Question
I live in nj and the frost season is over. Should I put some of my orchid plants outside? Someone told me that they will do better and shoot new growth faster that way. What orchid food do you think is the best?

Ruth

Answer
Hello Ruth,

The answer is yes and no.  Most orchids would benefit from being placed outdoors, after all that is where they all grew in their native habitat.  (grin)  

Living in NJ with frost danger passed is a good time to think about moving them out but this will depend upon what types of orchids you have.  Night temperatures may still drop into the 40's and 50's which some orchids do not like.  If you know what kind(s) of orchids you have and what temperature range they can easily withstand, move them out accordingly as evening temperatures rise.  

A word of caution, when moving plants that have been indoors to the outdoors, expose them to higher light levels slowly over 3 or 4 weeks.  Too sudden a move into higher sunlight can cause the leaves to be sunburned - not a pretty sight although the plant would probably survive but the leaves will not look nice and pretty.  

Speaking of sunlight, some orchids love lots of direct sunlight while others prefer mostly shade.  Keep this in mind when you choose where to place them.  

There are many different orchid foods around but I would suggest using a balance type food that is recommended for orchids.  This brings up another point, namely watering.  Orchids outdoors may need to be watered more frequently than when indoors.  It is best to allow the potting mix to become barely moist before watering again, this may be as often as daily to once weekly.  There are lots of theories on feeding, some do it once a month while others more or less often.  I like to feed my orchids with every watering but at 1/4 to 1/2 dilution per the manufacturer intructions.  

Hope this has helped a little.  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.