My 'chids at summer camp...too much sun?

[koshki]

Hi all,
I have just recently moved some orchids outdoors to some shelves I've got set up on my patio.

This location is on the east side of the house, and the shelves get full sun from about 10 am to 3 pm. I put some new catts I just bought and my brassavolas out there, but now I'm worried it's too much light for them.

I just took a reading at 1:30 pm and got between 11 and 12,500 FCs. It is a bright, sunny day.

Is this too much sun for my plants?

[dounoharm]

i dont think its too much as long as you acclimate them by gradually giving them more light till they reach the levels they are now....gl

[koshki]

How gradual is gradual? And how would I go about doing that?

[exasperatus2002]

Im in PA zone 6 as well. I just put mine out as well yesterday. I start in a shady location or use shade screening & then gradually increase the light intensity. If you decide to use shade cloth choose the least protective version & add layers, you strip the layers till your at the right light levels beats having to by multiple rolls of different rated shade cloth.I have mine under an arbor (8' x 4' x 8') I just built with a wisteria on it. I'll move them from the rear to the front as they get acclimated.

[koshki]

How does shade cloth work? I mean, if you use 50% cloth, would that reduce my 11,000fc rating to 5500fc?

[syndywindy]

Mine have been out for about 2 weeks now. They get early morning sun until maybe 10:30ish ,dappled the remainderand then maybe a couple hours end of day. I made the mistate of putting one of my encyclia's in sun on a nice day a month ago without acclimating it, and a few leaves got sunburned.So you do need to acclimate them. Now what I've put out, they are fine with this heat we are having and even at 10am the sun is bright and hot but the orchids are fine.

[koshki]

Synda, I have a spot like yours that gets sunlight until about 11, and no direct sun the rest of the day. Unfortunately, there is not enough space for them all. Maybe my hubby could add some shelf space there, but it would be in the shadier part....it's a puzzlement!

[syndywindy]

It can be a constant battle sometimes. The area my orchids are in is my patio and it gets heavily shaded by two large trees. Last year hubby decides to have the trees pruned and I was like What are you doing? Now there is going to be sun on the patio. so I have had to adjust and readjust where the orchids are depending on how the sun shines and the trees shade. It never ends, its liek a chess match.

[Greybeard]

Great area for your beauties I have not been able to give my Phal any outdoor time yet, we've been getting the nuttiest weather, tons of rain, extreme intense sun heat and then high winds with pop up storms. I even built a shade corner a couple of years ago on my deck in hopes of getting an Orchid and now I got one and the poor guy can't visit it Good luck

[koshki]

Yes, the weather has been challenging this year!

This morning I was looking out my window while still in bed and saw dark clouds scudding across the sky, and my first thought was, "Oh my gosh! Are my orchids ok?"

It's really sad, isn't it?

[katrina]

Katherine -- I don't know if this will be of much help but here's goes. I try to get mine out as soon as I can (this year that was mid-may) so they are getting the sun before it becomes it's most intense Summer level.

I left them in an area that would "acclimate" them to higher light for about a week to 2 weeks. This was either my front deck where they got direct sun until about 11am OR it was under shade cloth in the back...about 4500fcs on a clear and sunny day. After a week or so I moved them to an area that gets a mix of direct sun and dappled sun (under a tree) for about a week or so again. At this time the sun is also getting more intense. If I didn't see any light stress or burn(which I didn't) I moved them to the direct sun area where they are now.

Here's the thing...I only have a handful of plants (Brassavolas, rupic laelias/catts, and a few other super high light vandaceous plants) in this direct sun and they are ones that I have been unable to bloom under shade cloth. These are plants that in nature do sit in tropical direct sun so I figure OH direct sun should be ok. They are now in direct sun from about 1pm until the sun goes down...all are doing fabulous.

I would be careful w/the full/wide leaved catts...I've burned those in the past w/even minimal direct afternoon sun. I find the ones that do best in direct sun have Brassavola in their background and/or are Brassavolas...and those w/the thin, pointy leaves. The fat/wide leaved ones tend to get too hot and scorch w/any afternoon direct sun. At least for me they have.

Also, I find those that have leaves that point UP do much better w/direct sun than those that lay open/flat to the rays of the sun. I hope that made sense.


I should add...since growing under the HO T5's in the Winter...I find the acclimation process is not as difficult as it was when I grew under reg fluoros. They take to the Summer sun much, much easier now.

[koshki]

Katrina, as always, you give great advice! I will try to follow this next year, thank you.

BTW, what is a "rupic laelia/catt"?

[rcb]

Originally Posted by katrina

Also, I find those that have leaves that point UP do much better w/direct sun than those that lay open/flat to the rays of the sun. I hope that made sense.

