Summering my chids outside

[cowboy51278]

Anyone from zone 4 or 5 keep your plants outside. I was planning on building a greenhouse this year but that got nixed till next spring. So instead I would like to put up a little shade house to move everything outside. Ive always grown under lights or on the windowsill so this is new territory for me. I have some pretty big trees around my house so using the porches is kinda out of the question for the high light plants. Id also like to make it look nice and not ghetto up the neighborhood (maybe I should, we just got a new tax reassesment). Im thinking of something with lattice panels and maybe a 15% shade cloth underneath. I don't think the lattice will block enough of the afternoon sun and a heavier shade cloth may make it too dark in there. Ideas? suggestions?

[Ross]

I used to keep mine outside during summer as it was way easier to water with the hose. Ever since the hail storm we got a couple years ago, I quit. Mine were on nice cedar slat benches stained to match the deck. The display was awsum, but the price was too much. Lost all my Phals except two and others still bear the scars. I guess what I am saying, is, I have no words of encouragement or wisdom.

[kiki-do]

Last year I put several phals and a couple brassia out on the porch which has a nice roof for shade. The brassia's were nearer to the edge of the porch for more sun.
I am not sure how you all do it, but I had bugs all through my phals, including white flies and mealies and I lost both brassias to some type of virus or bacteria problem. I know many of you have them outdoors all summer, but it was a pain to me to have to spray my phals many times over and throw away my beautiful brassias. In fact, two of my phals have yet to rebloom and slow on growing new leaves or roots since that experience.
Now we need to hear some positive replies. Perhaps I will figure out what to do also so I can put them outside once again. But not unless I hear some major success stories!

[Dorothy]

Oh Ross, you have plenty of words and encouragement.
Unfortunately you had a bad experience
Paul - the only thing I don't care for about the concept of summering orchids outside is the 'bug' factor. I know all my orchids indoors have a lower chance of infestation. So if you decide to move them outdoors, keep a watchful eye on the creepy crawlies before bringing them inside in the fall time ...
Just something to keep in mind
Kiki - I posted this before I saw your entry .. guess we are on the same wavelength

[jkhom]

I live in NJ and I kept mine outside last year (my first year) ourdoors on my upper deck under an 12' umbrella to protect them from midday sun, trees all around perimeter of my property to block a lot of direct sun. Worked great for me. This year I am going to try to keep them on my lower deck (my collection got too big), difference will be mostly more shade from direct sun. Only trying this for reasons of space and hope it works.

[cowboy51278]

yeah, other than burning them to peices bugs and squirrels are at the top of my list of worries. we have so many people from our society that summer them outside and you can def see the difference between those plants and the ones grown under lights. the blooms on the ones that summer outside are incredible. maybe if I periodically (once a month) treat them all with Bayer's Rose and Flower spray it will help lessen the likelyhood of bringing in any unwanted guests.

[isurus79]

While I dont know anything about panels and building n such, I do know that you could probably get away with strategically placing your 'chids underneath the trees by hanging them. I have over 100 plants that are growing in just that way. High light plants live under sparse coverings of young mesquite trees, low light plants are under a mango tree and the in betweeners are placed.... in between!! Basically, unless you have thousands of plants, you can probably attach hangers to most of them or even just build a small bench to keep them underneath existing vegatation, but off the ground. I find that the plants that are hanging or are simply not on the ground experience way less insect traffic than otherwise. Try utilizing the existing vegetation....for free!!! Thats the best part!! Just my Do post of what you do!

[smweaver]

Paul, what kind of orchids do you have? I live in zone 5 and all of mine go outdoors from late spring to early fall. I don't have a huge collection (less than twenty plants right now), so it's not such a pain to move them back inside if the weather is predicted to get a little crazy (example: that nifty hail storm that Ross mentioned). I mostly have medium-to-high light demanding species (aerides, cattleyas, dendrobiums, etc.), and they all seem to do quite well with in an eastern exposure location during the warm months. To avoid but problems, I use a product called tanglefoot on the legs of the benches. I think it was originally designed as a bird deterent. But it's also effective at keeping anything from crawling over it (and it's not toxic and doesn't wash away from rain). My only suggestion would be to be careful when you start exposing your plants to higher light levels. Even high light demanding plants don't tend to react well to being suddenly exposed to lots of direct sunlight after having become accustomed to the lower indoor light levels of a long and dark winter.

[cowboy51278]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Paul, what kind of orchids do you have? I live in zone 5 and all of mine go outdoors from late spring to early fall. I don't have a huge collection (less than twenty plants right now), so it's not such a pain to move them back inside if the weather is predicted to get a little crazy (example: that nifty hail storm that Ross mentioned). I mostly have medium-to-high light demanding species (aerides, cattleyas, dendrobiums, etc.), and they all seem to do quite well with in an eastern exposure location during the warm months. To avoid but problems, I use a product called tanglefoot on the legs of the benches. I think it was originally designed as a bird deterent. But it's also effective at keeping anything from crawling over it (and it's not toxic and doesn't wash away from rain). My only suggestion would be to be careful when you start exposing your plants to higher light levels. Even high light demanding plants don't tend to react well to being suddenly exposed to lots of direct sunlight after having become accustomed to the lower indoor light levels of a long and dark winter.

Ive already started to move the plants out on nice days and then back in at night. Just the high light ones for now, the catts, dens, some cyms and whatever else i can think of. I have some low light plants as well. Those I'll probably keep on the front porch. It gets some early morning sun before the locust tree blocks it out. But it should be fairly suitable for the paphs, phals and stans. My back porch gets the late afternoon sun. From 3:30-4 on til dusk. Do you think the catts and dens would do ok back there? I can also put my zygos and cyms back there and set them in a little closer to the house. It was suggested earlier to try some of the plants under my trees. The only tree I could do this with in the side yard is a big red maple. It goes from direct sun to full shade in about 6 inches. The only thing I can get to grow under there are some shade loving hostas and ferns. The rest of the yard is full sun. I love this place, but its making it very difficult for me do do anything outside with my plants.

[Ross]

I think under the Maple is out. I also have Red Maple and the shade is too intense. As for west sunlight, that is fine except you can get more accumulative light "units" with t5 florescent indoors. Just a thought.