The Den can stay outside in full sun until the night temps go below freezing. I am in Florida and leave it out even when the temps have dipped to 38 degrees with no harm.

What you have to watch for is sustained temps. If the temps drop for a few hours at night but rise as daylight approaches, the plant will be fine. But if this is something which goes on daily, bring the plant it.

Don't water the Den. Maybe a drizzle now and then if the pbulbs look really shriveled. Mine lives outside and does get watered when it rains. But in Florida, winter is the dry season and we rarely get rain. Mine blooms faithfully.

Most Dens and Catts can take temperature dips for short periods. Once the weather stays low, bring them in.

You are in zone 7, not sure where that is or how much protection your plants have.

Twinkles like the cooler weather. Their spikes can take forever to bloom. What you see now might not bloom till late December.

When I lived in NY i would move the Onc inside and out to take advantage of the warm days, never moving the direction so the flowers were all aligned. Warm days, out. Cold nights, inside.

The flowers on Twinkle last a long time, months.

Lycaste can take very cool conditions. I grew them in NY inside a sunroom which had no heat. Unless the temps dropped below freezing, they stayed in there. Lots of sun, cool temps for all the orchids you mentioned. I did not grow the one you are growing. But in general, they like a dry winter rest.

Jane

Alyssa,

Along with what Jane said, be sure they don't get any frost. Keep them under an eave or some other cover when frost is expected. Here in west central Ohio, we had frost on Monday and Tuesday in exposed areas.

I'm also trying to get an 'aggrevatum' to bloom next spring, mine got it's last watering last weekend. It'll stay out in a protected area until it gets too cool, consistently below 35 at night or highs only in low 40's for a few days or anytime it will get below freezing. Once it moves in, it will stay in a very bright area of my grow room until next spring. I'm using Jane's expertise on the timing of watering and such. I may mist once a month, but won't water until well after the first of the year.

My 'twinkle' is still out also. It is coming in early next week after it's last bug treatment.

Good luck,

Bob

Bob, you have to post back in the spring.

I never tried blooming this orchid in NY. I tried others and didn't have luck, so I was thrilled to give it a go here in Florida. However, I realize some of the mistakes I made in NY with these aggravating orchids!

Give them as much sun as possible over winter and really be careful about watering. It gets so dry here (Florida) over the winter months and I try my best not to water them. They will shrivel up but I will spritz the roots when they look too dry. Mine are mounted so they dry out quite fast.

In NY I grew the dry season Dends in pots. I think that might have made a difference. I got good growth but no flowers.

Now I realize that they really have to be ignored and start to look bad. But I try to not look. As soon as the spring rains begin, they jump back to life and begin to spike.

I really think they should be mounted, but I have seen many beautiful plants blooming in pots. Its all about the watering and sun.

I look forward to seeing how your plant and Alyssa's plant does.

Jane