Bringing the plants back indoors

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Benno

When you say "never when wet", are you meaning if you have watered them in the last day or so they should be brought in? I still need to water my orchids in winter so far, almost as much as in summer as our winters have very low humidity whereas summers are very humid. (I'm in the subtropics).

It's the combination of cold and wet roots that may lead to their death, at temperatures they could tolerate if dry. So, yes, if the temperature will be marginal on the plant's range of preference, definitely bring them into warmer conditions if it's wet.

[tellmewhy]

I am from Pennsylvania.
All my orchids are outside. They have no problem with the cold temperature.

[malteseproverb]

tellmewhy, are you saying they're outside right now? I'm also in PA but I originally wrote this post in September so I was talking about the days getting colder. What kind of orchids do you have? I don't have any of mine outside right now because it's going get into the high 40s for the next few days and rain a lot. I've always heard that the rule of thumb for our area is not to bring plants out until after Mother's Day, when all chance of frost has passed. It has been an exceptionally mild and balmy spring so far though. All of my succulents and citrus are outside and have been for weeks.

[tellmewhy]

Originally Posted by malteseproverb

tellmewhy, are you saying they're outside right now? I'm also in PA but I originally wrote this post in September so I was talking about the days getting colder. What kind of orchids do you have? I don't have any of mine outside right now because it's going get into the high 40s for the next few days and rain a lot. I've always heard that the rule of thumb for our area is not to bring plants out until after Mother's Day, when all chance of frost has passed. It has been an exceptionally mild and balmy spring so far though. All of my succulents and citrus are outside and have been for weeks.

Yes. They are all outside right now.
I have all kind of orchids.Phal.Den.Brassavolas.Cattleya.Encyclia.Bul bo
I bring them outside when the temperature 50F and left them there until the weather drop to 35F.
I think I always bring them out before Mother’s Day.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by tellmewhy

I am from Pennsylvania.
All my orchids are outside. They have no problem with the cold temperature.

Define "orchid". I live in PA as well and lots of my orchids winter over outside in the ground. Many others are outside now as well, but if I were to put the few warm/hot growers I have outside right now it wouldn't go well, considering night time lows are hovering around 50°F. And I'm not going to be making a habit of moving plants in and out on account of a cold night. A few nights ago, the temp dropped to 32°F and stayed there a few hours. I definitely had some frost damage on plants that were outside, but no lost plants. If my Cattleya (other than percivaliana) had been out for that, I'd have lost them.

[malteseproverb]

I'm surprised that your plants are so happy outside in temps as low as 35F, especially bulbos. I've left cymbidiums out in those temps and even they suffered. I used to keep my brassavola in a room that got down to 59 and it's much happier now in a room that doesn't get below 65. I suppose I sympathize with my orchids as I, too, hate temps below 60 so I can't imagine putting them out when it's not balmy. I was planning on bringing the orchids out on Wednesday after it stops hovering in the 40s at night.