First of all, where do you live? Make sure that if you live in a
cold-winter climate, that you bring in any orchids before the night
temperatures get too cold.

I live in New England and summer about 50-60 of my orchids outdoors, on
a three-tier plant stand, on the east side of my house, against the
house, on a bed of crushed rock. Here's what I know about growing
outdoors:

Morning sun is okay in Northern areas, but provide shade from about 11
AM through afternoon, or your plants' leaves will burn. (If you are in
Florida, you'll want to shade your plants earlier in the day.) Also,
provide complete shade at first, so going outside isn't too much of a
shock for the plants. Then gradually increase the light that they
recieve. If your balcony gets a lot of sun, move small potted trees in
front of your orchids to filter the light. Also look at what is around
your plants--glass, metal, etc., to make sure that it isn't going to
reflect a lot of heat back on your plants.

Birds have NEVER bothered my orchids, and I have goldfinch feeders all
over the place. Also note that it is the nature of birds to eat
insects, not orchids. Squirrels, woodchucks, mice, and rabbits can,
however, be a big problem--fox urine (garden stores sell it) keeps them
away.

Insects are not much of a problem for the outdoor orchids--I have more
problem with insects on the indoor plants. If you have insect problems,
spray them every three days in the very early morning with a mix of
rubbing alcohol and a few drops of insecticidal soap until the insects
go away. You could also use a commercial orchid pesticide. Because I
grow my orchids in PrimeAgra, I do not have a problem with pests in the
media; I flush the media completely every week.

If you're growing your orchids on a balcony, you probably won't have a
problem with slugs.

Some plants like being outdoors more than others. I don't put Phals
outdoors because rain and morning dew collects in their crowns and they
die of crown rot. Young plants, especially Cattleyas, do not seem to
like going outdoors as well as mature plants do. Some of the plants
that do very well outdoors for me include Dendrobiums, Oncidiums,
Epidendrums, and Brassias--basically, the weedy-looking stuff. I also
have Cattleyas outdoors, and they do well, but they are not as
sun-tolerant as the other plants, and their leaves tend to sunburn
(Brassavola crosses are less likely to sunburn, don't know why.) I have
just one Vanda outdoors, and it is doing okay but it did have a touch
of brown spot after several days of heavy rains.

Plants that are outdoors in the summer require a LOT MORE water. Check
them daily, especially if it gets hot and dry.

It might be a good idea to join a local orchid society and ask members
what month they move their orchids outside and when they bring them
back in. (You also might score some free plants.)

Good luck.


In article 39AWc.201840$gE.123319@pd7tw3no, HFX guy
wrote:

Hi All,
So as a Newbie Orchid Enthusiast I have many questions. One of the ones
that keeps on bothering me relates to varying the temperature at night for
the orchids. I am tempted to moving all of the orchids outdoors so that
they get the maximum difference in temperature between night and day and not
to mention maximal light. But my biggest concern are the bugs that are out
there. How does one go about keeping the bugs (and birds - I have way too
many "visitors" on my balcony) away from your plants? Any suggestions will
be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Horace