Proper Care of Orchids depends upon the right range of temperature in addition to sunlight and nutrients.

Orchids use the biochemical process of photosynthesis to create energy out of sunlight and carbon dioxide.  The leaves collect energy from the sun in order to create carbohydrates, or sugars, to store as energy.  At nighttime as the temperature drops, the sugars are transported down into the bulb system where they are stored.  If nightime temperatures are too warm the orchid will not be able to store the sugars it has produced.  While it may continue to grow nice folliage it is unlikely that the orchid will produce flowers. 

Nighttime Temperatures 

Nighttime temperatures should be about 10-15 degrees fahrenheit below the daytime temperatures for this storage to occur For most orchids, this is in the range of 60-62 degrees.   During the winter months, you may want to avoid keeping your orchids in a window sill as the temperatures close to the window may drop well below 60 degrees when it is below freezing outside.  If you only have one or two orchids, you may not mind moving them off the windowsill each evening, but if you have a large collection, doing so would become too cumbersome

Daytime Temperatures 

Day time temperatures of 70-80 degrees are ideal, and is usually easy to acheive in most homes, even during the winter months.  But windowsills can still cause problems with the day time temperatures if the location becomes too warm.  One tip I’ve heard others share is to simply feel the leaves.  If the leaves feel significantly warmer than the surrounding air, it may be too warm a location, or the plant may simply be getting too much direct sunlight.  Moving the plant away from the window, or hanging a light, sheer curtain can cut down on some of the direct glare as well, reducing the temperature a little bit.

Using a Thermometer

Most home owners are able to easily meet the needs of orchids by experimenting with a few locations in the house.  Investing in a nice temperature & humidity meter will pay off in the long run because it will help you fine tune the ideal locations for your orchids.  

Keep in touch for some additional information about varying temperature ranges depending on the specific species of orchid that you are raising. 

Interested in buying orchids in bloom?  Visit the Aloha Orchid Nursery for beautiful vivid flowers, and collector plants.  If you are interested in an easy to understand, step-by-step guide to orchid care, visit the Orchid Expert, by Nigel Howell.