Yep, plants that have leaves that grow more vertically can withstand more sun than plants that have leaves that are more horizontal.

One way you can tell how much light a plant needs to do well.

Another thing to consider, it is not just the amount of sun, but a combination of sun and heat.

For example, my Catts that are outside during the winter, do fine with direct sunlight for hours during the day, but as soon as it starts warming up they will get sunburn. Yes the sun's intensity does get stronger, but I can't believe it is that different over a day or two.

As soon as our temps start hitting the mid 80s, is when I move these guys into more shade.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by koshki

BTW, what is a "rupic laelia/catt"?

Sorry...rupiculous (sp?) formerly laelias and now most are cattleyas. They are the rock dwellers. For example...C bradei, forbesii, founieri, and ghillanyi (to name a few)...in their natural habitat these are most often found growing in and on rocks and most often found growing right out in the open, direct sun. They are sometimes surrounded by nothing more than "scrub". They are small and cute...a little more touchy about their watering needs during the Winter...and for me...I'm finding some are a little more difficult to bloom. Fingers crossed the full sun this Summer makes a difference.

[koshki]

Kat, good to know! I'll bet they grow well in inorganic media? Would certainly dry quickly...

[katrina]

I have most of them in lava and cork in net baskets. A couple in another set up that I don't remember right now. They are all growing well...but some are being a little stingy w/the blooms. Hopefully the extra light will solve that little problem.

[koshki]

I thought I'd show you how things have shaped up for the outdoor 'chids this summer. There has been constant reorganizing, first to find the right place and light for each plant, and then to squeeze in more!

This is the north side of the house...morning sun that is shaded by my neighbor's tree.

I found this plant shelf about halfway through the summer. Not exactly how it was intended to be used, but it works for orchids!

Top shelf gets the most light...catts mostly, with little brassavolas hanging off the front of the shelf.

Middle shelf...aerangis in vanda baskets hanging at the back, with a variety hanging off the front.

The bottom shelf has phrag seedlings on the shelf with a couple aerangis hanging on the front.

I bought a cute semi-circular plant stand (which you can hardly see!)...a couple tall phrags on top plus my bulbo Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry', blooming for the first time.

Big phrags are on the bottom...around to the right are the lower-light phrags like my besseae and schlimii, which is spiking!

This is the lowest light area. We put a chrome shelf on cinder blocks to span the window well to a basement window. It's awkward for me to reach the plants there from my wheelchair. I've got some ideas about how to put another shelf in there for next summer.

[koshki]

Here are the higher light areas.

The garage window...I realized that this area gets more light than the previous areas, but less than where all the catts are. Suggestions for how to expand this area are welcomed!

Next year, I think we are going to put some shade cloth here. But for now, just the highest light catts. This is the east side of the house...full sun until about 3 pm.

My angreacum sesquipedale has doubled in size since I got it last February!

[katrina]

I absolutely LOVE that wall hanger thing! Where did you get it? That would be just the ticket for any area I've been pondering.

Everything looks great! I have several plants in full sun through the afternoon and they are doing great. With that said...they are very high light plants...most others would burn...so I think your one area would benefit from shade cloth next year...only because that would allow for an extra shelf (or 2) and more of your plants could fit. I think the Phrags would be happier there than on a N side. Just a thought.

Again, it looks great!

[koshki]

I thought you might like my wall hanger set up! I got it at Plow & Hearth - Products for Home and Garden item #64252. It's a little pricey, but it fits perfectly in the spot right above my water faucet. Essentially, it's a grate with mounting hardware that makes it stand off the house. Three baskets have hooks to hang from the grate, and it came with three rectangular coco fiber liners. I can't use the coco liners there or anywhere else, so now I have a life-time supply of coco fiber for the plants!

This side actually faces more like NNE...the phrags seem to be just the right color, a pale green. But I don't have enough room to get the masdies out, so if I could move some of the other plants to the other side, I could get those out next summer. I think I'll move them out once some of the other ones move in, just to have them get a bit of outdoor fun!

[Shannara]

Wow Katherine,

You made sure so space was untouched by your lovely chids! Talk about utilizing your space...they all look very happy. What happens with all your chids in the winter?

Shann~

[koshki]

With the exception of a few 'chids that go next to my kitchen sink window, everyone goes back into my 10 x 18' sunroom that is just about maxed out with light shelves.

Unfortunately, I have to put orchids in places I can reach from my wheelchair...so under tree branches is mostly out for me. Still, I've got more room outdoors than in, so I'm a bit concerned about how it's all going to fit back there. I have discovered catts this summer!