Outdoor orchids for oceanic climate

[Burgos]

Hi everyone!

I would like to know if anyone is growing orchids under the conditions of an oceanic climate in a balcony / veranda.

Oceanic climate - Wikipedia

Basically, temperatures are very rarely below 0ºC and hot days can get up to 35ºC a couple of days a year. They are usually between 4ºC min in winter 13ºC maximum and 17ºC min in summer, 25ºC max.

For instance, January's min. temps this year, which was quite cold, were 3.9°C with over a week of freezing (-1, -0.5). It never got colder than 1.1°C on my balcony, though I would have entered the plants in such circumstances.

My climate seems to be quite similar to that in Melbourne and very similar to New Zealand, parts of coastal Brazil, southwestern France...

I am successfully growing the very cool grower Coelogyne cristata, Cymbidium and Dendrobium nobile.

According to some posts on the internet some people do grow some laelias, dendrobium, epidendrum, bifrenarias, maxillarias, sedirea, neofinetia... under these conditions, but it's always good to gather more accounts.

[Roberta]

That description also fits my back yard. Take a look at my website in my signature line (Index of Plants shows what I grow outside) as well as the Southern California Orchid Species site also in the signature line, my plants and those of other outdoor growers in the same area. There are LOTS of orchids that grow well in that type of climate.

[Diane56Victor]

I grow in conditions like that too.
One klm (half mile) from the sea. Very similar temps, in fact I don't recall a temp less than 3C in the past 5 years.

I grow Aerides, Vanda, most of the Cattleya hybrids, Dens, nobile included and Oncids, Sediera japonica. Haven't tried Coelogyne.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Diane56Victor

I grow in conditions like that too.
One klm (half mile) from the sea. Very similar temps, in fact I don't recall a temp less than 3C in the past 5 years.

I grow Aerides, Vanda, most of the Cattleya hybrids, Dens, nobile included and Oncids, Sediera japonica. Haven't tried Coelogyne.

Coelogynes come from a wide variety of habitats. Some are warm-growing, but many come from higher elevations and so grow quite nicely under our cool coastal conditions. So, it's important to get down to the species level to determine which are candidates for any given area.

[Burgos]

Originally Posted by Roberta

That description also fits my back yard. Take a look at my website in my signature line (Index of Plants shows what I grow outside) as well as the Southern California Orchid Species site also in the signature line, my plants and those of other outdoor growers in the same area. There are LOTS of orchids that grow well in that type of climate.

Thank you, Roberta. I was checking temperatures more thoroughly and edited my original post. Minimums seem to be around 4-5°C in January and February. A little warmer some years, but there is a difference between California and oceanic European climate, apparently. I checked your minimums average and it's around 8.5°C and it usually rises to 15°C whereas here we can be stuck with maximums of 8°C for some days.

I guess oceanic climate is to be tried. I think I may leave my Bifrenaria tyrianthina and Laelia pumila outdoors, see what happens.

[Roberta]

Be bold! Orchids are adaptable. One factor is how long the "low" stays low. If there is reasonable warming once the sun comes up, you can get away with a lot of chill. Also, a dry orchid will tolerate more cold than a wet one. I think the "real" dividing line is freezing - 0 deg C or 32 deg F. There are not so many orchids that easily tolerate temperature below that (except some temperate zone terrestrials that require it) Cymbidiums for sure... There may be bud damage below freezing, but the plants are fine a bit below that. See Ice for the whole story. (Note that as long as liquid water continues to freeze, it does not go below 0 deg C... that is how the misting system saved this grower's orchids. The citrus industry uses the same technique) There were Cyms that went through that freeze - in bloom - that were in a show two weeks later.
Laelia anceps plants can tolerate similar conditions, I don't know if there were any in bloom like those Cyms though,

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[Diane56Victor]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Coelogynes come from a wide variety of habitats.

Sound like a Coelogyne could be in my future, but I will research as suggested.

Getting down the specie level to determine if a plant would grow in my environment was probably why I lost a few when I first started with orchids. I have a far better understanding of how to find out their parentage now, and use a few different sites to get an overall picture.

I also water far less in the winter, but I will admit my hands itching when I walk past the orchids and they haven't been watered for several days!.

Originally Posted by Burgos

My climate seems to be quite similar to that in Melbourne and very similar to New Zealand, parts of coastal Brazil, southwestern France...

You can add Victor Harbor South Australia to your list too. We are probably a little warmer than Melbourne in the winter, but very definitely cooler than Adelaide in the summer, its got its own little microclimate here.