Fall is a busy time for those of us who live in the (temperate) deep south, as it is for those living in zones 3-7. We just start the moving process a little later.
I will begin forcing my plumeria into their (winter) dormancy in a couple of weeks and I have approximately 10 lbs. of gourmet garlic to get planted.
By late October things really get busy, with moving approximately 100 orchids (many mounted) into the "orchid" greenhouse and moving well over 200 other tropical plants into the "everything else" greenhouse and enclosed back porch. My "baby" and "teen" orchids are already in the greenhouse, and there are approximately 300 of those. I have on my "want list" 200 plugs and a couple of flasks (50-100 to pot up from flasks). All these 250-300 tiny plants will start their new lives in 1 1/2" mesh-pots.
Fall means moving tropical plants in for the cold season.
Yup, fall is busy for me as well. I have a few dendrobiums to get in soon as well as digging up the Amorphophallus corms, unpotting my Sarracenia plants and bagging them up to put in the fridge with my venus Flytraps. I love the fall though!
Just got started in orchids this year. I bought a half dozen or so at various shows. Most spent a lovely summer outside in the shade and loved the humid air. Now that it's time to bring them back inside, I have a couple of questions for the experts. I have a cymbidium, a cattleya, a miltonia and several paphs that are coming inside. Anything special to do other than check for bugs, etc. They all look pretty good and they were inside from January until late May so I know their cultural requirements.
You might find some ants and if so, a pinch of Orthene Fire Ant killer will quickly do them in.
Of the epiphytes, I mostly grow cattleya alliance plants, but have a few vanda, phalaenopsis, and dendrobium plants. The following is what I normally do. I have also begun growing several species of terrestrial orchid plants, but those are handled differently since they are in well-drained potting soil or potting soil and sphagnum moss.
When I bring my large orchids in, unless they are in sheath, bud, or bloom, I remove them from their pots/baskets. I want to check on the condition of the growing media and if it is breaking down, I would want to replace it with fresh orchid media. I also check for dead roots and when they are present I trim them off. If the plant has become badly root-bound, I will re-pot it in a slight larger pot to allow for root growth.
Thanks, appreciate the advice.
Don't rush on the Cyms. They need a 20 degree change between night and day temps, with good light to produce blooms, and they can take temps down to freezing.