leaving phals outside during the winter?

[datousteve]

Hi,

I live in California (bay area, more specifically) and like leaving my phals outside in the yard and bringing them indoors when they bloom. This is the first winter that I've had these orchids and was curious if they would do okay outside. Generally, temps in California drop to about 50 degrees at nite right now, and about 30 degrees during the middle of winter.

Will my phals be okay in this climate or should I be bringing them indoors?

[Tsuchibuta]

If you leave them outside they will be what we call in Ohio annuals. Under 55 degrees Phal will begin to suffer tissue damage especially if there is any kind of moisture that gets on them.

[jkofferdahl]

Please bring them indoors. A drop to 50 is considerably colder than they are used to. Phals really can't tolerate a temperature much below 60 at night. Drops to 50 will seriously harm the plants, and colder will certainly kill them.

[orchideric]

Dear Steve.

There are exceptions. The pink-flowered deciduous species from China can take low temperatures/ They certainly do fine in San Francisco itself. The species that I have seen grow in the city outside without incident is P. honghenensis. But even there I would recommend taking them inside if the temperatures is going to hit 40 degrees.

Certainly none of the typical hybrids, bred from Philippine species, should be allowed to go below 50 degrees. And really they shouldn't go below 55 degrees unless they are grown "hard" in higher light and less water. Cold damage is done by moisture in spaces between the cells - plants grown "hard" have less internal moisture vapor.

Phalaenopsis hybrids can take some cold and not die, but the permanent physical damage is not very attractive and should be avoided.

Hope that helps Eric