Taking my orchids outside for the summer!

[Winterwhite]

It has gotten warm enough in upstate NY that I can now take my orchids outside. My questions are:
1. Can all orchids go outside for a few months or as I've read somewhere
dendrobiums should never go outside.
2. Are young orchids too sensitive to go outside even if protected?
3. I have a number of oncidiums that I'd like to take out as well. They
struggle being inside, ( they are under grow lights in the kitchen),
which is far warmer than they like. Many of the leaves have dried out
and I'm hoping that the rain and fresh air will rejuvenate the plants.
4. I believe this is the orchids growing season so I am planning to feed
them as well during the summer.

Any thoughts would be welcomed. Thank you. Winterwhite

[MSPProductions]

Hello Winterwhite,
I used to live in New Jersey, Mass. and New York, I'm now out in sunny Los Angeles. Here people have their Cymbidiums outside and I recently saw someones Oncidium on a balcony. Out here we don't really have that crazy August sweltering heat. I'm not sure how your plants would react.

[Hummer344]

Hi,
I live in sunny Nor Calif and put all my orchids outside during the warmer months. They are protected by a double layer of shade cloth. Once the night time temps stay above 50 I put them out. About May 1. Around Oct the night time temps start cooling off and I have to set up my indoor racks and bring most of them in. My cyms stay outside all year long and are protected only if the night time temps will be below 35. Temps below freezing are really pretty rare around here. I have had no loss's directly attributable to the heat. I do water more frequently if high temps set in. >90, and will mist the plants in the heat of the afternoon.
Hope that helps
David

[mayres]

ALL of your orchids can go outside if you aclimate them properly. The main problem is they are not used to the high light output. Many folks have their indoor orchids in less than desirable light indoors - often less (even significantly) than 1000 fc. Mid-day summer sun can be over 10,000 and can fry alive your orchids. I put all but my phals and paphs (I could do these too but they are growing so well indoors that I don't have any reason to put them out and worry about pests) outside on the east side of my house for the same time frame Hummer noted with his - I have a 60% shadecloth that I use to help in the process of aclimation. I'm thinking about getting a 40% piece too to help in this process. The trick is to start out with outdoor light but no direct sun (or very little) and slowly get them used to more and more light without burning them - over a period of weeks. My dendrobiums LOVE it outside. They have bloomed their hearts out last winter as thank you for last sumer! Good luck with yours - just be VERY careful to slowly give them more and more light - NO mid-day unprotected sun. mike

[Winterwhite]

Thank you for your responses. I think slow acclimation is the key here. And the protective sun cloth. I was glad to hear that the dendrobiums can go out as well.
I'm putting up an awning on my garden shed and will pick up a rolling cart from COSCO and hopefully I can move a majority of them at will. I'll be protecting them from the intense direct sun and yet would like them to benefit from the rain. The young ones I'll have to watch carefully or maybe just leave them inside.
Thanks to all who responded. Winterwhite

[Bolero]

Who said that Den's should never go outside? They can tolerate a wide range of conditions (depending on the type of course). They should be no trouble to you.

Let us know how you go.

[Winterwhite]

Thanks Bolero,
I think they are going out with the rest. The comments have been quite helpful. Winterwhite