Just Add Snow Orchids

[Subrosa]

I needed a bit of good quality water for the trays of a few terrestrial orchid tubers and realized that my rain water was ice bound and my ro barrel was still heated to 80°F from my latest project. That just didn't seem like a good idea for dormant tubers that should be at just above freezing temps right now, so:

[estación seca]

NO, NO, NO!! You are supposed to use ICE CUBES! I saw it on YouTube!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I needed a bit of good quality water for the trays of a few terrestrial orchid tubers and realized that my rain water was ice bound and my ro barrel was still heated to 80°F from my latest project. That just didn't seem like a good idea for dormant tubers that should be at just above freezing temps right now, so:

Except that melting snow and the water coming from it will be 32 degrees until it's all melted.

[Subrosa]

The tray is in my 75°F living room and the tubers are 1" above the snow line. Plus strictly speaking 2 out of 3 are in ground hardy here. P. japonica will eventually go into one of my in ground bogs. The P. radiata could go in the ground from a temperature standpoint as well except that our wet winters would rot them. At zone 8 hardiness P. graminifolia is the one that needs a bit of coddling, but it isn't going to freeze.