Putting orchids outside for summer in south central Pennsylvania

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Hey all, I have been reading through a lot of the orchid forum posts and see that many many people put their orchids outside for the summer. I really want to try this as all my orchids have always been grown indoors. (4 or 5 years) They do well enough but the have been notoriously slow growers. I feel that the better natural environment would do them all well. ( I do "over-summer" a lot of my other house plants outside so I am familiar with slowly acclimating them to the new environment). I am currently growing mostly Phals (regular size and minis) but have acquired a NOID oncidium and a jewel orchid this year ( know the jewel probably won't do well with any direct sun at all) . I have almost no trees in my yard to speak of but I do have a south facing patio. It's a little weird as part of the second story hangs over the 1st story patio. A large part of the patio never receives actual direct sun. The part that does receive some direct sun gets the largest dose before noon. After that the sun is on the other side of the house and the patio is completely shaded. (this whole area is kinda L shaped so that the part of the patio that receives the most light for the longest time has part of the house on the west side providing a type of wind/sun break) So my question is, is it better for my orchids to remain inside under "consistent artificial lighting" or to go outside where they may spend a large part of every day in the shade? If I do take them outside, do I place them where they will receive all of that morning sun on the patio? (currently have the phals in rePotme's Monterey Gold orchid mix but the Onc is in a mix that I am not loving as the Onc seems to dry out WAY to fast as is evident from the accordion thing that the leaves and pseudo bulbs are doing. I am currently in the process of soaking coconut husk chips for the next week to repot the Onc in a mix that will hopefully provide better moisture/humidty)

Thanks in advance for ideas and advice.

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Comments (12)

Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a)
Original Author
6 years ago
Well.....this is discouraging .....
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Annette Holbrook(z7a)
6 years ago
I find the region specific forums to be slow. Try posting this in the orchid forum, you’ll probably get some quick responses.
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Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a) thanked Annette Holbrook(z7a)
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If I remember right, Olya grows them outside in the Tampa area. Someone remembers me! :) I have not posted in forever and decided to check out the site today I DO grow outside, in Tampa (Temple Terrace), year round. In Florida, it is way too tempting to grow orchids inside,since, as Gary said, we have 10 months of good orchid weather I have a structure with 50% shade cloth on it - lots of light From Orchids May 2009 In winter I cover it with plastic - takes two people to do that ...On cold nights, I turn on a heater or two in there. Any temps above 45, I am not worried, not even for phals... With a few plants, growing outside in Florida is a way to go. Give your phals lots of bridge diffused light; the dendrobiums will need a lot more light than that...
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It was a learning challenge, still is. The plants you mention should do fine outdoors. I lost a few Phals the first few months due to neglect. We moved 4 times in two years before we finally bought our house. My larger plants stayed with friends but the Phals and smaller Catts traveled along with us. My Oncidiums did okay, did lose a couple but again, they did not have proper conditions. I grow some Phals for local businesses and they do fine outside. I grow them under some shade cloth but they do get pretty high light. Do this gradually. The night temps do drop around Nov, Dec. enough to trigger spiking. They are blooming later here because the night don't cool off in the early fall. Once the Phals begin to spike I move the plants back slowly to prevent the buds from getting baked in the sun. I still keep the light high. I grow them with East sun with shade cloth. Yours will spike and bloom if kept outside. Your Catts should be outdoors. Gradually give them high light. I've never seen Catts bloom as often as in Florida. I'm amazed at the growth, both leaf and root. The Oncids are tricky. They can take the heat until the nights become hot and the humidity. Light wasn't the problem, heat and humidity did them in. I would grow them indoors over the summer and move them out during the winter months. I'm amazed at the Oncids I see people grow here. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the growth you will see. Put the Phals outside. They will love it and so will you. Just be careful of the sun. This Phal, (mine) is still beautiful after starting to bloom in March. I moved it in the house for the AC to keep the flowers from getting Botrytis, a fungal problem which affects the flowers on some Phals and Catts. It is not deadly, just puts black spots on the white flowers. It still looks like the photo. I all my Phals outside until their buds are completely opened. Your Cymbidium might grow well but not bloom unless it has been bred to be a warm grower. If so, it will bloom. Get some Dendrobiums. They love the heat and the sun! You'll have flowers all the time. Jane
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I don't get how people can't seem to live in a place instead of just squat there. The same people who went through (and PAID for!) the naturalization process and uprooted their lives abroad to get to a country can't let go of the old one. I get ethnic food and fond memories, but if you make a conscious effort to live near and exclusively interact with other ex-pats in the native language, what can you learn and know about the culture and people of your new home? When i have lived abroad (as opposed to simply traveled), i have left my American ways and language at the airport for me to collect on my way back to the US. I never looked for other Americans or spoke English. I interacted with and lived among the people with an open mind. If my language was not sufficient to get my point across, I invited people to correct me so that i learned. I ate the food, i visited the landmarks and learned about their significance. What would i have gained if i brought my flag and waved it to ward off people that were not like me, and only interacted with other Americans? Nothing but distrust of the people and culture of the place i called home. I would feel isolated and unaccepted by everyone around me, unaware that i CAUSED it myself. Everyone would seem like a racist from that perspective, wouldnt they?
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functionthenlook
6 years ago
I live I western pa and put mine under a tree where it is shaded all day. I also have one that I keep in the sun room during the summer. The sun room only get direct morning sun. They all do fine. You just have to experiment and find out where they are happy.
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Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a) thanked functionthenlook
Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a)
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks guys. I do have it in the Orchid forum also. Maybe I should have presented the title of the thread as a question. Unfortunately I don't have a tree to hang them from. Perhaps they will do well at the very edge of shading on the porch. That way they would get "bright but indirect" light
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Alyssa (Zone 6)
5 years ago
Just put mine out Monday :)
Cathy Kaufell
5 years ago
Just put my lonely one outside today in my zone 6 Bucks County garden.
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Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a)
Original Author
5 years ago
Hans, your link keeps taking me to a website for Faroe Islands National Soccer Team. Not sure about the article that you were trying to reference but pretty sure it wasn't a soccer reference.

