Hi, some of you American Phallie growers maybe able to help with this question.
You have very cold winters to put up with.
1: I have a 9.000 Lt rainwater tank (2000 gal) I use for watering my Phallies all year around.
2; in winter the water gets cold, this winter the water was around 7 to 8 C (45F) way to cold for my Phallies. I need to bring the water temperature up to at least 20C (70F).
I plan to put in a small hot water heater with a tap that can adjust the water mix to suit my plants.
Has anyone else had this problem or solved this problem.
Cheerio
Ron

Ron, what I do right now is to transfer enough 40 gallon of water in a container that I placed within my greenhouse. I use a 100 watt heater for aquarium and a circulation pump to keep the water moving - and when I add physan 20 to disinfect the rainwater. Water is warm over night and ready to use by next morning. I use this method for the rainwater storage.
40 gallon is not enough to water my entire collection. Separately I have a tankless water heater. However this method use tap water from the city. But it's convenient and I don't have to prepare the water - and then use electricity to pump the water when I am watering.

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Peter Lin, Admin
Big Leaf Orchids

My tank isn't nearly as large as yours, but I have heated my 50 gallon water barrel in the greenhouse with the immersible water heater intended for fish tanks. You can get one at any pet store and it works really well. Perhaps you could bring a smaller amount into the greenhouse and use the tank heater to warm it up overnight. (they sell the heaters depending upon the volume of water in the tank, so would have some flexibility.)

Hi Peter, I am looking at this method, only problem I can see and have been told to be aware of is cold water hitting the warm aquarium heater. Do you have any trouble here if you forget to take out the heater before re-filling the drum.

This would be enough water to keep the babys and small plants watered during winter.
thanks
Ron

Many thanks for the reply
Cheerio
Ron

Have you considered a point-of-use water heater?

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Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast
Using science & logic to improve orchid growing

I put a mixing valve where the water line begins in my house and goes out to the greenhouse so i have a constant supply of warm water from my homes hot water heater.

Thanks for the reply's. I have just bought a second hand (used for 3 weeks) 20 lt, 2 phase hot water heater.
My son in law is helping me set it up but he live 2 1/2 hours drive away.
Currently it is siting on my bench with a mixer valve fitter and non return valve fitted.
Just have to buy a few connection to have it connected to the rain water pipe and the hose I use for watering.
Will keep you all updated and when finished put a photo up of the setup.
many thanks for the assistance in helping set it up.

Hi well I finally set it all up today and it works perfectly, just a small adjustment of the splitter/mixer allows more or less cold water to mix and comes out how you need it.see photos.

Hi I have been using the heater to heat my water for several weeks now, adjustments were easy and quick to make.
As we head into winter, outside temperature at night is now getting down to around 8 C (48 F).
Looks like we are heading for a cold winter this year.
The plants seem to my eyes, are responding to the warmish water all ready, even the baby Phals deflasked in the last month are looking good.
So far the costs seem to make it all worth while, at least the plants look good

Just a quick update, winter has come and gone and was one of our coldest for many years outside at night it regulary got down to 1 deg C and the outside rainwater tank to around 5-6 C, far to cold for my Phallies.
This is were the water heater help out. No major problems and most of the smaller plants roots grew right through winter.Very please with the results.

Hi this is now the start of the 2nd winter I have been using the hot water system.
This winter beside my usual plants a baby Phallies recently de-flasked I now have my Phal gigantea seedling growing through their first winter, they are now about 8 months or so, growing new leaves and starting to put out lots of big new roots.
I hope the warm water keeps them growing right through this what looks like another very cold winter.

Thanks for the update Ron. Sounds like a good solution to the problem.

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Read all about my adventures in Going Postal and Making Money by Terry Pratchett.
Oh, did I mention I'm a horrible speller?
I have pallens to trade, anyone interested?

Moist

Hi Ron,
Where about in AUS are you located ?

Did not know that it gets that cold Down Under ?
Or maybe the Cities that I have visited there doesn't get that cold.

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Mervin Quah
Singapore

Anyone have a Phal Giant Passion 'OK' and
Phal Ambo Passion 'OK' to spare ???

Hi I live on the far south coast of NSW.
Yes it gets cold here, when I live in Canberra ACT, could only grow a few orchids in a greenhouse as in winter most nights are from minus 4C to minus 9C.
Lucky here near the coast it only got to about 1 this winter so far and that is very cold for this region.
Love to live and grow orchids in tropical Singapore