question for you outdoor growers

[exasperatus2002]

I've seen alot of nice pics in the growing spaces section of people, especially you floridians, keeping your Cattleya outdoors. What side of the building do you have your benches on? South, east...? Im planning my outdoor orchid space for next year when I replace my shed & trellis. I'll post pics of the area eventually. My wife is leaving in a few hours with her mom & cousin to visit the longenberger basket place in dresden ohio & wont be back till sunday. She's got the camera in her suitcase & its 12.23am anyway. Esentially I have a south facing property. The trellis is on the east side of the shed and theres a big cherry tree north east of the shed about 30' away. From the pics you seem to have minimal shade cloth or overhead protection. I'd be afraid to sunburn my Catts doing that. The 4 orchids I put out for the first time this year had thick overhead cover from the wisteria on the trellis thats there now.

[Orchidementia]

Mine are out in NW near full sun from as soon as nights as above 40 to when it stays below 40 (some stayed out last year and did fine, but I'm taking them all in this year). I don't have cover - i grow on an open porch/balcony; the leptotes and brassavolas grow in a less light intense part of the porch, but basically the only shade is from other plants and the slant of the sun.

[jerrymeola]

Where you put it should be what is most practical for you.

You can then adjust the light levels to match the plant's needs.

I have two greenhouses under shade cloth in the middle of a bright field. I have a second person area in my screened-in lanai.

The two outside have different light areas. My oldest shadehouse was 65% shade cloth and gives me 4000 foot candles of light. Last year everything was in this area and juggling light levels was work. Some things were just not grown.

The new shade house next to it has 70% shade cloth from a different manufacturer and not stretched as tight. It gives me 75% actual shade and 2400 foot candles of light. I then added a second piece on half the house and this lowers the light to 750 foot candles.

So by using different pieces of shade cloth you can get any light you want anywhere. The entire area does not need to have the same light level. You can lower a small area as easily as bending 3/8 inch PVC into an inverted 'U' to create a table top 'roof'. A piece of shade cloth over this can lower an area as small as you like and it can be removed as you collection changes.

[kmarch]

My back yard faces west. It is shaded and I have shade cloth strung over most of it. The greenhouse points north.

[tansyflower]

All my orchids get full morning sun, and then the sun-lovers get filtered midday sun, as well.

The ones that can handle more sun are in front of all the others.

My phals get direct morning sun (altho healthy and growing, they are getting a bit wrinkly)

I have a big green house (still not set up) but I am planning for the set up to be similar. I have considered leaving shade cloth off the front (the direction the sun rises), so that they still get full morning sun.

[dtje2000]

Mine are all out on a screen-enclosed patio (including the roof), and you've probably seen my 'orchid walls' that have a canopy of another layer of screen and then shade cloth for additional control. Even though the enclosure is on the north side of the house the sun still beats down on most of my orchid area...thus the need for the shade cloth.

[E-Jag]

All of mine are outside - year 'round - on a screened-in front porch which faces south. Because there are 2 large oaks directly in front of the porch, it doesn't get direct sun much during the summer. Right about now, though, as the leaves fall and the foliage thins, they're getting more and more sun. They all seem to love it, particularly the dens and catts. Because of some recent discussion here about temps over 80 keeping phals from blooming (it's in the low 90's now and mid 70's at night) I'm debating whether to try moving them in. Never have grown inside. Probably won't since I basically hard grow everything.

[orchidlover55]

My Cattleya's face the NW I put them and my Vanda's in the front of all the other orchids . I don't leave mine in the G/H all year around I am bringing all of them in under artificial light tomorrow. We want to see pics when your finished ok?

[lmartiny]

My back yard faces north. I've kind of got orchids all over but they are concentrated on the patio and then some to the back corner of the yard. I'm still working out who really wants to be where but shift them according to light. We have a lot of trees. In back I hung Phals to one end where it is shadier and Catts and such to the other where it seems to get more sun. Finding a balance of enough good sunlight seems to be my problem. You could maybe hang some from your Cherry tree.