Moving plant outside for the summer?
 

Hi, this time of year I hear lots of stories from people who moved their
plants outside to early and then had to move everything back in or suffer
some other horrible fate. I just wanted to point out to anybody thinking of
summering their plants outside, that you want night temps that stay reliably
in the upper 50 or *preferably* a bit higher into the mid 60s before taking
most tropical orchid plants outside. For instance, the average last frost
date in my area is May 1st but the night temps don't stay warm enough until
closer to June 1st for most tropical orchids. Damp and cool is often a
prescription for disaster. You may get away with it, you may not.

I just listened to a customer tell me how he moved all his plants outside
last week when it was warm and then carried them all back in because we are
having a week of low 40 night temps. It's one of those seasonal stories I
am reminded of every year; like when I worked in a nursery and in late
summer people start seeking a cure for their White Pines which they are
convinced are sick because most of their older needles are turning yellow
and dropping off. "but aren't they suppose to be evergreen?"

Don't be one of those people.

Al schrieb:
Hi, this time of year I hear lots of stories from people who moved their
plants outside to early and then had to move everything back in or suffer
some other horrible fate. I just wanted to point out to anybody thinking of
summering their plants outside, that you want night temps that stay reliably
in the upper 50 or *preferably* a bit higher into the mid 60s before taking
most tropical orchid plants outside. For instance, the average last frost
date in my area is May 1st but the night temps don't stay warm enough until
closer to June 1st for most tropical orchids. Damp and cool is often a
prescription for disaster. You may get away with it, you may not.

I just listened to a customer tell me how he moved all his plants outside
last week when it was warm and then carried them all back in because we are
having a week of low 40 night temps. It's one of those seasonal stories I
am reminded of every year; like when I worked in a nursery and in late
summer people start seeking a cure for their White Pines which they are
convinced are sick because most of their older needles are turning yellow
and dropping off. "but aren't they suppose to be evergreen?"

Don't be one of those people.


Yikes! I am in that spot now. Mid-May usually means warm, summery days
and moderate nights. It has been relatively cold this year, and with
all my Catt family outside it has been above 55 most of the time, down
to 50°C once. But today it has rained all day and I am seriously
considering bringing them back in or turning the fan on them outside on
the balcony. The neighbors will finally think I am totally crazy.
Oh well, I will side with Darwin and hope for survival of the fittest...

--
Reka

This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it!
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html

50 C? Where are yuo located? I think it is even too hot for Sahara....

"Reka" wrote in message
...
Al schrieb:
Hi, this time of year I hear lots of stories from people who moved their
plants outside to early and then had to move everything back in or suffer
some other horrible fate. I just wanted to point out to anybody thinking
of summering their plants outside, that you want night temps that stay
reliably in the upper 50 or *preferably* a bit higher into the mid 60s
before taking most tropical orchid plants outside. For instance, the
average last frost date in my area is May 1st but the night temps don't
stay warm enough until closer to June 1st for most tropical orchids.
Damp and cool is often a prescription for disaster. You may get away
with it, you may not.

I just listened to a customer tell me how he moved all his plants outside
last week when it was warm and then carried them all back in because we
are having a week of low 40 night temps. It's one of those seasonal
stories I am reminded of every year; like when I worked in a nursery and
in late summer people start seeking a cure for their White Pines which
they are convinced are sick because most of their older needles are
turning yellow and dropping off. "but aren't they suppose to be
evergreen?"

Don't be one of those people.
Yikes! I am in that spot now. Mid-May usually means warm, summery days
and moderate nights. It has been relatively cold this year, and with all
my Catt family outside it has been above 55 most of the time, down to 50°C
once. But today it has rained all day and I am seriously considering
bringing them back in or turning the fan on them outside on the balcony.
The neighbors will finally think I am totally crazy.
Oh well, I will side with Darwin and hope for survival of the fittest...

--
Reka

This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it!
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html

Paulo schrieb:
50 C? Where are yuo located? I think it is even too hot for Sahara....

Sorry! I was thinking Fahrenheit and wrote Celsius out of habit!

--
Reka

This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it!
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html

Al wrote:
......................I just wanted to point out to anybody thinking of
summering their plants outside, that you want night temps that stay reliably
in the upper 50 or *preferably* a bit higher into the mid 60s before taking
most tropical orchid plants outside......................................
..............................
...............

Just a comment about my conditions. I put my plants out around or after
mid June. They come back in, in early September. Our last frost date is
June 1st and I've had frost after that sometimes. Our "normal" low
during the warmest part of July is 52 degrees. There is no time when the
lows are in the upper 50s for more than a few days at a time. The only
thing that saves me is that I live on the water front so we don't get
lows way below normal while the lake is warm.
I've been putting orchids outside at this location since 1980. I learned
very early on that Phals don't go outside here.

Steve (in the Adirondacks)