Winter rest without a greenhouse
 

So I have 2 coelogynes (rochussenii and faccida) and a dendrobium primulinum which need winter rest I believe? When I got them I was under the impression that they only needed a slight drop in temp. and little water. So I was planning on moving them into the kitchen and leaving it at that (the den. is a young plant so won't flower anyway and the Coelogynes probably won't be flowering for a while).

Now I think this isn't the right thing to do, they also need bright light (which is difficult in the uk winter) and a fairly significant drop in temp which the kitchen won't get.

We don't have a greenhouse and as we are planning to move next year we won't get one right now.

I have been trying to think of things which might work, but the garage has no window and so is dark and outside wouldn't work in the UK of course.

What other options are there...? And what happens if I don't give them a rest? Like I said the Den is a young plant and the Coelogynes are newly purchased and probably a year or 2 off wanting to flower.

A few years ago I was trying to keep a Masdie cool over winter. I put it on the spare bedroom window-ledge and set the window on the fractionally open, but still locked setting. I turned off the radiator in that room and kept the door shut to the rest of the house with a draft excluder against the door.

It successfully drooped the temp quite a way in that room. It wasn't perfect for the very cool loving Masdie, but it worked as a temporary measure (I got a greenhouse for the next winter).

I'm not familiar with either of your plant care requirements, but I have a few that need winter rest and I also do windowsill growing. If they require bright light...I would do the kitchen place you mentioned. I would opt for the light more than the temp drop. Most orchids will adapt to temps, but will not bloom if not enough light. That's been my thinking, anyway. I'm definitely not an expert grower by any means, but I too have a challenge with winters, lighting, and humidity issues. :goodluck:

They may not bloom without cool enough temps, but they won't die. If they aren't bloom size, I definitely wouldn't worry about the temps.

If you think they may be bloom size, and would like to try to get blooms ... hmmm ... artificial lighting in the garage? Or try Rosie's suggestion of one room being cool ? I don't know how cool yours want to be, or for how long - do you have the names? How cold does it get where you are?

Thank you all for the advice! 2 coelogynes (rochussenii and faccida) and a dendrobium primulinum are the names, well outside it would freeze, inside we have the heating on. I might be wrong (I should ask hubby), but I think the individual radiators can't have their temps altered :(

No matter what you do about temps, it sounds like you'll have to add some supplemental light, too.