very, very HOT!

[Stitz]

I don't have a greenhouse like many of you GEEKS. I love to grow my orchids outdoors in Maryland during the 'warmer' months. I look forward to April-Sept as my "days off". I place my plants, I care for them and I don't worry. I can water each morning from my hose nozzle (Gilmour Supreme, aka pipe)

The current temps are in the upper 90's F with a promise to exceed 100 for the next few days.

I brought most of my orchids inside this morn, after a brief hosing. I might think about taking them outside again on Saturday evening for an even briefer misting.

Geez! Winterizing these big, honkin' Lycastes is much simpler than summerizing 'em while they are in their full glory of leaves!

I am looking for "proven" strategies. This is a worldwide forum.
I know that it gets hot "down under", near Texas and elsewhere. Let's share!


--Stitz--

[katrina]

My therm says 100 today and I've had darned near 100 for the past 2 days....been over 90 since last Saturday. They all stay outside...including Masdies. I do hose them down a bit mid afternoon and again late afternoon but that's it.

We seem to get a week of this..or near this...every Summer and I've always done the same. I've lost some masdies in the past...nothing else has so much as hiccuped at this. My night time temps don't stay at or near 100...it's been dropping back into the mid-upper 70's at night so I'm sure that's why the are all fine. Masdies would fare better if the night time temps would go to low 60's or high 50's but I don't think that's going to happen for awhile.

The ones I worry about the most is the masdies but so far only a couple are showing displeasure. BUT...next week will be the tell tale for those guys.

[orchidaddict789]

It's currently 98.1 degrees outside in the shade, and in the sun, it "feels like" 109 deg F. Terrible. My cymbidium stays outside no matter what, and it seems fine. My hanging orchids are still outside in the shade, though I don't if I should move them inside (vandas, catts, rhychos, etc).

It is too hot, too hot!

[Elanora]

We've been in the 90s a lot here in NC so far. My phals dropped their blooms after about 2 weeks of it (this was around Memorial Day), and everyone has gone into full time vegetative mode! I mist in the morning, and in the evening when I get home from work. These mistings are in addition to the regular watering schedule. Mostly I do this because our humidity has been getting pretty low during the day.

Mine are not getting direct sunlight in the heat of the day, just some short slanted exposure in the late afternoon.

In short, I feel like they're weathering it well enough. I've got ~tons~ of new growth on my catt. alliance members. Two to four new growths each! I think they actually LIKE it!

[11Orchid126]

Here in central NJ the temp is 99, and the cattleyas are doing just fine outside. Every exceptionally hot day they get a light hosing down in the morning when they get early sun, then spend the rest of the day in the shade, and they seem to do just fine, even the blooms. Tomorrow is supposed to be 100+, but they will remain outside.

[katrina]

Was just outside doing a late day hosing and lo' and behold...2 bulbo spikes! On bulbos that...to date...have never bloomed for me. (happy dance!)

I'd say some LIKE this heat. Any warm/hot growers are not going to be bothered by the heat...just the opposite...you might find the warm/hot growers respond very favorably to the additional heat.

The fact that this heat wave should be over soon and because the temps do drop back at night...the majority of everyone's orchids will be fine. It's the cold/cool growers you should perhaps take a little extra caution...if possible. In my space...they have to deal with it or find new homes because we get these heat waves every Summer. The intermediate and warm growers should fare it w/out any ill effects.

FYI -- I didn't explain myself very well earlier. I hose mine down when it gets this hot because a fair share are exposed to the high end of their light limits...I'm pushing it to say the least...4500 fcs on a clear, cloudless day. AND, I have a number in direct afternoon sun. These are the plants that I like to hose down if the leaves get a bit too hot. Those in shaded areas...the leaves aren't all that warm so I don't worry about them. Well...I take that back...I do hose the masdie leaves for extra cooling on those guys.

[-k-]

Def...feeling the heat~ ~ yikes! haven't taken in any of the chids yet but put them in a shady spot till cooler weather pushes in....
In light of the past winter I will still rather deal with a little extra heat than the nonstop fridged cold!

[koshki]

Personally, I think my orchids are doing better than I am!

[sunshine]

Today is the first day of the heatwave for me. 91 degrees and a heat index of 101. My orchids are doing better than me. So far my masdies aren't protesting. Am keeping the humidity trays full and am misting a couple of times a day.

