Hi all:

I would like to know what is the minimum temperature a phal can withstand
without having it to shed leaves or in any way become retarded so as not to
flower in its next regular flowering season. I just moved down to florida,
and have an unheated greenhouse. i heard about the sudden freezes that occur
in the winter here in florida, and was wondering what would be the best way
to protect my orchids.. a majority of them phals and other warm growing
vandaeceous orchids from the cold chill(s).

Thanks and replies will be appreciated.

Dada

A lot of folks prescribe to the 60° limit, but if they're not too soggy, low
50's are OK for a short time.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

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"dada" wrote in message
s.com...
Hi all:

I would like to know what is the minimum temperature a phal can withstand
without having it to shed leaves or in any way become retarded so as not
to
flower in its next regular flowering season. I just moved down to
florida,
and have an unheated greenhouse. i heard about the sudden freezes that
occur
in the winter here in florida, and was wondering what would be the best
way
to protect my orchids.. a majority of them phals and other warm growing
vandaeceous orchids from the cold chill(s).

Thanks and replies will be appreciated.

Dada

Where in FL are you? Down here, we generally know if there's going to be a
cold snap, and they don't occur that often, though last winter was a bummer.

Diana

i'm near the orlando area


"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
ink.net...
Where in FL are you? Down here, we generally know if there's going to be
a
cold snap, and they don't occur that often, though last winter was a
bummer.

Diana

Yes, in Orlando it does sometimes get cooler than on the coasts (we're on
the east coast in Port St. Lucie). A couple of things you can do:

If you have well water available, turn on a well-fed sprinkler(s) before the
temps are due to go down. The water from the well is about 70 degrees, and
will help. Someone suggested installing outdoor type Christmas lights as
well. Then there are propane heaters of the kind they use when building
structures in cold weather. They come in many sizes, and I'm pretty sure
can be found at HD or Lowe's. Air circulation is important in order to
avoid spotting and tissue damage in cold weather.

And I'd invest a couple of bucks in a remote temperature alarm. We have one
made by Oregon Scientific, which I'm sure you can find online. It was
something like sixty or seventy dollars, and included several remotes in
addition to the main unit. It sounds like a big deal, but the main unit is
only about 5" square and can mount on a wall or sit on a surface.

Hope this helps.

Diana