when to take orchids indoors

[Cinderella]

Just wondering when it is advisable to take orchids summering outside INSIDE, after the temps drop at night.

I would imagine the first would be Phals (although mine are not outside) at 60 Degrees? Paphs too?

Most others would come in at 55 Degrees? Like Oncidiums and alliance, Catts, ??

What about mini cymbidiums? Do they enjoy a bit more of the colder weather?

Thanks.

[Cinderella]

hi. anybody?

[Liz]

I was kind of hoping someone else would answer, because my plants have been outside for the first time this spring/summer, so I have no idea what I'm talking about. I've been using Orthos All About Orchids, and info from this and other forums to guide me.

From another site: there are three temp groups of orchids: warm (days 80-90, nights 65-70), intermediate (days 70-80, nights 55-65), and cool (days 60-70, nights 50-55.) According to Ortho's chart, dends and epis can take the widest temp range, from cool to warm; cymbs, masdevallias, miltonias, ondotoglossums, and green leaf paphs can go to 50 at night (mottled leafs can go between 50ish-55. It says phals shouldn't go below 55 (but I've heard other people say they keep them out year round because a little colder for a short time won't hurt them). Vandas don't like it cold and need to come in when it gets below 55. Laelias and catts shouldn't get colder than 55. Oncidiums can go to 55. If I missed a genus you want to know about, let me know.

I can't vouch for this info; it came from the book. I'm really curious to hear what others have to say. I was kind of hoping that here in San Diego I could leave them out longer (or all winter?) but we get pretty chilly some nights -- not really freezing, but in the 40s.

Liz

[Cinderella]

Liz, I have a friend who is a fellow grower in San Diego and she grows both inside and outside...mostly species. I can ask her which she leaves out all year if you would like. I think she has been growing outdoors for at least 2 seasons.

[uncasteeb]

I think basically if your worried about the temps then bring them in.

Certainly hot growing or spiking plants anyway(thats what i,ve done).
If you,ve got cool grwing 'chids then i,d leave them out until the temps stay consistantly below 50f especially if the day temps are cold as well.

[Liz]

Yeah, I'd be really interested in what your friend does. My DH is "working" on the lighting for whatever needs to move inside for the winter, but since I don't see any "progress," I might sleep better knowing that he's got more time to "work" on it than I thought. I've got about 50 plants, so it could get ugly fast.... I'm also trying to decide between my home office and the garage. A futon would need to come out of the office (and it didn't move in too easily as I recall), but I'd be there all the time to look at them (and not work). The garage would work, but I don't want to spend that much time in the garage, if you know what I mean. We have an HID we could use in the garage (not in my office), and I might have to get flourescents for each shelf (we might have a few, but not enough). It would probably be easier to keep the humidity up in the house with a humidifier than it would in the garage. I'm rambling now. But, I think I'm leaning toward the home office. If he got the futon in, he can get it out.

Does anyone have any ideas what to do with the vandas? Where do you hang them inside? Should they get their own light?

[momokev]

This is my first year growing outside too, but what I'm planning to do is put my min-max thermometer outside and keep reading it every am. When the temps start dipping into the lower 50's, I'm going to bring the orchids in. I'm figuring beginning Oct here in NC. Now, that onc, dens and catts. I don't have my phals or paphs out. But let me be the first to point out that I'm not an expert and this might not work out. I might loose every orchid.

Lisa

[Cinderella]

Lisa I have planned pretty much the same thing. Because once I spray them in order to bring them in (w/ insecticide) I don't want to be bringing them in and out. So I was thinking about 52-55 or so at night.

[momokev]

Great minds think alike! I'm going to spray with malathion in couple of weeks, then again just when I'm ready to bring them in. Don't want any bugs coming in for the winter with the orchids!

Lisa

[Jmoney]

Just wondering when it is advisable to take orchids summering outside INSIDE, after the temps drop at night.

I would imagine the first would be Phals (although mine are not outside) at 60 Degrees? Paphs too?

Most others would come in at 55 Degrees? Like Oncidiums and alliance, Catts, ??

What about mini cymbidiums? Do they enjoy a bit more of the colder weather?

Thanks.

i'd bring most catts, onc, dends in when the temps start hitting 55 regularly. they can probably tolerate 50 but i wouldn't push it, unless you have something that you *know* needs a chill to bloom. a trick you can use if it gets kinda chilly on any given night is to put a plastic tarp or something over them. keeps them sheltered from the wind.

mini cyms don't need much of a chill to bloom. i'd bring them in when it starts to hit 50 regularly. the standard cyms need more of a chill. they can really stay outside until the first frost, but i usually tell my mother to bring them in when it starts to hit the low 40s. they usually have plenty of "chill" by then to set the buds.

these are rough guidelines, and what i used when i summered plants outside. i am positive people do things differently with success.