Floridians - How do you cope with cold fronts? - Orchid Board

Angurek · #1 11-26-2009, 04:11 AM

I'm curious to hear how other Floridians deal with cold fronts.

I let my plants stay outside when the temperatures drop as low as 60 Degrees Fahrenheit. When things get colder than that, I bring everything in, and I don't put anything back outside until the following day, when the temperatures come back up.

While this is a labor of love, it can also be a bit cumbersome. I love having my plants grace my living room and bathroom, but I can't leave them in there forever. They get used to the shade, so when I put them back outside, I risk burning them unless I take a week to re-acclimatize them. I also lose buds this way, and set back plants that were just about to bloom.

And don't get me started on the stowaways (yes palmetto bugs, I'm talking about you).

cb977 · #2 11-26-2009, 09:27 AM

The majority of my chids are in the orchid room but I do have about 30 or so out on the lanai.

Anytime the temps are going to drop to 50 or below, everybody gets moved in to the room (which is what I'll be doing as soon as I finish here

) and the portable heater gets set to 49-50 degrees. I also have the ceiling fans switched to reverse at this tme of year so that the warm air gets pushed back down...as I have no plants on the ceiling...yet!

Lorraine · #3 01-10-2010, 10:14 PM

I am sooo ready for this Brrr cold stuff to get out of here!!! I knew it was coming and decided to make a greenhouse for all my chids. 225+ they are usually hanging in my trees and some other places in the garden and in the pool enclosure.

I have a sitting area on the pool patio under cover, moved the cushions onto the sofa and the chairs have plants on them, the 3 movable plant stands are in there with the mounted chids hanging all over them the wrought iron plant tree is there with vandas added, plant stands with extra chids hanging and the coffee table covered. It is impossible to walk through but I can move them all out easily. Already did that once to water and give them sun on Sat. Then back in they all went. I used the rolled painters plastic to cover from the top of the pool screen and wall and held in place with bricks at the bottom. It may not look pretty but when the outside temp was 40 inside was mid 50's. I kept the fan light on all night. There was air moving through the area from the top of one side but not enough to make much difference. I did not want it too cold or too hot in there so this was just right.

I have a couple mounted on a tree out front and my big driftwood and they are covered loosely with the plastic to keep the wind from damaging them. So far so good.

Somebody needs to turn the heater back on...I live in SUNNY, HOT Florida!!!!

flhiker · #4 01-11-2010, 08:56 PM

I bring most in the house (specially the mini's and seedlings) and some I put in my garden shed and the ones mounted on the trees I do nothing for. This is the first time I have had the temps. drop below freezing since I have begun growing orchids and I'm anxious to see if the mounted chids are affected. (No evidence of damage yet) If they are not damaged by the cold I'm re-thinking whether or not to bring the rest in when the temps drop again.

Connie Star · #5 01-11-2010, 09:25 PM

Gee I'm having a hard time sympathising- 11 degrees here in sunny (actually that's the day time high) New England

cb977 · #6 01-11-2010, 09:30 PM

LOL, Connie, I understand how you feel but the problem is that all of the landscape stuff here is meant for warm temps. After a blast like this, everything is dead...lawns, trees, roses. It takes a LOT of work to protect them all.

Actually, the chids are nice and comfy

flhiker · #7 01-11-2010, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb977

but the problem is that all of the landscape stuff here is meant for warm temps. After a blast like this, everything is dead...lawns, trees, roses. It takes a LOT of work to protect them all.

Yep! Unlike up north we grow our Veggie's in the winter down here. The summer's are way to hot. The tomatoes and peppers don't do well after a freeze. I like to let the bell peppers turn red but I didn't want them to get damaged so I picked them early, along with some tomatoes.

got ants · #8 01-11-2010, 11:47 PM

Orchids survived, iguanas, not so much....

Ranchnanny · #9 01-11-2010, 11:54 PM

Boy! I have been thinking and worrying about all you Floridians and all your beautiful orchids. Loosing just one can get me down for a few days can't imagine loosing more. Hope you all get through this cold snap with little or no loss..... Thinking about you all..

Sheridan

fotofashion · #10 01-12-2010, 01:15 PM

I don't live in Fl but here on the Tx Gulf Coast we, too, are getting unusually cold temps. In my case, my orchids go into the GH in early December because we always get a light freeze or two. But this year has been an exception for hard freezes. I dread seeing my electic bill for this month. It will look like I am buying the company. Even with the heater going full blast the temp. got down to 32 one night and 34 another. The orchids all look OK, however.
Many people here are distressed for their outdoor plants that look dead. Because we seldom have these conditions, they don't know what to do about the dead-looking growth. The common wisdom is to mostly leave the plants alone until the weather warms up and then prune. It seems that pruning encourages new growth and then another freeze can come along and freeze that.
I hope everyone whose plants are affected (no matter where you are) have a minimum of damage. Just think, only another two or three months and then we will be complaining about the heat.

Beverly A.