Quote:
Originally Posted by flexdc
Two observations:
1) In my experience, colder temps do initiate spikes. I mostly winter my phals in my unheated garage in winter here in LA. Temp can drop down to the 60s and as soon as that happens, they all spike, provided they are healthy of course.
2) My neighbor grows several mature phals on a tree stump in his garden. Occasionally winter nights can be as cold as 45F here, and it seems to do the orchids no harm. But he has his plants under a canopy, and they are sheltered from the winter rains. I suspect as long as they are dry, cold temperature is tolerated. I tried it once on a rescued noid phal, and it promptly rotted. I suspect I was keeping it too wet.
Thanks
Andrew
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It all depends on what phal it is.
Some phals are summer bloomers.
As complex hybrids, many do respond to lower temp to initiate spiking. 45F is definitely too low. My first phal as a kid was kept that low, the moss was dry, but it just took one night for the plant to turn to a sorry mushy mess.
Even if you don't kill your plant, it's not recommended to keep phals at such low temp.
---------- Post added at 09:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------
I have read that study result before and I totally agree.
My phals never experience anything under 65F.
Yet, they all spike every year.
It is the general decline of temperature that does the trick not a set temperature.