Suppose to be like this right up to Sunday. Saturday is gonna be the worst. Being a Type 2 diabetic this heat is kicking my butt. Feel really tired and no appetite.

[Daethen]

We have had 90 or better for the last 10 days. I have my chids in the house and my best friend's chids are outside where they get some early morning and really late afternoon sun. I have not watered them extra unless mother nature helps out. I swear hers are doing better than mine!

[bearded orchid]

All mine are still outside. My Phals, Psychopsis, and seedlings are in the shade and my Catts and Vanda are out in partial sun all day. I mist the leaves on them every day. So far it's day 6 of 90+ degree weather.

[Puddy1]

I so worry about you all... My sister lives in southern Illinois and I know the weather has been kicking their butts. Yesterday some of my co-workers were complaining cause we haven't had a summer yet. I told them that I'd take our weather any day...we could be having the miserable summer you all are having! You guys take care & stay cool

[Musika]

I only have 8 phals and one Onc. So all my guys are in a really big garden window. I know they get hot so I mist them once or twice a day. I live were in the summer it goes from mid 80s to over 100, up and down. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get more, if my boy friend will let me have anymore! Maybe a little cheap shade thingy. Like a lot of other people right now in the USA I'm broke!! LOL So some fun/cheap ideas would be nice if anyone has any.

[lmartiny]

Yes it is hot as hell. Stay cool. We are used to it to some degree here. But it can still be miserable.

[syndywindy]

Well, it's so hot, someone at work brought a steak, put it in a pan on the dashboard or his car and when he came back out, it was cooked! NOw I wouldn't eat it, but shows how hot it is. The Chicago area isn't even getting the benefit of Lake Michigan cooling, it's just as hot at the lakefront as it is inland. We've broken records for low temps for the last few days. the lows have been either 80 or 81, now thats hot for nighttime! But I have to say, I think my orchids are really enjoying this heat and humidity, i have so many of my phals setting spikes, and just about all my other orchids are exhibiting great new growth, so I can't complain about that. I hose them down first thing in the morning(usually by 7am) and then again early afternoon and thats it. My cool growers are indoors. Kat, I'm curious as to how your cool growers are doing in this heat. We did have a brief thunderstorm rumble through around 3am, and there is the possibility of another late morning, but no relief from the temps until next week. What bothers me is the are is just so heavy, it has almost an ammonia like smell to it, pee yooo!

[Greybeard]

HOT HOT HOT My AC is like saying shoot me now I have been milking it to keep it going but so far my chids are not suffering, Liberty lost one bloom on her mini Phal noID but that is the extent of it. For the most part I watch to make sure they don't get too much of the intense sun. The only time I feel the need to bring them in is when we get the nasty pop up storms, all of my plants, 5, are tiny and the storms would destroy them and then I wouldn't have any chids. Other than that I watch them like a hawk and water as usual and so far so good

[otis 226]

Ocala, FL daytime 90-96oF nights 72-78oF, (humidity 40-90%). Typical summertime weather for FL... Bad for people... Good for most 'chids! Those of us that can afford it, (not me ), become 'snowbirds'
Stay cool
Cheers,
Tony

[koshki]

Unfortunately, I have been busy with a funeral that last few days, and I've not had much time to worry about my orchids. For the most part, they are handling the heat, but my tomato plants are suffering!

I did have one phrag bloom, and the colors seem quite washed out from the last time it bloomed. Still, I love it when an orchid blooms!

Phals and most masdies are indoors. I don't have enough shade outside for either of them. One masdie that was suffering from scale has been quarantined outside and seems to be handling the heat just fine. Go figure.

[terra_australis]

My 2 suggestions.... shade and water. 100F won't worry most tropical orchids. In my opinion it's sun exposure you'd need to look out for.

In summer I usually water in the morning. The evaporating water can help lower the temp around the plants. Watering in the morning also allows any water sitting on leaves to dry off. This will reduce the chance of fungal infections.

[Stitz]

My local tv weather goddess, Sue Palka, taught me a new word last night - retrograde. It's an unusual occurence where a weather pattern backs up to a previous position. As in, what is currently hovering over me today in Maryland will go backwards toward you folks in the mid-West, from where it came! Yee-ouch!


