How low of a temperature can orchids tolerate?
I know that orchids need a 10 degree temperature drop at night to help convince them to bloom. How low of a temperature can they tolerate and how many nights do they need the temperature drop? #OrchidLovers #Orchid
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@hoyahead I have plain old phalaenopsis orchids. Some are the minis and some are full size. During the winter our thermostat set to 64. My two minis are the only orchids that I have that have rebloomed. My full sized ones have never rebloomed.
Phals can comfortably go to around 55 Fahrenheit overnight, though window sills can be a lot colder than the actual room temperature. Cold rarely kills phals, but they can go dormant as a coping strategy.
It really depends on the specific plant with the overnight temperature drop. I’ve got some that throw out a spike after only a few days of it and some that have taken six weeks to spike. I’ve also got two that even after six weeks are not showing signs of a spike but I’m persevering! It depends on their genetic makeup as to how quickly they respond.
Most shop bought phals are heavily hybridised so it can be really hard to tell if you have a cold bloomer or warm bloomer as we don’t know the plant’s lineage when we buy them. The vast majority of shop bought phals are cold bloomers though. Even if you do have a warm bloomer, subjecting it to the overnight temperature drop for a few weeks won’t harm the plant.
I’ve found that upping the light they are able to get helps too. Phals need a lot of energy to spike and winter light isn’t always strong enough to give them that energy. Changing the spot the plant is in to a brighter place can help. I started using a grow bulb two weeks ago and since then, I’ve had five spikes develop. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Using a good fertiliser can also help ensure that they have the nutrients available to produce a spike.
It really depends on the specific plant with the overnight temperature drop. I’ve got some that throw out a spike after only a few days of it and some that have taken six weeks to spike. I’ve also got two that even after six weeks are not showing signs of a spike but I’m persevering! It depends on their genetic makeup as to how quickly they respond.
Most shop bought phals are heavily hybridised so it can be really hard to tell if you have a cold bloomer or warm bloomer as we don’t know the plant’s lineage when we buy them. The vast majority of shop bought phals are cold bloomers though. Even if you do have a warm bloomer, subjecting it to the overnight temperature drop for a few weeks won’t harm the plant.
I’ve found that upping the light they are able to get helps too. Phals need a lot of energy to spike and winter light isn’t always strong enough to give them that energy. Changing the spot the plant is in to a brighter place can help. I started using a grow bulb two weeks ago and since then, I’ve had five spikes develop. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Using a good fertiliser can also help ensure that they have the nutrients available to produce a spike.
@MotherOfOrchids during winter the thermostat stays at 64 degrees in my house. I have grow lights, but I just can’t seem to get most of my orchids to rebloom. So I was thinking about putting them in the garage at night. Right now we’ve hit a rainy patch and the temperature in the garage is only getting down to 50-55.