10 degree minimum

[estación seca]

Are you soaking the sphagnum to sogginess? It's better just to run water over it quickly, so only the top is wet. The water distributes through the moss, leaving all of it just moist, yet retaining plenty of air spaces. Then don't water until the top is nearly crisp. Frequency varies with temperature. Completely wetting sphagnum during cold weather is asking for trouble.

A few kinds of plants use so much water you can soak the sphagnum during the growing season, but in general it's not a good idea.

[Fredmax]

Ok thanks, I think it may be a better idea to spray the sphagnum with a nozzle than watering. I assumed given the infrequency of watering I should water it properly, but when I check 3 days later and is still wet I have to remove it from the pot and wring it dry - something I don't think they'd appreciate but have no choice.

[estación seca]

Yes, definitely don't get it that wet. At your winter temperatures I would expect watering sphagnum as I described every 1-3 weeks. You could run a water wand over each plant for less than one second.

[Fredmax]

Would anyone know what zone I'd be classified as so to update on my profile posts (Adelaide SA).

[SouthPark]

Check this link Fred..... Click Here

[Roberta]

Just to keep it interesting, if you're trying to compare with the US zones (which is what a lot of the Board members use) you can use this USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for comparison.

I suspect that Adelaide is rather similar to coastal southern California, or maybe a little cooler (like the California coast a bit south of San Francisco) Micro climates make the macro maps rather inaccurate.

[Fuerte Rav]

That's really interesting Roberta, thankyou, puts me in equivalent of 12a for temperature.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Fuerte Rav

That's really interesting Roberta, thankyou, puts me in equivalent of 12a for temperature.

That's HOT!

[estación seca]

You've mentioned getting down to freezing outside. Zone 12a is a very hot tropical climate all year, even in winter. Nowhere on the continental US is 12a. The closest to 12a would be Key West, Florida, at 24 1/2 degrees N, which is 11b.

Adelaide is close to 35 degrees South. I would guess you correspond to somewhere inland of Santa Maria, California, almost exactly 35 degrees North, which is north of Santa Barbara and south of Santa Cruz. California has a cold current just off shore, keeping the coastal weather cooler in summer and warmer in winter than it would otherwise be. I don't know whether the same situation exists off southern Australia.

California Interactive 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

The areas inland from Santa Maria are zones 7b to 10a, depending on the mountains.

[Fredmax]

Yes, I've been mapping my species and learning from what Roberta can grow, (very impressed with the what's blooming page). I don't think we have the cool current as have more extremes and less humidity than South California. Although I recall the song 'It never rains in Southern California' so not sure .

Summers average 30/16 20-30% humidity
Winter average 15/7 70% humidity

I think 10b or 11a sounds like me, last night was 2c and last Summer hit 44c. Winter is very wet, my mounted Miltonia Spectabilis went very yellow from being left in the cold rain so shelter is now a priority for all plants bar cyms. Summer would be what I imagine Arizona would be like - challenging.