orchids which stand frost/low temperatures - Orchid Board

Burgos · #1 08-13-2009, 12:14 PM

hi, this is my first thread, im from spain so im sorry about the language if it is not really good

well, here´s my question, i´d like to know if anyone grows orchids outdoors in places where it freezes but also where the frost or very low temps hold for a long time.

i´ll tell you my situation, here where i live it´s pretty cold in winter. we usually get frost (from october to april-may) but the prpblem is not frost, but the low temps that stay during the whole day.
example: at night -5ºcelsius (like 25 farenheit) and during the day 2 or 3 º celsius (like 36 farenheit)

do you grow any orchid in that conditions?

i grow a cambria since last year in the balcony which has flowered this year, and i suppose cymbidiums also do well with that temps.
this year im going to try with oncidium, cattleyas, potinara, brassia, and epidendrum. i think they stand low temps because they are hybrids.

do you know of any others? and not just hybrids, but species? maybe coelogyne cristata and dendrobiumm nobile?? some more please

thanks

WhiteRabbit · #2 08-13-2009, 01:14 PM

Hi
I know some types of orchids can take short periods of cold (just below freezing) - but I don't know of any that are likely to withstand more than a couple hours of low temmps like that.
Of course I am far from an expert! I am sure others will chime in.

RosieC · #3 08-13-2009, 02:11 PM

Hi Burgos and welcome to Orchid Board

I don't grow any outside, but there are orchids which grow in the wild in the the UK and they would have to by able to stand snow and freezing temperatures during the winter.

The ones I have seen growing wild are Dactylorhiza which have very tiny flowers, but I believe there are others.

This website in the UK sells a mixture of hardy and semi-hardy orchids (the semi-hardy might need taking in or protecting at some times of year). Their catalog includes various types of orchids, including some Cypripediums which I was very suprised to find out could be hardy in UK conditions.

http://www.hardyorchids.co.uk/

WhiteRabbit · #4 08-13-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosieC

Hi Burgos and welcome to Orchid Board

I don't grow any outside, but there are orchids which grow in the wild in the the UK and they would have to by able to stand snow and freezing temperatures during the winter.

The ones I have seen growing wild are Dactylorhiza which have very tiny flowers, but I believe there are others.

This website in the UK sells a mixture of hardy and semi-hardy orchids (the semi-hardy might need taking in or protecting at some times of year). Their catalog includes various types of orchids, including some Cypripediums which I was very suprised to find out could be hardy in UK conditions.

Hardy Orchids

ooo good thinking Rosie
your post brought to mind Bletilla striata - maybe some ground orchids might work

kinknstein · #5 08-13-2009, 04:36 PM

There would probably be quite a few Cypripedium's you could grow. Cypripedium tibeticum is one of my faves, but a reginae would be nice too.

Burgos · #6 08-13-2009, 04:36 PM

i knew those ones, i mean the ones with big flowers, like coelogynes, dendros...i think i have read sth about cattleyas (labiata ¿?) or paphiopedilum micranthum or insigne...

those ones can stand frost if during the day they get warm, like you said whiterabbit.

the bletilla is probably a good option. thanks both , i wait for more answers

neb · #7 08-13-2009, 04:45 PM

If you can find any Pleinoe I belive they should grow in those temps.

Burgos · #8 08-13-2009, 05:07 PM

true!! thanks for those little ones neb!
kinknstein thanks, the main problem with cypripediums here is that we get high temps in summer (more than 30 celsius) so they have a bad time...although in my balcony the temperature does not usually raise to the 27º celsius so maybe. but anyway they are usually expensive :S

by the way, is there a post about orchids which come from the temperate zones of the world? like dactylorrhizas, orchis, ophrys, nigritella...

kinknstein · #9 08-13-2009, 06:01 PM

Thats a good point Burgos, I never thought about the high summer temps!

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #10 08-13-2009, 10:13 PM

Orchis? Many Europeans grow them.
Epipactis? There are European ones like Epcts atrorubens and Epcts helleborine.

Maybe a Mediterranean growing Barlia robertiana?

Gymnadenia?

Ophrys?

Nigritella?

Himantoglossum?

Cephalanthera?

Thelymitra?

Caladenia?

Corybas?

Pterostylis?

Serapia?

Any possibilities out of these?