Temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit are too cold for most orchid varieties. However, some subfamilies are more cold-hardy than others. For example, Lady’s Slipper orchids are more tolerant of colder temperatures than other orchid plants.
Are orchids cold hardy?
The orchid family is huge and most of its members are tropical, but there are some cold hardy orchids that make perfect garden specimens. Plant Delights Nursery carries an extensive selection of cold hardy orchids.
What temperature should orchids be kept at?
Though most orchids typically prefer temperatures between 50 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, many orchids tolerate temperatures up to 100 degrees and down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The worst orchid cold damage usually results when frost forms. Frost develops when water settles on orchid leaves and freezes due to plunging temperatures.
A night temperature of 60-62 degrees F is ideal for optimum growth, but temperatures as low as 55 degrees F will not harm your plant. Daytime temperatures should range between 70 and 80 degrees F.
What temperature do orchids like?
There are three temperature zones for orchids, and each type of orchid has an ideal temperature zone. Warm growers need daytime temperatures approximately 70°- 85°F /20°- 30°C. They enjoy a slight temperature drop at night, but should not go below 65°F /18°C.
You may find that some intermediate orchids will do perfectly fine several degrees warmer or colder, whereas others might prefer a narrower range. Depending on their origins, different orchids prefer different temperatures. Generally speaking, the higher their natural habitat, the cooler they like.
Can orchids live outside?
With proper plant selection, care and protection, planting orchids outside in your garden may be possible. Orchids can be broken into two major groups: epiphytes and terrestrials as explained by Learn2Grow.
Do orchids grow in the ground?
However, when planting your home garden, don’t forget about hardy garden orchids, the ones that grow outside in the ground and bloom reliably in spring. These are also called terrestrial orchids (meaning in the ground) .
Hardy orchid plants have shallow roots, so take care when doing the weeding that is a necessary part of hardy orchid care. Grow garden orchids in soil that drains well.
Are orchids easy to care for?
Hardy orchid care is surprisingly easy and growing hardy orchids offers a range of bloom colors to put on a show in the spring garden. Growing hardy orchids is not complicated; they grow from rhizomes planted in the part sun, part shade garden in USDA Zones 6-9.
Flowers of hardy orchid plants range in shades of white, pink, purple and red. Also called the hardy Chinese ground orchid, and botanically known as Bletilla striata, the plant is native to China and Japan. British gardeners began growing hardy orchids in the 1990’s and hardy garden orchids now happily exist in many United States gardens.