HELP! Orchids out in heavy rains

[Dulcinea]

My orchids are all outside in a wire summer house. There is no cover. It's been raining very hard for two days. The weather report calls for it to continue for the next 6 days. I can cover the summer house with a special tarp. Any ideas about how I can dry out the orchids. There are many different potting mixes in the pots. The temps will range from 88° day to 58° night. Any ideas about drying them out? Their winter area is flooded with several inches of water so that moving them back inside is not an option. There are around 100. All potted. We we've never had rain like this since I can remember. Any ideas?

[estación seca]

Sorry about your troubles. Being wet isn't the problem. The problem is whether roots get sufficient air. Roots with plenty of air around them can stay moist to wet; as long as temperatures are appropriate, the plants will actually like it.

If they're potted in media with fairly large air spaces, like medium to large bark, or LECA, most should do pretty well, and you won't need to worry. Sphagnum will stay soaking wet, and the roots might suffocate. Same with fine to very fine bark.

Cover the structure with a tarp, then safely put a fan in there to increase air flow. If you need to use an extension cord, be sure to use outdoor cords and connect to a ground fault interrupter so you don't get electrocuted. If you can't ensure electrical/water safety, don't do this.

Unpot everything potted in sphagnum moss, and remove the moss from the roots. Set the plants in the empty pots. When the situation has passed, repot them.

If you have any plants in very fine media, consider upotting them the same as for the sphagnum moss plants.

It's probably not as much a catastrophe as you think.

[Dulcinea]

Thank you. I’ll do it when we get a break from the rain. I’ll most likely have to do it in between thunderstorms! 🥴

[yug]

Fungicide!

[DirtyCoconuts]

What is your medium? Mounts?

I deal with this issue by using huge chunks of charcoal and lava rock and the biggest perlite i can find (#4) with some leca as my mix. I don’t like to have the endless rains but if the roots can breathe, even while it’s raining, then the plants will love it

Air is the key

---------- Post added at 12:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:10 AM ----------

I don’t know about Michigan, is it cold at night? If so there are totally different issues

If it stays warm and just rains…chunky mix, inorganic

[Dulcinea]

No mounts and different mediums. None of the mix is in large chunks due to low humidity in the winter while they’re inside. Mixes for most. If it stops raining for a few hours I’ll try to unpot now and then repot after this week of rain is over. Thanks coconuts!

[DirtyCoconuts]

Hmmm if you are doing indoors and out then you will need a balance. You dont want to be repotting twice a year.

Couple questions. When inside can you slip your plants into larger plastic pots?

Outside, can you hang the plants or place then over a grate so that drainage would be optimized?

Have you looked into using something like rockwool or big bark that retains more moisture for the indoor period and still makes for good aeration?

Not to challenge the whole plan, but why are you growing in the wire house? Can you add shade cloth on the top ? If so, you can have one side a little higher and it will run off a surprising amount of the water.

Happy to help you keep brainstorming it out

[Dulcinea]

Draining is optimized. They are in good mixes except I think the bark is too small. Everything else is good size. They are now covered with a tarp.

[Leafmite]

I think your orchids will be fine now that they are covered with the tarp. It is the growing season and the roots are taking up plenty of water so the bark should not stay too wet, too long.

[charlesf6]

Originally Posted by Dulcinea

Thank you. I’ll do it when we get a break from the rain. I’ll most likely have to do it in between thunderstorms! 🥴

Raincoat, rubbers and an umbrella would suffice!