It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.

Who are these people and don't they have something better to do? Like ....rake leaves

I'm gonna have to hire someone full time to change orchid tags out in the OC.

Jim

Hey Jim, I know you have the big fans, but how hot do things get in the OC? I had to throw up some shade cloth today, as the top shelf hit 91 at 2:30. Can you keep it below 90?

Carol, without A/C or at least a swamp cooler, the best I can hope for is to keep the temperature inside the OC the same as it is outside. Thus, if the temperature outside is 90 degrees, I strive for the OC temperature to be the same. There are other factors apart from temperature at work here. Air movement and sunlight intensity are two of the big ones. The fans help with the air movement and keep heat from building up in the top of the OC. The Aluminet blanket that I bought from FarmTek really helps control the temperature and light intensity. Almost all of the growers here have it spread over the tops of their greenhouses. See http://www.farmtek.com/farm/su.... All you have to do is know the dimensions of your roof and you can order one custom built. I have the 50% shade one. Mine is 34 X 25 feet and I paid about $300 for it. You can also add grommets around the edges which will help tie it in place.

It's raining here yet again.

Jim

Carol, our max official temperature both this summer and last summer has been 93deg. I think the orchids acclimate to it, and survive because of good air movement and the killer humidity which feels bad to us human beans because our sweat won't evaporate to cool us off, but is great for plants because they don't lose much moisture through their leaves. So, 93deg. here is a lot different to a plant than 93 where you are, with lower humidity.

Mine are all outdoors but inside the pool cage. The screening shades about 20% of the sunlight. There's a 6ft. x 10ft section of 30% Aluminet over the west side of where my orchids live. So they get morning sun and afternoon at least 50% shade. When the sun is at its highest in June my big clump of bamboo also shades part of the cage in the afternoons which works out nicely.

Whenever it rains, the temps drop by at least 5deg. sometimes 10 if it is a good t-storm with outflow. It has rained a vast majority of days this summer, since about mid-June. So other than black rot and scale, the orchids are thriving!

November and May are hardest on the 'chids, when it can still be hot, but the humidity is lower. I do a lot of spraying with the hose then.

Well, I don't have the aluminet, but I do have shade cloth, and good air movement. I'm using the hose early in the day and rain water with 1/4 strength food in the evenings, and a fan blowing across a large humidity tray full of water helps a little, but they will all be on city water before we see any rain. Oh well...

My L. purpurata werkhauserie 'Monte X C. gaskelliana coerulea has opened the first bloom. Several other buds are on the spike.


Jim

Carol, 96 and 58% humiduty now

Argh, Ted. Our sympathies! I'd be out misting with the hose 9 times a day in that heat!

Jim that Laelia is a gorgeous color!

B. nodosa Big Jim has 5 flowers open now. Naturally the two spikes are on opposite sides of the plant. NOID catt is just glowing away. It's not really as orange/red as it looks. More gold overlaid with hot pink.

Ted, I just misted and closed the door part way so the evening sun can't hit them. Got it down from 91 to 86 and 60 percent for a minute, anyway. My humidity was only 46. Unfortunately, my swamp cooler is not keeping up in the house. It's 85 and 70 percent in here. Gonna be a long autumn around here, I'm afraid.

Only 75 here with 80% humidity, I guess everybody should like that for a little bit! We finally had some rain last night.

I love the purple color on you Laelia, Jim, so delicate!

I'm going up to visit my Mom for a week, poor Harry has to stay here to take care of the animals and plants. Or maybe I should say poor plants! lol
Anyhow, I found out there is an orchid show at the same time! http://www.wisconsinorchidsoci...
Oddly I found out about the show on Oak Hill Gardens website, but they're not listed as vendors, although they said they would bring pre-orders to the show.

So much for my vow not to spend money on orchids for a while.

Back from Pennsy...
Jim, I like the L purpurata x very much! Pretty!

Elaine, your noid Cattleya is very nice, nice color too!

Nothing wrong with spending money on orchids, Susan, enjoy the show!!

Regarding the Aluminet cover - I can attest that it lowers the temperature in the greenhouse by at least 10 degr. I have AC which I use sometimes in Spring on those early hot days when the Orchids are still inside and also in September for some late hot spells. Other than that - I clear out the greenhouse and scrub it down every Summer. At that point I install the Aluminet screen on the inside under the ceiling ( Klaus installed some Aluminum bars under the ceiling and I can "thread" the cloth right through that) and take the AC off line.

Ok I am off to start the September thread!!

And here it is!
The thread "Our Orchid blooms in September 2013" in Orchids forum

Please join us all and don't be shy to post!!