Cathy, I have family in Bucks County :)
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Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a)
Original Author
5 years ago
Alyssa, What does your indoor setup look like?
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bluesky1 (7a PA)
5 years ago
I summer some of mine outside in the summer. Never put my phals out. Acclimation is key. I have a small covered deck and it gets only early morning direct sun. The ones outside really do benefit from being out. I transition in/out when the temp are in the 50's. Don't forget to water...Even shade is brighter than indoor lighting set up...secure plants when storms (wind) are expected.
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vtandrea
5 years ago
I'm zone 4B. I used to put most of my orchids outside but found they didn't fare so well. Some got bugs and crawlies and others got sunburned or rotted from too much water, depending on our fickle Vermont weather. Now that we have a screened porch off our sunroom (where the orchids live during the cooler weather), they are placed on racks out there. They seem to like the increased humidity and I find I check them more often than if they were actually outdoors.
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shavedmonkey (Harvey in South Fl.)Z10b
5 years ago
I should not chime in as I live in zone 10. The best advice to consider is from those with similar environmental conditions. The best is those in your immediate area. Joining an orchid society will put you in contact with the best advice. This is the only good advice I can give as My circumstances are so much different. The answers are nearby...Good luck
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jane__ny
5 years ago
OMG! Howard!!!!!

Is it really you???

I'm speechless, I've been thinking about you so often wondering what the heck you were up to. Are you still where you originally moved? The beautiful North West??

Please email me, I'd love to catch up.

I'm hoping it is truly you. If not, I apologize to the poor poster who has no idea who this crazy person is!

Welcome back, I've missed you.

Jane
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Putting orchids outside for summer in south central Pennsylvania

Comments (12)

Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a)
Original Author

Annette Holbrook(z7a)

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Putting orchids outside for summer in south central Pennsylvania

Comments (12)

Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a)Original Author

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Jen (Pennsylvania, 7a)
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