Indoor winter/outdoor summer growers face a similar situation: send them out for the season, only to hear about low temps the next night so back in they go. Back and forth, back and forth. I call it the orchid shuffle.

I refuse to shuffle. Once they are out, they are out. If the temps dip down, they'll have to suffer. Besides, mine go down routinely to near 32F (if not a degree or two below) during the fall and spring so I don't freak out if I hear it's gonna be a little cold.

Survival of the fittest in my collection.

This post was edited by terpguy on Wed, Mar 26, 14 at 8:16

My orchid shuffle is on going during the winter. But I'm prepared for that. So the winter shuffle is 15 minutes. Normal florida winter behavior. But the orchids that do the best in this climate frequently require a winter shuffle. And all the shuffling that I did this winter would be for nothing if I did not re-winterize. One more time...

The Indian chief sends his braves out to collect firewood because winter is coming. Later he hears on the news that the winter will be a cold one. He sends the braves out to get more wood. The next day he hears this may be the coldest winter in 50 years. He sends his braves out to get even more wood. Next day the news is that the coming winter may be the coldest in a century.

Now he is baffled and he visits the studio and questions the weather man. At first he gets pablum but eventually he pushes for a honest real answer and is told the following:

We keep an eye on the Indians, when they collect a lot of firewood, it will be a very cold winter.

There is your answer.

Nick

SM, ongoing? You do that all winter long? That's dedication. You really are very kind to your plants. I don't have the interest enough to keep that up.

Love it, Nick!

Not as bad as it sounds terpguy. This has been overall the easiest winter with a very warm December. First time no added heat for December.

I have a small green house with roll down isinglass panels. During the winter A flap on each end stays open until colder weather rolls in. Then the remaining 2 flaps go down. I keep blooming plants on display in the patio area. Many of those are moved either in the house or green house.

If there are additional fronts on the map my orchids could on rare occasion stay flap down as long as a week. But usually it is for a day or 2. And typically after a 1 or 2 day flap down there could be 1 to 3 weeks of flaps up.

My most work with the orchids is Dec through February. Usually December is more work than the rest of the winter. So I'll probably over 3 winter months while winterized I'll have about 6 events like that. March most winters is no extra work.

So now I think I'm home free. Flaps go up and stay up. Until next December. I guess and hope.

Then there are orchids in the landscape on the trees. They fend for themselves. Also I have 2 very big pots of a terete vanda. They have amazed me. They are very tolerant of cold weather. Thought they would die.

I don't know where you are in Florida, zone 10 should not be a problem.

The only plants I bring inside during a cold spell are Phals in bud. If not in bud they stay out. Since I am not a Phal fan, I only have 4 and all belong to someone else. I bloom them and bring them to their rightful owners. I can't afford to lose the blooms.

Everything else stays out. It hasn't gotten too cold this winter, maybe mid 30's was the coldest I can remember and only for one night or so.

Jane

Hi
I never bring anything in except for upper 30's . Usually end up damaging them more than the weather lol
Find it really tough to maintain a GH . Way overheats even in winter. Those I grow on tree s I've arranged in groups and can setup a temp shelter without fear of overheating. A tough ??? is" stress " while low temps obviously doesn't kill them I do feel that they don't perform as well over time . Seems to be true of a lot of tropical plants I have found Vandas to be much more tolerant than I was told have several over 20 lol.
Good luck with whatever you decide !! gary

If you compare the plants on trees in my yard to the other orchids that are kept at 50f or higher there is a big difference. The quantity of flowers is less and the size of flower is smaller. The plant color is more a gray green than the heated ones. So it clearly makes a difference.

So the 6 or so winter shuffles allows my orchids to be more robust all the rest of the year. I am willing to trade the work for better plants...