How important is it to put them outside in summer

[JerseyGirlBecky]

I have been waiting all winter for it to get warm enough to put my orchids outside, especially the catts and cyms. But, after reading these posts about the insects and rodents I am wondering if they can just stay in. I remember when I got my first catt, the lady told me they put all their orchids outside in summer. She said if you want blooms you must do this. Is this true? I have already decided not to put the phals out. I do have a shaded porch, but worry about too much light and rain. Does anyone just keep them in?

[Paul Mc]

As for the phal's, they will bloom inside if you leave the storm windows open and have them close enough to the window they can feel the temperature difference between the day and night. That being said, if your windows are really good (i.e. don't let that much coolness in, or aren't very drafty) then it may be an issue as the inside air will keep them warmer.

I cannot personally attest to any other types, though it is my understanding that several would do better outside. Some orchids though require a more balanced environment year round such as some paph's.

I took almost all of my orchids outside last year (a first for them all as most were relatively new) and I had minimal issues. The only issue I really faced was a few bugs in a couple and those pesty squirrels. There was also one that was in the wrong medium and it did not dry out fast enough, thus started to rot and die. This year, I'm considering ways to keep the squirrels out and have ensured everything is in the appropriate medium.

While it's probably best for the one's that can take the heat to be exposed to it (from what I understand), you are always running the risk of bugs, slugs, etc...

I'd be very interested to hear what others think as well, and any preventative measures people take for various outdoor issues.

[Tindomul]

I keep everyone indoors. Thats because I have no choice. I haven't got any growing space outdoors. However, if I did, I probably would grow my Catts outdoors as I know they would appreciate the extra light. As far as bugs, I get plenty of them indoors, I can't imagine outdoors being any worse considering the outdoors also has bugs that eat the pests. But remember, I have no experience with growing outdoors.

[BikerDoc5968]

I have a greenhouse but the light isn't strong enough to get Cymbidium and Cattleya to bloom. I put all of them out on the driveway for the summer where they get at least 8 to 10 hrs of sunlight. The Cymbidiums are out in full sun while the Cattleya are under a 20% shade house that I built out of PVC so I can store it for the winter months. The Phals that are still in flower are hung under my oak tree on the deck. In the fall I just put some Merit in the pots and bring everybody back into the greenhouse. Been doing this for 3 or 4 yrs without problems..... better lucky than good, I guess!!!!!

[WhiteRabbit]

Cyms aren't likely to get enough light indoors, unless you can provide a good deal of artificial light - and cool growing cyms also need a period of cool nights in fall to initiate spikes - cooler than most people would have inside their homes.

Some Catts need more light than others. Many might get enough light in a window that gets a lot of light, some others might not.

I don't have a lot of problems with pests - tho I'm sure it depends on environment a lot - I also leave be the pest predators - spiders, frogs, lizards.

I do have orchids that I leave inside, too, that do fine. Depends on what type. Cyms especially tho, do need more light than most people can provide indoors

[Angurek]

As others have said, it depends on the needs of the individual plants. If you have light-loving plants, or if you grow plants that need good air circulation, put them outside (being careful to acclimatize them slowly). Most of the time, a summer outside tends to be good for them. Yes, there is a risk of getting pests and diseases, but the benefits outweigh the risks.

If you're gonna grow plants outside, be sure to keep a close eye on the weather forecasts; it sucks when you forget about the weather and wake up one morning to find your plants frozen or sheared apart by wind.

[shadytrake]

I put mine outside on what I call the Catt wall. The Catts need the sun. I have a little bit of filtered shade from a River Birch tree.

check out the link for how I set up and a picture.

Hang-A-Pot?!?

[DSDNYC]

I also grow all of mine inside, like others, because I have no choice. Cats and Den need bright sun to bloom. Oncidium Alliance likes it fairly bright too, but not as blinding bright. I have a friend, who has a backyard in Brooklyn; he moves all of his orchids outside every year. They all thrive in their partially shaded location.

[Paul Mc]

One thing I learned last year about putting orchids outside though is to keep them off of the ground. When they are just sitting on the ground they are more likely to get slugs, snails and other things crawling inside. If you can put them on something elevated to help eliminate that issue, that is optimum.

My issue this year though is that I repotted them all and the roots have yet to attach to the medium. Also, the medium has not fully settled and just a little wind would knock all of the medium out. Still working that one out in my mind for this year.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Paul Mc

One thing I learned last year about putting orchids outside though is to keep them off of the ground. When they are just sitting on the ground they are more likely to get slugs, snails and other things crawling inside. If you can put them on something elevated to help eliminate that issue, that is optimum.

I agree. Last year I had mine on shelving outside. I moved them onto the floor while I was on holiday for a week (to have slightly lower light so they would cope with less water).

They had been out months with no slug damage, it was only while they were on the floor that the slugs found them and once the slugs had found them they would climb up to the shelf to get back to them (probably were in the pots when I moved them back to the shelf).

I'm hoping they won't find them again this year once they go out.