It's colddddd in Florida. I'm worry, any tips?

[Ysa]

I grow most of my orchids outdoors and for the last couple of days has been really cold at least for us I know we bask in the warm glow of a tourist board's vision of winter, (made all the warmer by thoughts of our envious friends and relatives stuck in the northern snow and ice)
The low for today and tomorrow will be 39F/ 4C My collection is quite big, I have moved several of them already inside and I cover some with shade cloth. I will start misting them more to help as well.
Any tips will be greatly appreciated

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[tucker85]

I'm in Ft. Lauderdale and I have never brought my orchids inside. So far I haven't lost any to cold in my seven years of growing. My growing area is sheltered from the cold north and west winds. I understand the winds accompanying the cold fronts can do the most damage. I think it's a good idea to shelter your orchids from the wind and to bring any particularly sensitive orchids inside.

[trdyl]

The one's that are still outside I would keep on the drier side until it is warmer.

[yoelaine]

I'm in a condo and most of mine are on a screened in patio. I've closed the hurricane shutters and turned on the grow lights plus a few additional shop light. It raised the temp from 60 to 65 so far.
Here's a great article I received in email today from Martin Motes on Protecting Your Orchids from Cold Weather. He's in south Florida. Good luck and may the warmth be with you!
Constant Contact : Unexpected Error

[orchidsamore]

39 is not a temp to be worried about. my orchids take it fine.

I have over 10,000 outside tonight and we are predicting a wind chill of 25. Tommorrow I will have to pay more attention as it will be 5 degrees colder tomorrow.

As Tucker said the wind should be blocked, but anything short of freezing the water in the plant cells is OK.

[Jkelee]

Hi Ysa!
I'm in Orlando, and we're really freezing here!! Truly, they say 32 tonight
I have my few hundred outdoors Hotel, see my gallery. I wrap them in blankets and some tarps, with some heaters in there. It might stay in the low 50's in there on the freezing nights. Then I open it all up in the morning, when the temps come back up to the mid 40's or so.

Good luck, and Stay WARM, with your chids!!

[CTB]

Be sure and check out social group, Florida Orchid Lovers, we have been talking cold weather preparations. Keep warm. Citrus report says only freezing temps for one hour between 5 and 7 a.m. but possible of 28.

[orchids3]

Hi- Some of the Weather forcasts are for 25 F here in Jacksonville Fl Wednesday. I have a greenhouse but have 5000 cymbidiums which have not been inside for the past 5 winters. I close in the sides of my shadehouse and the mist comes on at 34 F.
Deffinately take in Phals and A lot of Vandas(I dont know which ones) People report Icycles on vandas and yet they survived. I take mine in. Some Cats also are ok but I dont know which ones. L. ancepts is supposed to be able to take some cold.
I will be watching mine closely those cold night to make sur ethe mist continues.
Maybe the cold will freeze some more pythons

[Call_Me_Bob]

hope you guys are alright! get some hot cocoa, maybe give some to the orchids as well lol

[got ants]

It's 38% F outside right now, but fortunately, just about all of my orchids are inside. I put as many as I could fit in my garage, and the clay potted ones are on my dining room and florida room tables.

One word of caution, while many water during a cold spell, DO NOT do it if you plan on bringing them in.

I treated mine in november with both fingicide and 2 weeks later with epsom salts/potassium nitrate. Last year I watered them and brought them inside, and had a fungul problem for the next 8 months.

My feelinmgs are that the orchids may fair well during the short cold snaps, but its not optimum for growth, with the exception of dendrobium nobiles and speciociums (of which I left outside).