Cool & Medium Growing Orchids

[Faz]

What happens to cool and medium growing orchids if they receive a lot of extremely hot weather? On the west coast of Canada we had temperatures for 2 to 3 weeks averaging 32C to 39C. I noticed a lot of my orchid leaves are turning yellow. Would this be the result of high temperatures? There was'nt any way to keep the plants cooler. I grow mainly indoors so I could not provide misting for them. I tried to keep water dishes underneath them for moisture.....

32C - 39C = 94F - 108F (Approximately)

Thanks for your replies,
Faz.

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[Blueszz]

Faz, I keep the cool and intermediate plants outdoors during summer. That way they can enjoy the cooler nights. Indoors it stays at least 24C during the nights. I keep them in the shade during the hottest parts of the day (currently 31C). 34C is the hottest we get here, but my plants seem to cope well with it. Nights go as low as 15C, sometimes 20C during this period of the year.

I spray them often during the day and I think this helps to cool them down. Because it's warm and the a slight breeze, I never see problems like fungus or rot related to being sprayed frequently.

I think your cool and intermediate growers would prefer being outdoors this time of the year. The cooler nights might help them to cope better with the extreme temperatures during the nights.

Nicole

[Phantasm]

I have had a similar problem in Seattle with abnormally hot weather. It usually doesn't last this long and the plants do suffer. They will usually survive and perk up with cooler (normal) temperatures. My miltoniopsis look a bit ragged this year.......

If you can survive winter and summer with orchids, then the rest is easy.

[Ross]

I have found that the plants are more forgiving than the blossoms. Dracs and Masdies might do alright for a short bout of warm to hot weather, but buds will blast. If leaves are yellowing, it probably isn't the heat so much as excess moisture.

[Faz]

Thanks for all the replies that I received. As a newby these problems are quite baffling and a lot of the time trying to find answers is most difficult.

Thanks again,
Faz.

[TylerK]

Sorry to hear about the weather out there. It's almost like our summers have switched places. Very cool and wet out here....lots of rain (too much), and temperatures about 4degrees (C) below seasonal average.

[Phantasm]

Actually the Pacific Northwest, including BC is usually pretty dry in the summer but more temperate in temperature. Anything over 85F is pretty unusual, and 75-80F is normal. Now if you want to discuss winter rain, that's a different story.....