No power---are my orchids safe? - Orchid Board

JDawggie · #1 10-31-2011, 08:18 PM

Hey all...so I lost power because of this freak snowstorm and am concerned for the well being of my orchid collection! I have "built" a tent of sorts and have them covered at night -- the lowest reading I got on the thermo was 59.9 f ---during the day, I have been facing the window for first half of day, then covering again to contain some heat as it is getting down to the 20's at night! Usually my plants live in 75+ degrees...I just want to know some thought on my situation and if I am in trouble! I will be super bummed to lose any of my plants!

Thanks in advance---I dislike winter and it arrived early in the northeast!!
-Jared

Kelo · #2 10-31-2011, 08:24 PM

Can you cover them with a thin fleece material? That may keep them just warm enough to get through the cold snap. Anything non-electrical like a camping stove would keep the bulk of the cold away from them. Heat packs??? I'd be tempted to try anything!

Bud · #3 10-31-2011, 08:29 PM

rent a portable electric heater and a humidifier...the heater will dry out your plants...or beg, steal or borrow ...build a bonfire out of a deep can or a metal thrash barrel outside as the homeless do

Kelo · #4 10-31-2011, 08:34 PM

I hate when we have no power here. Thank fully it's only happened twice in the past eight years. Of course you'll think to yourself to use this, that or the other until you remember - a split second later - that you have no power to run anything...

JDawggie · #5 10-31-2011, 08:43 PM

No electric...no lights nothing..I used a cardboard box sides and foam board sides, then draped the top with a few blankets--just at night. During the day I let the sun hit them all and placed a white board behind them to get as much sun rays as possible. The coldest the thermo read (inside "shelter") was 59.9f so otherwise holding strafing in low 60s last night anyway! Open flame is not an option

O well, I will have to see how my 24 chids do!!

JDawggie · #6 10-31-2011, 08:45 PM

Fleece. Lankets are exactly what I used to cover them...and one on the floor of the "shelter"!!!

dendro photo · #7 10-31-2011, 09:14 PM

"most" will do just fine all the way down to the upper 40's but will drop most buds and flowers below 50 or so my green house goes into the upper 50's as a norm and have no problems as of yet

Shirley · #8 10-31-2011, 11:48 PM

Can you possibly get hold of a kerosene heater? I always have one in case of emergencies like this.

Orchidreamer · #9 11-01-2011, 12:02 AM

Also depends on the kind of orchids. I left some of my cool growers like coelogynes and cymbidiums outside 'til the temps dropped to the 40s. Catts can also handle low temps pretty well, down to the 50s and even 40s. Phals like much higher temps, however, my phals haven't shown any signs of distress when the temps dropped to the high 50s for a few days before I turned on the heat.

rangiku · #10 11-01-2011, 01:38 AM

Dawggie, depending on the kind of orchids you have, you are probably fine with what you are doing. Any ETA on when your power will be back?