My previous experiences with high heat (100° F; 38° C) are that some of my Zygo species will tolerate it for a little while. They don't like it day in/day out. They need a break. The same applies even more so for Lycaste hybrids with a fair amount of Lycaste skinneri in the parentage. A few of the Laelia and Cattleya species are picky, too. I was shocked to note yesterday that a recent NBS Laelia purpurata acquisition showed marked signs of heat stress. Oh well, win many - lose a few!

Normally, I complete my daily watering duties outdoors during warm/hot conditions by 0700 hrs for the same reasons as several GEEKS described.

I will probably choose to begin returning plants outdoors after sunset tomorrow. Forecasts are currently for 103F (~40C) today, 101 tomorrow, 92 (ahhhh) Sunday!

--Stitz--

[koshki]

Originally Posted by Stitz

...what is currently hovering over me today in Maryland will go backwards toward you folks in the mid-West, from where it came!

Gee, thanks Stitz...you shouldn't have. Really.

[Mira-Claude]

Over 104 yesterday and the day before and around 100 today too.
Birds are calm, which is a blessing!
But the chids dry so fast!!!!
Some are already showing signs of stress even though I water plenty! But the others seems to be thriving!
I just hope it won't last too long... My AC won't make it otherwise... maybe I should buy a second?

[koshki]

I'm watching the guys across the street who are roofing the house basking in a pop-up shower! They've been working on that project all week...can you imagine being on the ROOF all day in this heat??!!

[syndywindy]

Had a good downpour this morning, almost an inch of rain fell. Sun out strong now and the temps are rising, but the garden hose is rolled up for today, no need to water again.

[Orchidchick]

Wow that must be brutal. I truly feel for the the people that have to work outside in the heat for a living. By the way Katherine don't shoot the messenger. We marylanders didn't want the heat to go back to you guys we just want it to get away from here. I can't wait till Sunday and hopefully some rain to cool things off.

[Daethen]

I have been working outside in this nearly every day. Cutting and chipping trees, hauling chips to landscape with or in a hot shop cutting and sanding flooring. I think it has fried my brain.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by syndywindy

Kat, I'm curious as to how your cool growers are doing in this heat.

So far...so good. I have a couple of masdies that are rebelling but they started rebelling 2 or 3 weeks ago when our temps starting going into the 90s. And these particular masdies were not the happiest of campers to start with so I'm not surprised they are showing issue. Prior to this week we'd already had 16 or 17 days of 90+ degree temps. But, most are doing just fine.

With that said...you should know that I've systematically eliminated all but the hardiest of hardy because of my standing rule of all plants must go outside during the Summer. The weaker ones have been eliminated in previous Summers' heat waves AND I now only buy those that are considered "intermediate" or "warm" for a masdie. By no means an actual warm grower but those that can take it a bit warmer than most. I NEVER buy actual "cold" growing masdies...they'd surely perish living w/me.

Like I said earlier...if the temps drop back into the 70's or lower at night it really does offset these high daytime temps. Last night we didn't drop below 80-something but most evenings we've gone back into at least the upper 70's. Plus, I hose down their leaves late day and that extra cooling going into the evening I think also helps.

Originally Posted by syndywindy

What bothers me is the are is just so heavy, it has almost an ammonia like smell to it, pee yooo!

We aren't getting THAT...thankfully. EWWWWWWWWWW

[sunshine]

It is 6:20am and it's already 73* Did get a shower last night but it didn't help much. Gonna be up around 90 today. Sunday back to normal temps. Have dishes and laundry to do but they can wait until Sunday. Spent a good part of yesterday on Wilson Lake just paddling around in my kayak then taking a break at Kenawatha Beach. Here's a a view from my kayak at the beach. This picture was taken with my cell phone. I think today am gonna take a day trip and go to Rangely Lake.


So far so good my masdies are doing good and not protesting I've misted every morning and made sure there was water in the humidity trays. I have Masd. Heathii and it is a cool grower. I got it b/c I loved the color. It is a cool grower and I'm not having very good luck with it. So I think that one will be looking for a new home. The rest are warm to intermediate and doing really good. So if it don't say warm to intermediate I just move along. My catts are doing great I have a several in sheath. Lots of new growths and roots. Have had several phals potted in spag go to orchid heaven I have an idea what I did wrong So I think it's back to coco chip bark and perlite. Do a bunch of repotting once this heat wave is over with.

