So, I put my Cyms outside and...

[Vivienne]

Growing orchids in Colorado always makes me nervous. But this year I mustered the courage (thanks to all the recent and gorgeous postings) to put my two Cymbidiums outside for a cool down. Boy did they get a cool down!!! It's been so nice here lately... 70-80F during the day and 60s at night. Woke up today to a windchill of 44F.

So just how long do they need the cool down and how cold?
We have huge ants out front and I'm worried they are going to take refuge in the pots. Yikes!

[articuno75]

I thought the chilling had to go for several weeks (couple months) in order to set the spikes and buds?

[Vivienne]

Me too, but with this weather change I now wonder how long and how cold is too long and too cold. Guess I need to start monitoring our low temps now... as opposed to the high temps which I usually pay attention to.

[solay]

Cymbidiums can go as low as 30 degrees but any lower you'll need to protect them. I cover mine with a plant blanket that prevents frost on vegetable gardens that they sell in the garden centers. I get low temps. around 40s to 50s in the winter months. Maybe will drop down to 30 or below for just 5 days or so each winter. All my Cyms. stay out side.

I guess if it's only two, you can just put them inside until the temp. goes back up above 30.

[Hummer344]

as Solay said, they will take cold down into the 30's before they need protection. I would leave them out for as long as you can. Its not only the temps but the length of day vs. night. I don't think that they need months outside to set but a few weeks would be nice. Also, when you do bring them in I would put them in a cooler spot that gets plenty of light. Start looking for spikes in Dec. Once the spike is growing you can put them in a warmer spot.

[Vivienne]

Thanks a bunch everyone! I will keep them out as long as I can (which may not be much longer), keep an eye on the temps, and follow your suggestions for bringing them in.

for blooms next year!

[kmarch]

When I lived in Michigan the conventional wisdom was to leave them out until the first light frost (!?!?!?!) or leave them out until it started to dip below 40F. It's not that they need just one cold hit. They need a proper autumn with its succession of cool nights. I think the coldest my cymbids ever got here in Australia was 3C (37.4F) just this winter.

[articuno75]

LOL! So far the chilliest it's been here at night has been running in the low 60's, LOL!

Bring on Fall!!!!

[myorchid]

We have gotten into the 40's. I still have my one (only) Cym outside. It is putting on nice new growth. I will keep it out for a little while yet, then bring it in, probably by the end of September!

It is a small division so not sure if I will get a spike or not.

[patticake]

This is a great thread, Vivienne! I'm getting my first Cym backbulbs any day! (Thanks, Cindy!) I've never grown Cyms so this is new to me. I'm learning a lot here-

[fred]

Vivienne I have a friend that has his cyms outside all of winter we do get some pretty hard frosts here but his orchids are covered with share cloth to stop the frost hitting the cyms and the cyms are also kept out of the cold draft.

as kevin has said in his post for Melbourne the lowest was (37.4F)
the winter nights are colder than that here in Tassie
we just had the coldest winter on record

here is a tip of what my Father used to do if we were going to have a frost he would cover the orchids with large news paper then in the morning remove the paper.

not a bad idea if you are only having a frost once in a while.

[kmarch]

Cybmids are tough ole dogs. They're a lot tougher than people when it comes to handling the cold. I have noticed these past few years of growing them that the flowers are bigger, better coloured, and seem to last longer if the buds develop slowly while it is cool. If one spikes late when it is warmer, the spikes seem to grow a lot faster and the flowers are smaller withough as good colour.

Have others observed this?

[patticake]

Vivienne, please forgive me for "stepping" on your thread. I just wanted to ask if anyone who lives where the winters sometimes go to 20 below zero, (F) and rarely abovefreezing, how they would go about the wintering- I could give a cooling period in the fall- but then would have to move them inside for winter. I think they'll get very confused! The bulbs that I'm getting are a gift. I wasn't sure if I could grow these here, but I would like to try to grow them if I can. Any suggestions from any other z-3 growers would be appreciated!

Sorry again Vivienne, for the hyjack

[brookn]

Well I have yet to observe that Kevin, hopefully this fall. My big Cym is outside in the elements and has grown all kinds of new growths, and the existing leaves have gotten even taller. I honestly am stunned at how big it really is. It made it through 100F and did not skip a beat. I plan on keeping my Cyms and my kingianum out as long as possible this fall. The backbulbs I got from Solay, well one is forming a nice bulb, and it's old bulb is still nice and green. The other got beat up by some kittens and I am sad to say died on me the other day after looking real sad for a long time, and it was my favorite of the two (because of the flower color) poot. Ah well maybe next time lol. Viv I think you have made the right choice, your Cyms will love it and hopefully reward you.

[brookn]

Patti, mine are probably going to go into my dog room which is unheated save for me venting the dryer into the room. It usually gets no warmer than about 65 F, and not lower than say about 50F in the winter. It has a large picture type window that is South facing. I put my large tropical plants out there and they are usually very happy.

[patticake]

Now I need a dog room..... Wait! I have a strange window in my basement. It's small, but it faces south. The basement is cooler than the rest of the house. I'll bet I can rig something up down there.

[Sassismom]

Patti, I have 7 very large cyms. I leave them outside just as long as I possibly can and then I just put them in my large S. facing bay window in my living room. They seem to do just fine with this. When the temps start getting into the 30's for to long I get scared and bring them in.

[Jerry Delaney]

I am certainly not recommending this, but this may give a little insight just how tough Cymbidiums can be----
January 14 Freeze

[Anton]

Mine, got down to 2C, and they are virtually in the open under a drought stressed Melaleuca tree which has more branches than leaves and they are going bezerk this season.

We had a run of a week of max daytime temps of 10C to 12C, down to 2C one night, but night temps averaged 3C for that week.

We have just had the coldest August on record including snow in the Adelaide Hills, not bad for a predominately Mediterranean climate.

But, as mentioned having one of my best cym seasons ever.

The plants in the little pots in the front are Den kingianums, and they are giving me the best budding season as well, probably due to that cold snap.

[articuno75]

Can't wait to see the next video feature of all your Cyms in bloom...Yummy!!!

Did you ever get that pic of the wild looking kingy you were going to show me?

[solay]

I have noticed that the buds are larger with a long cooling period. As you said, the ones that put out spikes late do not last as long nor look a nice.

Brookn, if you want a replacement, PM me. I probably have more of the same somewhere.

[Anton]

Jenny it is in bud at present, do you want to see it pre flowering, or post ?

I didn't video the cyms this year, I am saving it for flowering in the GH, something different.

[articuno75]

I'll wait and see the full show in all the glory.

The GH? What you got stirring in that pot??? LOL