DRACULA LOTAX - CAN YOU HELP? TEMPERATURE CONTROL

[Polarizeme]

Originally Posted by Discus

My Drac. bella died a horrible death over the summer here in Africa. It limped through the last one, but didn't last through a second round. :/

Awww, I'm sorry to hear that. The heat is horrible for them.

---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 PM ----------

Originally Posted by TOMMYMIAMI

Hi Liana
I have great spot in the shade in the corner of my balcony where the sun doesn't reach the whole day. So that shouldn't be problem. I run my business form the house so I can pretty much really mist that little guy several times a day during summer, to keep it happy, moist and cool it down. Our summer temperatures are though over 80, a lot, some days, so I think I will watch weather now more often and when it will be real hell, I would rather keep it inside. October to April will be ok, winter time especially. Question, I am still planning to move it overnight inside, if weather outside is around 80, we keep it inside of the house around 70, it is only 10 degrees difference, but I think it will feel much more. Do you think I can leave it in the way of the AC, so it will have that air circulation overnight? Or it is just stupid idea and will harm this plant? I gave up on wine chiller, I do not want to make any 24/7 terrarium, I am trying to find the way how to grow it combo inside/outside even here in Florida, if possible. If now, I will rather sell it to someone who can be successful than to kill this gorgeous orchid:-(

Personally, if it were me, I'd leave it inside during the summer months with that heat. I would provide a spot with bright INDIRECT light and leave it in a portable greenhouse. These plants come from high elevation cloud forests. It's breezy and cool there.
When the temps were 60 and below I'd take it out in it's portable greenhouse so that it could experience some temp swings. have a thermometer and monitor the temps, it gets pretty hot in those greenhouses. When Spring rolls around, it should bloom. Really, it doesn't need more that a few weeks with the temp drops for it to bloom.
We had a cool period of about 3 weeks then a high temp period for a week. Some of my Dracs decided that it was time to bloom and threw off spikes. It's obviously not Spring at the moment.
I have heard of some people putting their Dracs in from of a swamp cooler to keep them cool. Just remember that the air from normal A/C is very dry.
Hope this helps. Don't worry so much about the blooming, it will or it won't. Worry more about keeping it alive long enough to adapt to your environment.

Liana

[TOMMYMIAMI]

I definitely will. I am keeping it inside for now, and will see how it goes. Hope it will grow and thrive:-)

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Hi Guys
thank you all so much for all the tips, just wanted to give update, month after, I did great tip from my supplier of all orchid needs, she sold me this amazing cooling pot, and I did mount my dracula on it. it seems like he likes it a lot, I do not see any problems (cut brown tips came like that from seller to me), and I see lot of new growths starting to push up. It really keeps it cooler during the day, and i DO add some ice cubes into the water for night, so it is real temperature drop. I think it might work, and I am not even moving it inside anymore for nights!