[Anton]

Well, here in Adelaide, we have had the coldest recorded week on record with temps of 51F to 57F. It's enough to freeze the medals off a brass general.

A couple of mornings ago it was a freezing 33F. The coldest morning in 3 years !!!!

Glad I now have the heater in the GH, only got down to 11C (51F) when we had the 1C (33F) morning. So far haven't lost any plants this winter due to the heater and growlights. Last year, would have lost 25 plants by this time last year.

Not looking forward to summer, could be a mirror of what you guys "up north" are experiencing now.

Hey Stitz, good weather for crabs. Trouble is, you have to eat them quick before they go off.

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by koshki

I'm watching the guys across the street who are roofing the house basking in a pop-up shower! They've been working on that project all week...can you imagine being on the ROOF all day in this heat??!!

Katherine,

When I was young and in my prime, I worked as a roofer during my college summer breaks. Requirements: to be physically fit and to carry multiple jugs of ice water, refreshed ~ 2X/day!

Originally Posted by Anton

A couple of mornings ago it was a freezing 33F. The coldest morning in 3 years !!!!

Hey Stitz, good weather for crabs. Trouble is, you have to eat them quick before they go off.

Anton,

Undoubtedly, global cooling is settling in!

I avoid crabs during e-x-t-r-e-m-e weather. You're right!


--Stitz--

[syndywindy]

Major rains overnight. Since late last night we've gotten almost 6 inches of rain, add to that the inch we got yesterday and things are quite bad around here. Roads and highways are at standstills, the main access road to Ohare airport is underwater so people can't get in or out of the airport. The last time tht happened we were in Boston getting ready to fly home and we sat at Logan for hours to get home. It is still raining and the retention area a half block away which is normally dry is ready to flow over. Humidity is 90% dew points in the 70's and the temps to go into the 90's again today. Relief is coming Monday they are saying. Next to come out of all this will be the mosquitoes.:umbrella :

[Daethen]

I would have taken a couple of inches of that rain.

[bearded orchid]

Originally Posted by Anton

Well, here in Adelaide, we have had the coldest recorded week on record with temps of 51F to 57F. It's enough to freeze the medals off a brass general.

A couple of mornings ago it was a freezing 33F. The coldest morning in 3 years !!!!

Glad I now have the heater in the GH, only got down to 11C (51F) when we had the 1C (33F) morning. So far haven't lost any plants this winter due to the heater and growlights. Last year, would have lost 25 plants by this time last year.

Haha, reading this cracks me up Winters here in the US are waaaaay colder. Last winter we had a week or more in the single digits. Once it started going back up to the 30s everyone was wanting to wear t shirts and shorts it felt so warm, lol.

[Anton]

Originally Posted by bearded orchid

Once it started going back up to the 30s everyone was wanting to wear t shirts and shorts it felt so warm, lol.

[Ladyofthelakes]

Oh! Mercy me! But it is nice up here in the U.P. of Michigan.

All my plants are on the front porch, everyone is HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY in our balmy 75 degrees and a nice breeze coming off the field across the lane. Did I mention we live on a hill where the gentle breeze cooooools us down?



Come to Michigan!

[syndywindy]

Well after last night's downpours, Chicago now has broken the record for most rain in the month of July and we still have a few days ago. The front is just sitting right over us, so the rains just keep coming. 10" this month and more rains to come today and tonight. The heat and humidity is just oppressive, the orchids are loving it, but they could use a break in the rain. We've lost power this month, but thankfully we haven't taken in any water like so many others around the area have. There was a story of a family in Winnetka who kept their 3 dogs in their basement in kennels and for the first time their basement floods and they lose their pets. They said they never even barked. Stories like that are just heartbreaking to me and thats just one families story. WE really need a break from all this rain so everyone can dry out a bit.

[Orchidchick]

That is so sad Synda, I guess it must have happened really fast, poor little doggies. The weather is so unfair sometimes. You guys are getting way too much rain while our lawns down here are brown and crunchy. We could sure use a little relief from the heat as well. But no one wants sudden heavy downpours because the ground is so dry it will probably just run off. That may cause flash flooding and could be dangerous.

