I have a whole bunch of questions

[love2cee]

Let me start off by saying thank you. I have two Cymbidiums that I put outside. We will call them "left" and "right". "Left" I put outside in direct evening sunlight and she began to burn so I moved her and brought "right" out to sit with her.

I read here about "summering" so I figured because they were my first 2 orchids that I probably was over watering them (their leaves were turning yellow and the pretty flowers were yellowing and dying). Now "left" who has been outside a week longer than "right" has ants in her lava and she still looks like she is not thriving. "Right" on the other hand is still green, growning full, real long healthy green leaves with shoots sprouting out. They sit right next to each other with another little orchid (its not a cym but it is another leafy orchid, no stem who i dont think likes the shade, it is lightening to an almost yellow but still seems pretty hardy).

So my questions are, (1) whats the best way to kill the ants and not the orchid on "left"; (2) is "summering" maybe over for "left" and should I bring her back in the house and (3) when summer really is over, what should be the plan to put them back in the house without shocking them.

Just one more question, my neighbor has a terrace full of orchids that never move, why dont they have issues with the winter months??

Thank you again
Pam

[jerrymeola]

A bunch of questions.

you apparently live in an area where the weather does not have a hard freeze. That is why your neighbor can leave them out year round. I leave mine out year round here in SW Florida.

It is hard to over water a Cyms outside. They do not like heat so maybe it is too hot where you are. Cyms do terrible here in SW Florida.

There are several commercial pesticides for ants, but a safe home remedy is to sprinkle with Cinnamon. It works for some types of ants.

Cyms can stay outside all the way down to freezing.