Phals: lowest temp?

[WIB]

What is the absolute lowest nighttime temperature your phalaenopsis (or their growers) will tolerate before they are tucked into their winter nest?

[kmarch]

Much lower than 55-60F and problems start to arise.

[Hummer344]

I leave all my phal's out until the nights are constantly below 50 then bring them in for the winter. That means I had better get on the ball and set up the indoor nursery because those <50 temps are quickly coming on.

[mayres]

Are you asking about repeated night-time lows or occasional night-time lows? I like Hummer344's comments - I have mine now in a spare bedroom and leave the window open - hoping to get around 50-55 at night - will maintain this regimen until most are spiking - about a month or so last year........

[WIB]

I guess I was asking about both a single night and the average. At this time of year the temperature here in coastal Massachusetts may dip into the mid- to high-40s for a couple of nights and then revert to a low- to mid-50s range, which seems ideal. Around now, though, the day-to-night range also narrows, so it's more like 10 than 20 degrees. My phals have been getting a good range for weeks now, but only 2 of half a dozen are clearly spiking, so I'm wondering how hard to push. As I've said before on this forum, I can do much better with other types than with phals, for reasons that elude me. But I've got a wonderful Brassavola 'David Sander' in bloom, and my Psychopsis 'Mendenhall' is in spike and about to put out its first bloom. The paphs are in great shape. The phals . . ., oh well. -- Bill

[orchid_girl]

I'm with him on this too, I would like my Phal to spike but now the problem I have the tems are dropping into the forties at nightand are in the mid to upper sixties during the day. Can I put my phal out at night? Or is it too cold? How can I get it to spike?

[WIB]

Another, related question: Does the bloom spike become visible during the period of temperature drop from day to night, or may it emerge some time later, e.g., after the plants have been tucked into a warmer, safer environment for the winter? -- Bill

[mayres]

I don't think a few nights of high 40's is going to hurt your phals a bit as long as it is just for a few hours and the daytime temps are at least in the low to mid 70's. If you don't get the temp up during the day they will stall on you and do nothing. In most instances you should see a spike starting to form in a few weeks. I little extra light (if possible) during the daytime hours seems to have some benefit too - one reason that some change their indoor lights about this time every year. If you purchased phals that bloomed an extensive period through the late summer (forced out of season) they may skip a season while rebuilding their energy back up.

[GiovannaD]

I experimented on the temp drops and the light increase.
I kept half my collection (big hybrid phals with 4-7 leaves each) outside for September-October, when the temps were ideally 59F at night at 85% humidity and in the morning I would keep them in my home office of 70-71F in the day, near a huge southern french window.
I kept my species phals (schilleriana, violacea, bellina, equestris, lindenii and parishiiXlobbii) in a shelf in the same room, where the temp change is minor (66-71F) but I implemented the light by placing them under a small (22W) compact fluorescent light (4000 lumens) that are be on for 4-6 hours every day from 5pm to 11 pm. The species phals are a little over the seedling phase, with 1-4 leaves.
All phals get same fertiliser (now get bloom booster formula), planted in the same s/h media, and watered when necessary.
The result was that the big phals with the temp swing have not spiked yet. I must note however they are all out of blooms for 6 months now.

The small species phals have spiked, even tiny parishiiXlobbii which only has one and a half leaves! It is also growing 2 more roots and one more leaf. The tiny schilleriana, (leaf span 6", 3 leaves in total, pot size 2") has popped 2!! spikes.

So I must say that, in my case, light is the dominating element.