....please refrain from naming any more fungi before I figure out some way to yack on you over the internet.

[cwcervantes]

I've been having the same dilemma with deciding when to bring in the orchids.
It's mid-70's during the day and drops to low 50's maybe high 40's at night. i've been leaving everything out so far on a very sunny porch (that heats up well with the sun). maybe i should bring plants in? my Angraecum sesquipedale and Rhynchostylis gigantea both started spiking right with the onset of cool weather / shorter days.

[OrchidAddict]

I've been having the same dilemma with deciding when to bring in the orchids.
It's mid-70's during the day and drops to low 50's maybe high 40's at night. i've been leaving everything out so far on a very sunny porch (that heats up well with the sun). maybe i should bring plants in? my Angraecum sesquipedale and Rhynchostylis gigantea both started spiking right with the onset of cool weather / shorter days.

Ooh...I'd probably say you should bring them in now. I think 50's are fine for most orchids, but once the temps drop into the 40's you could be pushing it with some of them. Just my opinion, though...I brought mine in before the temps went below 50 at night, just to be on the safe side. Temperature differentials are great for inducing plants to spike, but when the temp differences get too extreme I would think it would over-stress the plants, and you might be in danger of getting some cold damage, too.

It sounds like your plants are used to it by now, though, so that's good. If you took an orchid straight from a greenhouse in Florida and subjected it to those temperature extremes right out of the box, it probably wouldn't fare so well. But your orchids have had time to "harden off" against the cold, so you could probably get away with pushing them a bit harder.

Glad to hear of your spikes! That's exciting!