Temperatures for Indoor Orchids: Does Temperature Influence Blooms?

Finding the correct temperature for growing your orchid is essential for it to bloom. You can water, apply humidity, provide light, and fertilize correctly, but if there's not a temperature fluctuation at night, most orchids will refuse to bloom. Does temperature influence orchid growth? All orchids need at least a 10º to 15ºF degree temperature drop at night to bloom. This cooling-off period at night removes the excess heat from their leaves. This aids in performing an adequate gas exchange, since orchids do the main “breathing” process at night. During winter, do you run the heater during day and night, too? If you grow your orchid in the same environment year-round, with no variation of temperature, the first signs you’ll see are of heat stress. Heat stress occurs when the orchid shuts down its gas exchange (stomata) pores to preserve humidity. It does this because it’s too hot, and will lose humidity if stomata are opened. Turn off the heater at night. Besides saving in energy costs, your orchids will appreciate the drop in temperature. Orchids have temperature preferences, too. Not all orchids like to live in the same climate or habitat. When you bring an orchid indoors, you’ll need to recreate their primordial habitat within your home. Imagine if you place a cool-temperature orchid next to a warm-one and give both the same treatment. One, or both, will have a hard time growing. That’s why it’s fundamental to understand the different types of orchids and how they react to each temperature. Nighttime temperatures that are too low will produce blackened tips on the leaves. Flowers will wilt. Tip: Don’t mistake these with the normal aging of leaves, which occur naturally. When leaves die off, they start to blacken at the tips. But temperatures that are out of control will also cause blackened leaf tips. There are three distinct categories for temperatures: cool, intermediate, and warm-growing orchids. Cool orchids tolerate a temperature of 50ºF (10ºC) during winter. During the summer, the maximum should be 75ºF (24ºF). Intermediate orchids prefer 55º to 86ºF (13º to 30º C). Warm growing orchids range from 64º to 90º F (18º to 32º C.) If you want the full explanation of this video in writing, go to https://orchideria.com/orchid-temperatures/ On Orchideria.com, you can find more in-depth guides and all the access to our information, tutorials, guides, and much more... all for free!