How many of you are hauling plants back inside for the winter? I'll be moving all my plants indoors very soon and it is such a chore especially when I have so many plants to bring in but it has to be done. :roll:

I've been working toward that operation: getting new pots and medium for repotting, distributing/discarding plants, building new growing shelves. What I don't get is that I feel like doing it NOW but my records show that last year I didn't bring everything in until September 12 and the year before that I think it was even a week or two later than that. I flatly refuse to do any sort of in-and-out moving. They're either in or out so will probably be brought to their winter quarters as soon as the shelves are done.

Mark

I've been working toward that operation: getting new pots and medium for repotting, distributing/discarding plants, building new growing shelves. What I don't get is that I feel like doing it NOW but my records show that last year I didn't bring everything in until September 12 and the year before that I think it was even a week or two later than that. I flatly refuse to do any sort of in-and-out moving. They're either in or out so will probably be brought to their winter quarters as soon as the shelves are done.

Mark
Ditto on what you said !! Hubby is building trays underneath my benchs and aslo adding some flourecent lights...I put things under there last year and said grow or die....it faces North and doesn't get much in the way of light,etc. All did well, so more is going under there...maybe even some paphs !
Nooooooooo ! I can't put paphs down there where its cold and dark ! :shock:

Oh, it is that time already isn't it? I've found myself beginning to close the windows a bit at night for fear of it being too cold.
I can't put anything outside- I forget it and kill it promptly, but not generally the slippers.
But I'm getting on w/ the repotting business for some that are new or overdue.

I haul my plants around a lot in general, so that part doesn't bother me so much, but I *DO* notice the sun is not so much on the Phrags at the moment, and I need to move them upstairs to the sunny side. Tomorrow, perhaps. Or Monday.

The greenhouse bunch is out there all winter, but I'll start winterizing in October.

Move'em inside already? It must be freezing up there! We are still in the low 90's here. How low of a temp can phrags go outside until?

They are still all outside and in the sunroom. The night temps are now in the low 50s, so they are fine for now but once the temps dip into the 40s, then it is time for my plants to come inside for the winter.

Your bad is my good guys :-dance: :-dance:

SPRING!!!!!!

It's just around the corner. :D

Cheers
Stephan

Tadd and I are in the same boat. We finally had a few nights when it got below 70, but we should still have warm weather though September.

I've been getting my growspace ready. (Lighting, humidity trays, fans, etc.) All I have to do is to bring in another table and to move all the plants. (That should be fun. :shock: ) Otherwise, I've been gradually repotting into clear pots and inventorying them into an excel spreadsheet.

I think they liked being out for the Summer. They seemed to grow alot and their leaves are smooth, nice green, and shiny. The only thing it I will have to check them out thoroughly for pests. I thought I had a spike on a paph and it turned out to be a slug!!! :(

I thought I had a spike on a paph and it turned out to be a slug!!! Sad

ROFLMAO.
I,ve been building new staging in the growroom & a new fan(bigger but slower moving).
New 400W ceramic metal halide fitted to my HPS system , just need to test the
area for light levels.
Weather in the UK is supposed to be in the high 80.s next week but night temps
can get to low 50,s.I,ll just turn the heater on in the g/h if temps drop to low.
I want to keep the plants out as long as possible as it,s so much easier to water
them in the g/h.Hopefully the new staging will help to speed up watering as i,ve added
drains to the staging.

Here in the DC area, nighttime temps are in the 60s, a sudden change from the heat we've had all summer-I'm thinking about moving in the dendrobiums (14) & assorted plants that have enjoyed the summer outside (hibiscus, palms, calamondin orange, figs, cardamom, pandanus). I moved some of my catts out briefly, but brought them in when some got sunburned. I'm also working out an indoor setup, probably fluorescent lights with metro shelving down in the basement /laundry room. My sunroom is full of plants right now, they get the best light in the house, but it's uninsulated & unheated (although open to the rest of the house, so not as cold as the garage, say), so temps really drop there in the winter, it's funny, 'cause that's our main TV room & the kids huddle under blankets to watch their shows out there.

I'm going back & forth between putting the shelving in my bedroom on the 2nd floor (warmer, ceiling fan) & the laundry room-walkout basement, w/ light from S/W door, access to water, noone to disturb with timed lights, fans, & humidifier-currently I'm leaning towards the basement, but maybe I'll set up a secondary area upstairs...Thistle

Well let's see...I had to bring a few plants inside already because it was too HOT outside. With a heat index of 110 my milts and oncs were starting to complain. Can I blame them? Not really...I don't want to be outside either! Ahhh, SouthTexas in August. I have a special corner for all the disfigured plants I have sunburned. I think I'll probably be safe leaving most of mine outside until November-December here. I can't wait until it gets cooler so the @#$%* wasps and hornets will hibernate!

I only have a few outside and they will come in sometime in September. Usually the second week is about all I get here. The rest stay in the grow room year around...they never get cloudy days or eaten by bugs there, plus the local squirrels can't bother them. I had sunflowers growing in a cattleya pot this summer....stupid squirrel burried a whole bunch of seeds there. :mad:

Oh yeah SQUIRRELS! Don't get me started on the wildlife. They love to bury acorns in my potted plants. It's almost as if they think I put those plants there for their personal enjoyment. The birds love to make nests in my sphag. Until they figured out that a weekly shower comes with it. Now they just steal the moss out of my plants! Yesterday while I was watering a gecko lept out of my vanda and I about had to go change my pants.

Bah... Paphs and phrags can take seriously colder temperatures than most of you are worrying about. Heck, last year I had everything, including phals outside (under shade cloth) until after we had several nights of frost, and they are all doing fine. Spiked like crazy, too.

No, I don't really recommend it. But, don't freak out if it is going to get into the 40s. As long as it doesn't _stay_ in the 40s, and isn't consistently wet, I think most orchids will tolerate it quite well. Probably get your parvis to spike, too.

Do not under any circumstances leave your catasetinae out in that kind of weather, however. That is a hard learned exception to the rule. They just turn to mush.

I'll move mine inside sometime in October, but now I need to start building a better shelving system since I have more plants.

That's one good thing about bringing them back in gives you a chance to rearrangr things get them where they should be for the next eight months am I making winter seem too long I hate winter Ray

am I making winter seem too long I hate winter Ray

Yes, you are, now Shushhh....it is still just August.

My night temps are in the low 70s now and will gradually drop until the low 50s in late December which is when I start doing the in and out shuffle. All of my orchids are either in moveable trays on my screened, SE facing patio or hanging from oak branches so it's not that big a deal to bring in overnight and return outside during the day.

The only real killer weather we get is about 8 weeks worth from late Jan thru early March with a few rare frosts before or after. Makes it fairly painless to move and find space for them under the fluor lights.