Cattleya survived frost
 

Cattleya (Laelia) pumila is now in bud. I've had the mounted one outdoors for a year now and only took into garage when temps dropped to freezing in the winter and then put it back outside for 33F and up days. It was even outside one night when temps unexpectedly went to 32F/0C. Looked fine the next day. It is getting too much sun and I need to move it a bit. Where I grow it, temp change is gradual. I'm in zone 9. Before I looked at the SBOE website, I used to think all Catts needed to be kept above 60F. I'm learning.:D
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3824/9...62dbef9c05.jpg
Cattleya (Laelia) pumilas in bud outdoors by Gardentheater, on Flickr

I live in Texas I love those unexpected temp drops....Not!.... Great job!! Maybe you will get a beautiful spike!

Thanks for the support. The weather sure makes growing "interesting".

Yes it does the joke here is you get all 4 seasons in one week sometimes. Lol, we got some rain today that will help with my humidity needs for the next few days. :-)

That makes for an exciting week. Good thing mother nature is looking after your humidity while you get your indoor orchid hotel setup;)

Exactly. Im thinking now of getting some cheaper stacking shelves and and then using shower curtains to cover and help with the humidity needs

I've had the temp drop thing happen in New Jersey. Sometimes I don't even realize it until i go look at the pergola and find sunburned leaves if it gets too hot. Even my oncidiums have survived temp drops in the low 40's. But it's time to bring them in!

:)

I grow my cattleyas outdoors in Florida where they get weather in the 40's each winter. They even seem to bloom better in the year following a cold winter. I don't like to let them get below 45 and I also protect them from wind during the winter. Cold winds seem to do the most damage.

Do you get an occasional freeze? What do you do? Wish we didn't:). I have a little ceramic heater and thermostat ordered for the ones that can't take a freeze and they are in a pop-up greenhouse now. A farm supply company makes an inexpensive thermostat that turns on/off the heat at 40F or 50F...don't recall exact temp...whatever works for chickens LOL. This is the first year I'm trying this setup out.

i grew mine in much the same way as mister tucker. i brought mine in around 40' with the paphs...vandas and phals not below 50'...protection from the cold windz. be careful not to let water sit on the leaves or in the crowns either when it gets cold as it will leave brown spots on the leaves. ;) and they will be ugly.

very careful watering is important as always but more important now as overwatering in the heat isnt as damaging as overwatering them in the colder months. cold is far less forgiving and the plants will suffer.

The dew from the cold night and the mornings warming up was my main source of watering. i find my plants covered in dew and dry up pretty fast in the a.m. when the sun comes up. if it doesnt the plants wont warm up and they wont be wet...let nature work for you not against you :biggrin:

We never get freezing temperatures where I am. Personally, I would bring them indoors if it was going to freeze. Cattleyas that I've seen damaged were because they were exposed to cold winds. It's really important to keep them protected from the wind when the weather is cold.

Thanks for the culture tips! I must keep a lookout for fungus and mold. Our winters are perfect for that...ugh:(. I do have a tiny fan I can put in tiny the greenhouse if needed. Like you, I started in a window LOL.

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Thanks for the advice on wind. I now have a way to shelter them from the wind when our temps get low. When the heater and thermostatic socket arrive I should be ready. Lucky you to have no freezes! We average 10 a year and I guess no one up North wants to hear me whine about that.

Temperature drops have taught me that many orchids and tropical plants can actually take a drop into the high thirties. I now just bring in the chocolate tree and maybe a few others and the rest just get covered with clear plastic drop clothes and left outside. We had a crazy summer this year that was on the cold side and we had many nights in the low forties and high thirties ('F) dispersed throughout the summer.

That's great to know. My $15 farm thermostat socket turns electricity to the heater on at 35F and off at 45F. 35F might be cutting it close, but most of the outdoor orchids I have come from the mountains or were hybridized for cold. I hope they do as well as yours.

I don't leave the plants/orchids out if these temperatures persist but a night or two doesn't hurt most plants/orchids if the days are into the sixties('F). Mine range from intermediate to warm-growing, for the most part.

I am in zone 6, and have brought the gang in only when the temps threaten to go down to 33. This time of year, the lowest temp is at around 5 am, so I bring them in the night of 33 or less.

The exception is that my phal types only stay outside till around 50 at night. I do not have many of them, so it is no big thing to carry in a few pots.

My problem now is that it will soon get too hot to keep them out.