Here comes Summer

[estación seca]

We've had a cool Spring and early Summer (for us), with only a few days over 100 F / 38C. But it's going to be hot, hot, hot - Tuesday 105 F / 41C, Saturday 114 F / 45.6C. I'm bringing in the remaining plants growing outside.

Except for Eulophia petersii; it doesn't care how hot it gets, but it can't take our full direct sun. In fact, it's in spike now. It does take full coastal California, and Midwestern US sun.



There is a 2" / 5cm net pot in the Eulophia pot for scale. The mixture is horticultural perlite about 75% and local decomposed granitic soil 25%. The glazed ceramic dish is 18" across and quite difficult to lift. The perlite helps with that. I used such a large pot because this plant will fill it within 2 years, and I'm aiming for a CCM.

I keep it wet and heavily fertilized (1 tablespoon / 15ml of 20-20-20 or ammonium sulfate per gallon / 3.78 of water, once or twice weekly) throughout warm weather, whenever that starts. In very hot weather I often water ever day. Leaf tightness is related to light intensity, not to watering interval. So if you try to grow this, give it as much sun as it will take without burning.

The leafy plant in the Eulophia pot foreground is a seedling Asian pear. I spit a seed there last fall on my way to work and it surprised me. I intend to transplant it to my garden, and graft a known variety onto it. They do fine here.

Our summer monsoon usually starts the second week of July. Temperatures go down a little and humidity goes up to perhaps 40%. But we might have an early monsoon; our lowest forecast relative humidity the next few days is close to 20%, whereas usually this time in June it's well under 10%. Last year we had the highest monsoon rainfall in history - though that only goes back to the 1880s here.

[Leafmite]

That is hot! If your monsoon season is nearly as hot and very humid, that must be horrible. I am uncomfortable when it is 95'F (35'C) and humid. It is much cooler here so far...just warm enough that plants are growing (70's'F).

[Optimist]

Since this go round as a orchid owner, I have decided to stick to paphs and phrags I only have a small percentage of random orchids that would like to be "outside." Last time I was highly into Cattleyas and this time I have only one (potinara) and one tiny seedling Tigrina that is doing well but which I would worry about outside. Otherwise, it is cool under-canopy flora. I have put them outside in the cool weather.

I actually made that choice consciously. If I put something outside I know myself enough to know I would "forget about it." I have a huge amount of flowers outside-- all general garden plants.

[rbarata]

Here summer came early with temps rising above 30ºC (86 F) early May. Now it's getting to the 40ºC (104 F) with RH below 20%.
I'm thinking about my recently acquired Sophronitis...hope it can make it! All the other are fine with proper care (Cymbs, Laelia anceps, Pleiones, Zigo and Bletillas are all outside).

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Here summer came early with temps rising above 30ºC (86 F) early May. Now it's getting to the 40ºC (104 F) with RH below 20%.
I'm thinking about my recently acquired Sophronitis...hope it can make it! All the other are fine with proper care (Cymbs, Laelia anceps, Pleiones, Zigo and Bletillas are all outside).

For the Sophronitis, shady and damp will give it a fighting chance. Indoors with the AC even better.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by Roberta

For the Sophronitis, shady and damp will give it a fighting chance. Indoors with the AC even better.

That's what I've been doing: humidifier turned on as well as the A/C. Outside nights are warm now (20ºC - 68 F) but in 2 days they get lower (18ºC - 64 F) with humidity near 90% which is great (although 18ºC might be still too high).
So, starting today, I'll put it outside by night time (A/C gets too expensive)