Tips for Growing Outdoors

Most orchids benefit from being outside in the summer. Warm days with a gentle breeze and cool nights are perfect for active gorwing.

Plant Type	Plant Care	Comments
Dendrobiums	Excellent growers outdoors. Summer is the active growing season for most dendrobiums so they benefit from the extra light and humidity outdoors. Many varietiies flower during summer months. Light: Dendrobiums are high light plants but avoid hot midday sun. Water: During winter duldrums these plants take hardly any water. It's a different story outside when they're actively growing. Water to 1/4 - 1/2 on gauge. Wait for tray/saucer to become completely dry before rewatering. Temperature: Tolerant to a wide range of temperatures. Bring inside whem thermometor drops below 50..	Among our favorites for moving outside.
Cattleya	Excellent growers outdoors. Summer is the active growing season for most cattleyas so they benefit from the extra light and humidity outdoors. Light: Cattleyas are high light plants but avoid hot midday sun. Water: During winter duldrums these plants take hardly any water. It's a different story outside when they're actively growing. Water to 1/4 - 1/2 on gauge. Wait for tray/saucer to become completely dry before rewatering. Temperature: Tolerant to a wide range of temperatures. Bring inside whem thermometor drops below 50	Among our favorites for moving outside.
Epidendums	Excellent outdoor plants.
Oncidiums	Another plant that loves outdoor weather in the summer. Light: These plants like bright light but avoid direct sun outside. Water: Active growers in the summer. Watering outside can be 2-3 times more than indoors over the winter.	Fast growers outdoors. Move crowded plants to bigger pots for outdoor growing.
Paphiopedilums	Not a good candidate for outdoors unless protected from sun and rain. Don't like temps below 55 degrees.
Phalaenopsis	Not a good candidate for outside growing. If you move them outdoors they should be completely protected from sun and rain. Don't like temps below 55 degrees.	Standing water in center of plant causes crown rot. In nature these plants grow sideways on rocks and trees so water will not collect in crown.