[zaeem]

Well we have 90f in the green house humidity 70% Have to spray in the mornings on the leaves there are mostly Den.Night is 82f H 60%

[bearded orchid]

Well, we had a severe humidity drop here earlier this week... Subsequently, one of my Phal. Noids in rebloom blasted all but two of its buds and prematurely opened the two largest buds leaving two badly misshapen blooms. I ended up cutting the spike down to its keiki. Dumb Indiana weather

[Shannara]

Holy Moses! It is so hot and humid today I feel like I am going to hurl! I have been weeding outside and am soaked through just from sweating...ewwwwwww!

The mosquitoes are swarming me in the middle of the day. I think it's time for me to call the our city to come out and spray our neighborhood. All this rain has made for a mosquito nightmare! It hasn't rained much the past few days and my orchids are loving it.

I am looking forward to fall though!

Hope the rest of you guys are beating the heat.

Shann~

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by Shannara

Holy Moses! It is so hot and humid today I feel like I am going to hurl! I have been weeding outside and am soaked through just from sweating...ewwwwwww!

The mosquitoes are swarming me in the middle of the day. I think it's time for me to call the our city to come out and spray our neighborhood. All this rain has made for a mosquito nightmare! It hasn't rained much the past few days and my orchids are loving it.

I am looking forward to fall though!

Hope the rest of you guys are beating the heat.

Shann~

I just about hurled when I saw on TV that today's high temp reached 99°F ! Unfortunately, I had to go outside to mow the lawn in the back yard. All of the water from hosing the orchids is beginning to produce a lusher lawn than I like!

Only three weeks more at the most of this hot-weather nonsense....

--Stitz--

[edgy]

We are at 105 today and severe draught conditions.....I brought mine inside. I was having to water everyday and if I didn't have time to water before work, by the time I got home, they looked beat. We've had about 3/4 inches of rain since April. MISERABLE!

[Leafmite]

I thought the low nineties were uncomfortable! We don't have air conditioning because, here, it rarely gets out of the eighties and I like the warm weather. I don't have any cool-growers so all the orchids are doing well except the blooms of my Acker's Spotlight only lasted 18 days in the heat. Started blooming the day AFTER the orchid society meeting, naturally. I'm sorry to hear about the unpleasant weather everyone is having. I hope it improves!
Leafmite

[katrina]

leafmite you must be in the far Northern section of OH. 90+ is not unusual in the slightest down here.

It certainly has been a very hot and uncomfortable Summer...especially considering I sweat to death when the temp goes much over 80. However, I'll take the heat and humidity any day over carrying orchids to the sink. Hot or not...my life is easier now than it will be come Winter.

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by katrina

leafmite you must be in the far Northern section of OH. 90+ is not unusual in the slightest down here.

It certainly has been a very hot and uncomfortable Summer...especially considering I sweat to death when the temp goes much over 80. However, I'll take the heat and humidity any day over carrying orchids to the sink. Hot or not...my life is easier now than it will be come Winter.

Kat,
I used the kitchen sink during winter until I discovered the tub/shower! I carry two full plastic "trays" of orchids into the shower and spray. The trays are the types that soda people routinely throw away. I find that the shower allows for much greater volumes of plants at once while allowing for minimally adequate amounts of water. Too much water during winter is a death knell for many orchids. Trust me; I learned!! It doesn't take much water to make an orchid happy during winter. The shower head, in the hands of an experienced operator provides a kinder & gentler source of water.

--Stitz--

[Orchidchick]

Some thunderstorms are moving through the area while I'm posting this at the library. Its really coming down outside but this is a fast moving shower and probably won't make a dent in our rain deficitIt. Hope the winds cools things off.

[janet_a]

foo. you always get the rain--goes right around me and stitz. -pout-

[janet_a]

Wait i take it back--it's thundering...


eta: it actually rained a bit! yay!

