Phalaenopsis location, is it ok near the heater?

[João]

Hi everyone, I'm new here.

A couple of months ago someone gave me a tiny Phal and now I'm absolutely fascinated with these plants, now I have 7 of these on my room's window. I've chosen that spot because there's plenty of indirect sunlight.

I have one question: under the window there's the room's radiator, is this a problem? I make a slight decrease of the temperature over night, but I read somewhere that Phals don't like temperature fluctuations one should avoid place them near heaters. Shall i stop the temperature variations? Is it the heat coming from under somehow harmful to the Orchids?

Could you let me know your advice?

Thanks a lot, cheers

João

[Bud]

You need to look at the Phalaenopsis culture as to what it can tolerate in terms of temperatures...I put a table above my radiator and put another table on top of it...thats where my phals are located near the window...3 feet away from the radiator being covered by a table...and it is doing fine...I also provided it with a humidifier and a small fan.
I dont know what temperature your radiator emits...you need to have a thermometer measure it...
*In nature, they are typically fond of warm temperatures (20 to 35 °C), but are adaptable to conditions more comfortable for human habitation in temperate zones (15 to 30 °C); at temperatures below 18 °C (64 °F) overwatering causes root rot. Phalaenopsis requires high humidity (60-70%) and low light of 12,000 to 20,000 lux. It was previously believed that flowering is triggered by a night-time drop in temperature of around 5 to 6 degrees over 2 to 4 consecutive weeks, usually in the fall, and a day-time drop in temperature to below 29 °C (84 °F).

[Eyebabe]

They might get overly dried out if they are too near the radiant heat.
You will need to experiment to find the proper distance they can tolerate.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Eyebabe

They might get overly dried out if they are too near the radiant heat.
You will need to experiment to find the proper distance they can tolerate.

It also depends on the type of radiator. In Europe very often older houses have big metal radiators through which hot water flows. The heat from those is more gentle that from electric radiators.

João, if that's the type of radiator you have then they will be perfectly fine. I also have orchids on a windowsill above a radiator, and they don't suffer from it. One idea is to place some towels over the top of the radiator, and that helps diffuse the heat going up to the plants. Even better, I soak the towels everyday so that it raises the humidity around the plants. I can et it up to 80% around the plants like that. I would not recommend this for any other type of radiator!

[RosieC]

Traditional wisdom has always said that near heaters is bad.

However I have radiators under my window-ledges (about 1' below, with the window-ledge set into the wall about 9" deep).

I grow phals, paphs & oncs on these window-ledges around the house and have had no problem at all. At night my living room curtains drop below the radiator and very likely chanel the heat into that window area, still no probems.

I find that watering rate does not change much, but probably the natural decrease in water required in the winter is counteracted by the increase due to the heaters.

It might depend on the type of heaters, these are just convection radiators linked to a central boiler, no fan or other air flow.

Oh and I almost forgot (how could I as I'm looking right at it as I type) one of the radiators has plants standing right next to it on a lower table, no more than 2"-3" away. The phals on that have not had a problem in previous years or so far this year.

[RosieC]

Of course how much the radiators are on might have another affect. We keep our house around 19C when we are home in the day, and around 15C at night and when we are out. I have no idea how much that means they are on and it will depend on the time of year, but obviously keeping the house warmer would mean they were on more and probably mean more drying around the plants.

[camille1585]

Rosie, I don't know what type of radiators you have, but there is a huge difference between types. Here and at the countryhouse in france it's the water filled ones. The heat is gentle and doesn't have too much of a drying effect. In our now ex apartment in Lyon it was electric heaters, and there is was impossible to leave a plant above or near it. The heat is more intense when it's on, and extremely drying.

[RosieC]

Camille, that's what I was trying to describe by this bit, I think you are right that the type of radiators could make a big difference.

Originally Posted by RosieC

It might depend on the type of heaters, these are just convection radiators linked to a central boiler, no fan or other air flow.

I couldn't quite work out to describe them and didn't make that point clear enough. But yes, mine are water filled with the water cycling to a central boiler to be re-heated as it cools.

Ones which blow hot air are more likely to be a problem in my view, as are things like the gas fire in my living room (which I always move the plants away from on the few times a year I light it).

I think that's where the advise that it's bad comes from, and I think it really can depend on what the heating you have is like.

[João]

Wow, you guys are awsome, so many replies, thank you!

The radiator is not an electric one, it functions with boiled water from the central heating. The heat that comes from it's nothing really radical, i have my orchids sitting in humidity plates and mist them with distilled water whenever i am around.

[RosieC]

That looks similar to many of mine. Keep an eye on them but I think you should be OK unless you have the radiators such a very high setting.