When do you bring orchids indoors?

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by Orchid126

Here in New Jersey it's usually around the third week in September or so for the catts, depending on the night temperatures. Catts can take cooler nights than other orchids. It's always before the heat goes on, when the inside and outside temps are pretty much the same.

Some people watch the temps and bring the plants in for a night or so and then take them back out if the night temps are going to go back up. This would be ideal but physically much too much for me, so when they come in, they're in for good.

At least a week before the heat goes on is actually my target.After you start needing to heat the house it seems you always get some shock and other plants "not orchids" will drop leaves like mad due to the difference,so I think coming inside for a week or two before this lets them adjust with out stressing them to the point of leaf drop or a sulk.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

rosie cyp need to get realy cold and vernalize need to be down to right at or freezing temps for a couple of months I believe

Thanks John. It goes in the garage then rather than the greenhouse. We usually get freezing temps. Last year was especially cold and would have been good for them, but hopefully it will be cold enough this year.

[Bird Song Farm]

Here in central Maine I have started bringing in a few and will watch the night temps carefully. We have already had a couple of nights in the low 40's (I brought my special babies in). We are having night temps in the 50's. I'll have everything in by the middle of Sept. as that is usually when we get the first frost.
Al

[CTB]

In Florida it just a wait and see, I have everythng outside. So many times we have a cool night but it doesn't hold and is back in the 80 by noon. We go to the beach for Christmas. Late Jan. or early Feb Vandas and Phals may need to come in. I'm more worried about blocking the cold winds. Of course this pass Winter it was far too cold for too long. But I wasn't growing Orchids then either.

[Connie Star]

Thanks for your help, everybody!
I left most of my phals inside for lower light. I left pleurothallids, including masdies, indoors for the cooler temps proviced by air conditioning.
Outside are oncidium alliance plants, of which three are spiking/in bloom; the few catts I have, phrags and some phals.
It is really hard to control the conditions outside. Everything from one day over 100 and humid to 90 and dry; nights 70s down to mid 50s. I'm going away next weekend and I'll watch the weather report- may have to bring some in before I leave.

[mspatt]

Connie, Most of my chids are phals and they sit on a covered porch. It is not screened in so I am now spraying weekly to be sure I don't bring any surprise "guests" inside. I will bring them in when the night temps are in the lower fifties consistently, but they also need a cool down period to trigger blooming, so I leave them out as long as I dare-- if I can get 70s in the day and low 50s at night--kinda like what you have now! All of the other genera(except for the cym) are back inside by the end of September.

[RosieC]

Well all my Oncs and warmer loving Dens came in last night. Big job de-slugging them

Some of them will probably go out daytimes when I'm at home and the weather is nice, but the nights are getting too cold now.

[Orchid126]

One caveat. I give all the orchids a couple of doses of systemic insecticide, both the leaves and the medium, a week apart, before they come in. Little critters LOVE the indoors, and to show their appreciation, start to multiply alarmingly when brought untreated inside.

[Judi]

What brand of systemic insecticide do you use? I usually battle roller bugs all winter long in the house. I agree it's probably a good idea to make sure that unwanted critters don't come in with the chids, but I do have grandchildren and pets. Any suggestions for something that is safe around children and pets?

[Connie Star]

Well now the weather here is really crazy. It is forecast to be 96 today, and humid, and there are air quality warnings. Last three days have been just as hot, but dry. Then tomorrow, depending on what Hurricane Earl does it should be 70s and rainy.I'm about 100 miles inland, but we may still get a lot of rain and strong winds, they say. My plans for the weekend involved the Maine coast, so I may or may not be going away.
I would give a lot for a climate controlled, humidity and temp controlled greenhouse!