[sunshine]

I have a heat wave casuality My masdie (Dean Haas 'Embers' AM/AOS x LL triangularia 'Golden Gate' AM/AOS had a spike and it blasted I kept it watered and misted everyday

Now for some good news. Masd. Heathii which I got at the NHOS had 3 spikes when I got it and they all blasted Even the new growth was blasting It has a new spike

I was told Heathii is a cool grower but somehow it has adjusted and survived the heatwave and I found a nice spike the other day when I was watering and misting Maybe it spiked b/c I threatened to give it away So the spike don't blast and I can enjoy the bright red/orange flower

My catts loved this heatwave. I have got several in sheath and I should make a list and post.

[syndywindy]

It's so dang hot and humid here, it's really getting old! Went out this morning long enough to water and in no more than 10 minutes time I not only was dripping, but had at least 7 new mosquito bites for my efforts. And it was only 6:15am. It's just been too hot to do much other than give a quick look see and water everything before heading in and for one orchid that paid the price. Saturday I was repotting a few catts into lava rock and I lifted my large Guarianthe guatemalensis off the ground and there I found several of the large black ants with what looked like white larvae eggs under the pot! I absolutely freaked out! And started hosing the patio off and then tackled the pot as I soon discovered it was filled with these lovely ants. Since I am not a bug person I was just beside myself dealing with this. But I managed to clean things up, made sure nothing was lurking in the roots, gave a good spraying and repotted in the lava rock. I no longer have anything sitting directly on the ground( I only had maybe 8 pots on the ground) so hopefully this won't happen again. That's what not paying much attention due to the heat got me.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by Stitz

Kat,
I used the kitchen sink during winter until I discovered the tub/shower!
--Stitz--

Yep...I use the shower/tub too...as a matter of fact, I use the kitchen sink, laundry room sink and tub/shower all at the same time in an effort to speed things along. Still...carrying nearly 300 plants around the house takes a good deal more time than being able to spray them in place. In the Winter my flush and fert days take every bit of 8hrs...in the Summer I'm done in less than 2hrs. Being able to grab the hose and go frees up a LOT of time for me. And that 2 hrs worth of time includes fertilizing any of the landscape plants that also need it.

[psyc1210]

Originally Posted by janet_a

Wait i take it back--it's thundering...


eta: it actually rained a bit! yay!

I got 20 drops here!

[syndywindy]

Originally Posted by katrina

Yep...I use the shower/tub too...as a matter of fact, I use the kitchen sink, laundry room sink and tub/shower all at the same time in an effort to speed things along. Still...carrying nearly 300 plants around the house takes a good deal more time than being able to spray them in place. In the Winter my flush and fert days take every bit of 8hrs...in the Summer I'm done in less than 2hrs. Being able to grab the hose and go frees up a LOT of time for me. And that 2 hrs worth of time includes fertilizing any of the landscape plants that also need it.

In winter, I divide my orchids into 2 watering days. I'm about 100 under your total, but even at 200 to do it all in one day took several hours. Especially if fertilizing also. So I divided them up into two groups and it takes less than 2 hours for each group. That to me is easier than doing them all on the same day, which I almost would come to dread. I last fertilized this past Sunday all my orchids and it took about 2 hours to do all the outdoor orchids.

[janet_a]

yeah, i split mine as well; the front window seat plants get done saturday and the kitchen plants on sunday. i also schlep to the kitchen sink.

although in a screaming emergency i can get them all done in about 3 hours if need be (or, all else fails, just water them in situ). gotta reduce the collection; i have a couple that are getting threatened with the trash can if they don't produce something substantial by christmas.

and then i go to our society meetings and inevitably come home with something.

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by janet_a

and then i go to our society meetings and inevitably come home with something.

hahaha!

--Stitz--

[Daethen]

We are dealing with mid 90s again this week. I could really live without so much heat for at least a little while.

[janet_a]

well the good news (for the east coast) is that it looks like emily will not make landfall, but should bring a bit of rain as she goes up the coast...

[psyc1210]

Originally Posted by janet_a

well the good news (for the east coast) is that it looks like emily will not make landfall, but should bring a bit of rain as she goes up the coast...

I hope so! Still no rain here

[Stitz]

A spit of rain here early this morning; another spit of rain a few minutes ago. Not even enough to register 0.01" at the local measuring station two blocks away. I just returned from a trip to Baltimore City/Towson area. Same story there. The RH is only 56% so I don't expect a lot of action....

Emily might change the picture! A modest tropical storm along the coast will be most welcome here!!

--Stitz--