If i put the orchids ouside for first time.....

[Cntry]

Butterfly that sounds like the perfect place to put your orchids in. I am glad you also found a nice stand to sit them on. If it gets a bit to bright you could move them also as the summer gets hotter here.

[butterfly_muse]

How will I know if it's too bright for them? I had them in a west facing window previously, and they were happy as clams there. Unfortunately, with our new living arrangement, my window facing choices are northeast, northeast, or northeast on all 3 floors, lol. We're in a townhouse so we're surrounded on all sides by other peoples' houses. Only have windows on the front of the house.

But I was under the impression that cattleyas, oncidium types (mine's a beallara), and I recently picked up a brassolaelia, liked higher light. Morning sun isn't too terribly intense, so...wouldn't they be fine out there in that spot most of the summer? So long as they've got the right airflow? I can't control the rain here, unfortunately. But the humidity is perfect!

[Cntry]

Yes they love bright light. Just look for discoloration in the leaves, blotches from to much direct sun. Red cast to the leaves indicate to much light I have been told.

[My Green Pets]

Originally Posted by butterfly_muse

How will I know if it's too bright for them?

It will be all about heat in the leaves. If it's cool and breezy, they can take more light than you'd imagine. If the air is heavy and humid, and the sunlight heats up the leaves to where they start feeling very warm/hot, they will cook.

Just to be safe, I'd start them out in a place that seems a tad too shady. I should have mentioned this earlier. As they get accustomed to the higher light levels, their leaves may lighten in color. You can gradually move them to more well-lit places.

Always best to err on the shady side. Sunburn can happen in an hour and set your plants back months or even years.

[lotis146]

Originally Posted by CambriaWhat

It will be all about heat in the leaves. If it's cool and breezy, they can take more light than you'd imagine. If the air is heavy and humid, and the sunlight heats up the leaves to where they start feeling very warm/hot, they will cook.

Just to be safe, I'd start them out in a place that seems a tad too shady. I should have mentioned this earlier. As they get accustomed to the higher light levels, their leaves may lighten in color. You can gradually move them to more well-lit places.

Always best to err on the shady side. Sunburn can happen in an hour and set your plants back months or even years.

Might sound stupid but I didn't quite realize that sunburn could set them back that much. I know damage to the leaves means the plant isn't going to receive as much nourishment if you will because that damage renders that part of the leaf, or whole leaf, useless (for the most part). Perhaps I've been too stuck on thinking that mild sun burn was more an aesthetic thing than seriously damaging. I guess it makes sense though since a lot of Orchids aren't the fastest growers...but still...

Setting my rambling aside, does burn show itself on the bulbs as say a rusty line along the edge? I'll post a pic...
It's hard to see but the pbulb in the middle you can kind of see the dark line...I'll get a closer one if need be...

[lotis146]

Okay that was a little bit of a side note but so far I've had all my Paphs, Phrag. Olaf Gruss, Onc. Heaven Scent, Wils. 'Peach Cobbler', Zygo/Ptpm, Miltonia, Miltoniopsis, & Zygolum on my front stoop. They're getting mostly morning light, all morning I'd say, but some get some early afternoon light; I try to keep the Paphs out of that light but today I forgot about them...oops. They all got rained on for two days, some more than others - longer and more direct rain - and so far I've not seen any adverse effects, except on Zygo/Ptpm who's leaves on oldest pbulb are a bit more yellow and there's more black spots on the leaves of new growth (which slowly started before putting outside).

Two Paphs and Phrag are in bloom now and they also aren't showing any adverse effects, in fact Phrag. Olaf Gruss and Paph. President Fred's second buds are coming in good. I've not had a chance to really inspect them but I am SO SO anxious to do so. The Onc., Wils., & Zygo/Ptpm were repotted right before being set out.

How's everyone else's?

[My Green Pets]

Sounds like you're off to a good start! You will notice their responses to the change gradually over the next month...

The pic doesn't look like sunburn to me. It would be on the leaves before the bulbs anyway. Someone else might be able to tell you what that brown line is...to me it doesn't look like anything serious.

Well I did say months to years...quite a big range there depending on the plant and level of sunburn. Let's just say that a Phal left out in full sun all day could be killed by it, while a Cattleya might have severely damaged leaves but could still recover...over the course of one or two growing seasons.

[LovePhals]

My plants that are outside are doing great. I put a phal that was sickly outside and it is now growing a leaf. I also put 2 vandas out which are growing roots like Crazy. I also have my psychosis and Degarmoara Winter Wonderland 'White Fairy' outside currently. My Den Micro Chip and Den capituliflorum are outside until it gets in the 90s then they come in.

My Den Salaya Candy INSIDE is the one that gets bugs, I have spider mites on it now and am not happy about that. I just doused it with Bayer and sprayed it down heavily with the hose to moisten the leaves and separated it from my other plants

[butterfly_muse]

What temperature thresholds should we be looking for for when we know to bring the plants inside? Like for me, I have cattleyas, a brassolaelia and a beallara. Since they live in the tropics naturally, I assume they'd be fine with fairly high temperatures, but what is the threshold to bring them inside? And can bringing them into an air conditioned house from outside shock them in any way?

[cbuchman]

Originally Posted by butterfly_muse

What temperature thresholds should we be looking for for when we know to bring the plants inside? Like for me, I have cattleyas, a brassolaelia and a beallara. Since they live in the tropics naturally, I assume they'd be fine with fairly high temperatures, but what is the threshold to bring them inside? And can bringing them into an air conditioned house from outside shock them in any way?

Not all orchids like warm to hot temperatures. You need to know the requirements of your particular orchids. Some Catts like Intermediate temp, some like to warm, some cool. It all depends on the natural habitat. Typically, orchids from higher elevations like cooler temps and those from low elevation like it warmer. If it is a hybrid, then what are the requirements of a parent.

The night temps will dictate when you bring them in. I leave some of my orchids out until the temps drop into the low 40F. Some have to come in when the night temps drops below about 58F. I also have some that cannot tolerate night temps above 65F. I often bring these into the house (air conditioned) when we have a heat wave.

There are lots of place on the internet where you can the cultural requirements for your specific orchids, including here. Of course the msot complete name possible helps!