My B. glaucoma and digbyana both have sheaths and now we're supposed to be down to around mid 40's for even a little lower starting tomorrow night. I've been hesitant to move them as it's the first time either will have bloomed for me and I hate for them to blast.

How cool can they take ?

Help

I would hate to tell you something wrong and make those sheath abort.
But, if those were my plants, I would definitely look for a nice warm and surely sunny spot for the Rhyncholaelia glauca inside and probably also for the digbyana.

I cover them all whenever it's going below 50deg. Mj. Can you cover them in place? If not, I'd sure bring them indoors.

Brassavolas aren't nearly as fussy about being moved as Phals are, in my experience. Just try your best to have the light hit them at a similar angle and keep the humidity up. Hanging wet towels around them helps a lot.

Boy, I sure hope that cold air stays to the north of us! So far the lowest forecast has been for 52 on the weekend.

I do not grow those types of orchids..but in my area where we are now getting fluctuating low mid 40's to high 50's overnight, I have moved some of my orchids indoors and only the ones that are more temperate still in my growcamp outdoors. I have been using the plastic foil covers now, to at least ward off some excessive chill at night.

There is just a limit to what some of the orchids can take, on the side of caution, I will do what Ursula says..find a warm spot indoors now, so the transition will not be too drastic for your orchid. My thinking is you may lose the bloom, but at least save the plant itself from cold damage.

I would be moving them inside the greenhouse. Humidity not a problem and temps at night would be 55º or so. Day time temps can get a bit warmer than outside during the day.
Getting the same light might be a bit of an issue.

My orchids will certainly not be exposed to mid or lower 40's - ever. Well that is unless I lose all electrical power. Personally, I would much rather risk losing a sheath/bud than lose the plant.

Just to let you know...here in New England, I often let most orchid plants stay out to the mid-high 30's before I bring them all in, if it is only 6 hours or so and then it will warm up. If it is going to stay cold for any prolonged time, I will start the move in. I do bring vandas and spiked plants in at around 40. I am much more relaxed about this because I've seen their hardiness for years. I've never lost a plant due to the cold.

You are one brave gal, Kathy! Perhaps I might tempt to do that with cool orchid varieties. I wouldn't with my warm ones though. Oh, I only grow warm varieties.

My Zygo and some dens and some Onc intergenerics tolerates the 40's as long as next day temps will rise at least 60's...at 30's and next day temps only in the low 40-50's...dicey for us here..especially if it rains..seems like similar to succulents..cold and damp bad...even if they did not get wet directly, just bad combination for orchids and succulents.

Oh just adding...my Vanda coerulea and my pleurothallids love the cold temps here. These ones, no problem.

Heard the late forecast for tomorrow night is now down to 50, so I'm thinking all the Vandas get to come inside tomorrow night. Got to get out with the pruners and pole saw to do some thinning on the branches so the sun can shine in our bathroom windows better. Hmm, it will keep the house warmer, too!

Kathy, Yes we will be warming right back up. Those mid to low 40's are slow to get there and are the early morning lows. Then it warms right up.
A local nursery that specializes in Orchids leaves their Terete vanda's out year round unless we are going to dip into the 30's and even then unless it's going to be a freeze he just pulls them up under cover in the shade house that is built up against the main greenhouse.

I may just hang them on the inside of the Hoya Arbor that I can throw a cover over.

Good plan mj and elaine!

Looks like protective measures will be happening even down here next week. Tuesday and Wednesday nights we're supposed to get below 40 - Argghh! I haven't even planted my Earth Boxes yet. Been too busy traveling and boating.

We have ice on our backyard pond this morning! brrr

By the middle of the week we may very well have at least a light frost. I'm going to tuck the orchids in on the floor where I can pop the potted ones back outside. Mounted ones are going in and staying in now.

My 20 gal. tub of plant water...............frozen for the second morning!

The OC looks like a pretty good investment at this time of year.

Jim

Oh come on, Jim. Y'all don't know what cold weather is!

I am now thinking about putting another layer of solar blanket material over most of my two GH's. I have excess material to do this. I just need some warmer weather to proceed with the project. I don't know whether that second layer will give me any added insulation value, but there is only one way to tell.

I am about ready to head out for another one of my favorite past-times, watching college football. My Mississippi State Dawgs (#1 team in the country) travels over to Tuscaloosa to play Bama. Bama is a 10 point favorite! Can you believe that, we are ranked #1 and they are a huge favorite? No wonder the players, coaches, and we MSU fans have such a chip on your shoulders.

They're only favored because the game is at home, Ken. Your Dawgs will prevail, I'm sure.

Will you only put the extra layers of solar blanket on the north sides of the greenhouses? I'd think at some point it will start blocking too much light if you double wrapped the whole thing, no?