Cool growers for New Zealand winters

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by headbanger333

Thanku Camille, summer temps in Auckland can be up to around 28C. The orchids would get th full blast of the afternoon sun. Im not sure sarcs could take that?

From what I've read about Sarcs, that's just about their limit. But if you aren't getting those temps on a daily basis in the summer, they could be a nice option for you.

[Roberta]

I grow quite a few Sarcs in my yard. They experience summer temps as high as 95 deg F/35 deg C (occasionally a little more) with no problem. I do grow them fairly shady (I'd call it "bright shade"). In winter, they get as low as 35 deg F (1.5 deg C), for a few hours occasionally (once in a while even a little lower) and also no problem. In winter I keep them a somewhat drier, which helps blooming and also protects from cold but if they get rained upon, it's OK. This is mostly Sarco. hartmanii, Sarco. fitzgeraldii and their hybrids. Sarco ceciliae is a little less forgiving of cold, coming from Queensland and points north. But even there, hybrids mostly have the "basic two" in their background, making this a really forgiving genus.