Cool/Intermediate/Warm Growers

[Ray]

I have been growing orchids for over 45 years, but I still find the classification fuzzy.

Some references mention nighttime temperatures to specify which range a plant grown in, while others focus on maximum daytime temperatures.

Then there are “cool to warm” growers, which can refer to either broad diurnal swings or that there are populations of the same plant growing in different conditions.

I usually end up avoiding anything with “cool” anywhere in the description and hope my “equal opportunity abuser of orchids” status ends up working.

Thoughts?

[early]

I usually end up avoiding anything with “cool” anywhere in the description and hope my “equal opportunity abuser of orchids” status ends up working
__________________
Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast

Well said Ray.

I agree...now how to I make those yellow boxes for quoting others???

[Keysguy]

I find that the published growing conditions of any species can vary widely in real practice. It's nice to have that information as a guideline and jumping off point but I find knowing what exact conditions the specific plant you are contemplating adding to your collection was raised in is a far better indicator of success if those conditions are more closly aligned with the conditions you can provide.

[Subrosa]

I generally avoid plants with "cool" in the temperature description as well, but from experience with carnivorous plants I know that not all cool growers are equal. Highland species Nepenthes almost universally require a large temperature drop at night, while cool growing Heliamphora from high altitude are quite happy at relatively stable temps as long as they don't exceed a certain level. Anyone who puts in the time and effort to learn this information about orchids and disseminate it would be doing a great service to the community.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by early

I usually end up avoiding anything with “cool” anywhere in the description and hope my “equal opportunity abuser of orchids” status ends up working
__________________
Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast

Well said Ray.

I agree...now how to I make those yellow boxes for quoting others???

Bottom right below the person whose thread you want to quote, there's a blue button that says "Quote." Click that button, it opens the Reply to Thread. Then you'll see at beginning and end of the thread you're quoting some code... For example, [QUOTE=early;911991] at the beginning of the quote, and [QUOTE] at the end of the quote. You can also redact a part of it, if you are responding to a part of the quote instead of the whole thing. Just make sure you don't remove the beginning code or the last [QUOTE]

[early]

Originally Posted by early

I usually end up avoiding anything with “cool” anywhere in the description and hope my “equal opportunity abuser of orchids” status ends up working
__________________
Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast

Well said Ray I agree...now how to I make those yellow boxes for quoting others???

Thanks WW

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Ray

I usually end up avoiding anything with “cool” anywhere in the description and hope my “equal opportunity abuser of orchids” status ends up working.

Thoughts?

I recall a conversation that I had with Andy Phillips (Andy's Orchids) when a Sobralia that I had asked him to bring to me at a show had a label "I" ... I had expected a "C/I" - I intended to grow it outside (which can get close to frost where I live). I asked "Is there something that I should know about this plant that I don't"? Andy came back with "If I put a "C" on the tag people in Florida won't buy it". So I learned that an "I" on an Andy tag means "Inquire"... maybe it needs to not go below 50 deg F at night. Maybe when he got it he really didn't know so started it in the Intermediate house until he could see what it could tolerate, or maybe he just wanted to not discourage potential buyers, though the plant could grow cooler as well. So I have to ask for a translation when I want to buy one of those "I" plants.

"Cool" can also refer to maximum temperature... some orchids don't do well highs over 75 or 80 deg. F. but also don't like lows below around 50 deg F. (For me, Miltoniopsis is in that category and I tend to do poorly with most in that genus) Those are "narrow range" orchids... maybe there should be a category "N" for those.

[WaterWitchin]

I'm also an equal opportunity orchid abuser, but a more subtle one than I was twenty years ago. Had enough demise in my early years to teach me at least certain broad categories of orchids I wanted but not charmed enough to struggle meeting a consensus with their needs vs my culture.

Agreed, the cool/warm/intermediate/hot classifications are a good guideline for some of genus, the "easier" growers. But one wants a certain plant, and it's expensive, better get some research done before setting up for disappointment. I'm fortunate, or unfortunate, enough that my climate varies greatly. My preference is everything outside in summer, and of course all goes inside in winter.

I find myself with less orchids that are truly cool growers, because I want everything outside for six months and some just can't take the abuse. Same thing with some of the hot growers. They're in the Batcave in winter, which isn't much warmer than my living quarters. Then I grow some "cool" and a couple of "hot" orchids that seem to fit in just fine.

Bottom line... if I see something I really like and it's inexpensive (under $50) I get it. But I have to REALLY like it already. If it's over that, homework time.

The growing temps are similar to some classifications of high light, low light, medium light. A guideline, but only that. And then one has to put the two together to make it really work. Aiieeeyiiiiyiii.

---------- Post added at 10:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:10 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Roberta

... maybe there should be a category "N" for those.

Interesting... and too bad more orchid retailers don't do the same. It would help. To me, "N" would be perfect... that would be a "No Go" in my book.

[aliceinwl]

With my temperatures tend to gravitate towards “cool growers”. For the “narrow growers”, if they like cool I take that to mean climate controlled office conditions work well (ie air conditioning/ heating to keep things in the 70s).

I’ve found “temperature tolerant” to be a bit misleading. There’s a big difference between plants that can tolerate the occasional dip into the 30s and those that can tolerate a winter of days not getting out of the 60s and nights in the 40s. All of my temperature tolerant plants can tolerate brief dips, but the long slog (even if temperatures don’t get below their minimum tolerance) can do some in.

[Roberta]

And just to complicate the picture more, there's "requires cool " like many Cyms ( unless bred for "warmth tolerance") and higher-elevation Pleurothallids, and "tolerates cold" like a lot much of what I get away with in my back yard. Many of those that can tolerate cold would be quite happy, maybe happier, if they didn't get it.