Too much light?

[Nhala]

I was wondering is there really ever anything as too much light? I am mainly growing phals and phaps, both tend to need low level light requirements. But my room stays bright all day, it has both an east and southern exposure and stays super bright. The plants mainly stay out of direct sunlight and I have never noticed extensive drying out or any signs of sunburn. They seem to be happy, my paph is growing kind of quickly and the phal has been blooming nicely.

So I guess my real question is, is there any harm that isn't always noticeable being done to a plant that requires low levels of light but is in a high light environment? As long as a plant is slowly introduced to higher levels of light, and no leaf burning or discoloration is observed, is everything okay?

Thanks for any advice, I've been wondering about this a lot lately and haven't been able to find a clear answer.

[edgy]

My thought would be that there is nothing wrong with it. You are the best judge of your plants. If they appear to be growing well and healthy, they probably are.

[kmarch]

As long as your plants are not getting burned or showing discolouration, wilting, etc. your light levels (and probably your general culture as well) are probably fine. There is such a thing as too much light but it sounds like you don't have to worry about it.

[koshki]

Lucky you!

[katrina]

Also, keep in mind, what appears to be very bright to you...especially on the interior of a room...typically doesn't equate to all that much when it comes to footcandles.

It seems bright to our eyes...but the footcandles can be unbelievably low.

[11Orchid126]

Low light orchids can take a great deal of light, more than we think. The key word is light, and not sun. As long as you're giving them the maximum they like, they'll grow well for you. Enjoy!

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by katrina

It seems bright to our eyes...but the footcandles can be unbelievably low.

This is an excellent point katrina. "How it looks" isn't always a reliable indicator of how much light there is. Our eyes even adjust to differing light levels.

A similar thing is also true with temperature. Sometimes we see folks concerned about how "cold" their house is, that their orchids might be harmed. Usually, although the room feels cold to them, it's within the comfort zones for the orchid.

This is why so many of us use light meters, thermometers, and humidity gauges, so we can get an objective reading of the conditions.

[Ron]

the plants mainly stay out of direct sunlight and I have never noticed extensive drying out or any signs of sunburn. They seem to be happy, my paph is growing kind of quickly and the phal has been blooming nicely.

the plants mainly stay out of direct sunlight

That sound pretty right, very bright indirect sunlight most likely will not cause any leaf burning problems
If they are looking good, especially the Phallies, and the leaves not floppy or very bright green.
I think your plants are on a winning place!

[jerrymeola]

I have never been in a room that measured higher than 1500-2000 foot candles and most are easily under 1000. Our eyes adjust to the light levels. Only a light meter is accurate.

I would like to point out a common error when we discuss the light level of plants. All plants would benefit from full sun if we could eliminate the heat buildup. It is the build-up of the heat that kills the chlorophyll in the leaves. UV light might have some effect but heat is the real culprit.

This is the reason Orchids do so well in trees where the light is dappled and the heat does not build up as fast. It is why morning sun (cooler) is OK where afternoon sun can rapidly damage the leaves. Again it is why fans do so much good.

My booth at the Redlands show this year was in direct western sun all weekend with no damage to the orchids. A very strong cool breeze off a lake keep the plants fine. Now if the breeze stopped the plants would have been destroyed.

Just keep in your mind the heat when you consider placement of your orchids.