light conditions

[shiningrock]

Is this a good place to have my orchids. I put the stand in the corner of sunroom/eating area. The double sliders face east, the double window faces south and there are two skylights. My orchids receive minimum direct sunlight (only in the late afternoon through the south facing window). I have some cymbidiums, cattleyas, epidendrums, phals and some other species. Can they all grow happily there? I'm attaching some pics.

[clarita]

Winter in northern zones really require supplimental lighting, especially for cats and cyms. It may be a great place in the summer but there is no great place with natural light in the winter for orchids

[PhalPal]

As bright as your room is, it isn't enough light for Catts and Cymbidiums. I'm even reluctant to say it is enough for Phals.

Until recently I had about 20 Phals in my dining room with TWO 6 foot by 8 foot windows, one on top of the other, direct southern exposure. My Phals were on a table less then three feet from these windows, any closer and they would have fried. This is by far the sunniest and hottest room in the house, but it wasn't enough to bloom my Phals. I got one puny little spike with two flowers on it.

Since I have moved some Catts and all my Phals under T5 lights and they are taking off. I have lots of spikes and new roots and all is well.

Someone else who deals with cold winters and summers their orchids outside some of the year can chime in here. I don't know of many success stories with growing Cyms indoors, but someone from back east can help you here.
The good news is: it would be very easy to add lights to your existing set-up if that is the direction you want to go.

[shiningrock]

thank you for your suggestion PhalPal. I was wondering in the winter time I could put them all in front of that double window. I don't think they can get over heated in this time of the year (they would get full day of sun).In the summer time I would like to put the cyms outside and the stand with the other orchids in front of the slider which is east exposure.

Would that work??

[PhalPal]

Are your windows tinted at all? I would think they could take full winter sun, but be aware of cold radiating through the window. I tried every place possible before giving in to lights and did not lose one orchid in the process, I just didn't get any blooms. It's worth a shot. When I move my Phals down to my kitchen when blooming they are directly in front of a large window with southern exposure, and we can get up to 80 degrees occ in winter. I don't do this in summer, but then my Phals aren't blooming in summer.
I grow Cyms outdoors year round and they love it. I am sure yours would benefit from a summer outdoors. Many forum members put all their orchids outside in summer and swear by the results.

Just a thought....I can't say enough about owning a light meter and min/max thermometer. It has helped me tremendously in placing my orchids especially since I have ventured in to T5 lighting, which was only a few months ago. Just a few inches makes all the difference, even when dealing with natural light. At $50 they have been well worth my investment and far cheaper then losing a few orchids.

[mayres]

Excellent advice! I actually got a pretty good meter on ebay for $20.

[shiningrock]

The house I live in is three years old and those windows are well insulated and should be UV protected.

I have been thinking about bying a light meter too. I would like to try different things. And I know it will probably lead me to bying artificial lights, but I will give it a try. I just started to be more serious about orchid growing and I am learning every step of the way.

The pics were taken today in cloudy conditions, when it is sunny the room is very bright.

[BunnytheOrchid]

Granted I'm not in Massachusetts, but I think all of the orchids you listed can handle a little bit more light. I have the most experience with phals and cattleyas, and as long as they have 3 1/2 hours of relatively bright light, they seem to stay pretty happy. I have heard, as others have already said, cyms need brighter light than other orchid species, but I don't really have the ideal outdoor conditions for them, so I can say I'm even remotely educated on cymbidium care. As long as the window doesn't get too cold, the orchids I have seem to be pretty hardy, even with bright light.

[sandra]

Hi shiningrock. With all the advice I received here on the forum about lighting when I first started with orchids, I didn't listen carefully when it came to the lighting required for Catts. There's no such thing as 'good enough' when it comes to growing requirements...I learned the hard way. I first started buying them last Spring when full sunlight was directly hitting my growing area so I thought, 'no problem.' Then the sun started shifting in early autumn and thought as long as they could get through the next 6 months, the following 6 months would make up for the lack in light they received. I was new at this and soooooooo wrong. Orchids need the same consistant conditions year round (with certain changes in their care, ie. watering nobiles, fertilizing, etc.) but if Catts are not provided the right light and consistantly, you can expect unfavorable results. They will however, rebound if you change these conditions. They're going to need more light for your setup. That can be remedied with grow lights.

Don't be an orchid dummy like I was. Get yourself the lighting so you can enjoy your beauties.

P.S. I now have all my Catts. hanging from a palm tree in the front of my house so all was not lost.

[PhalPal]

Thanks for the advice Sandra. Being new to Catts I wondered if they required the same light all year. Since most orchids are equator plants I thought this might be true.

I didn't try Catts until I bought my lights; in fact they were the inspiration! I am now trying them out on my palm trees on cork bark 'logs' and will put them under lights in the winter.

[mehitabel]

I agree with everyone who is urging more light. LOTS more. Corners are no-light places, even in an area that gets good light. In that corner, you won't get blooms. You will probably also get a steady decline in the health of the plant . You are very lucky to have such a great window area. Use it! Put your orchids *in* the windows.

Don't take culture advice about "bright indirect light" literally indoors. I believe they are talking about shading orchids from direct overhead sun at Midday. In a house, they are never exposed to this, because of the roof. Even *in* a window, they get only the rays that slant in.

Acclimate them slowly to more light--a lot more.

[Brooke]

One of the best investments you can get if you are serious about growing orchids is a light meter.

I measured the light coming in my ESE window on a clear winter day because it looked super. Right next to the windowsill the fc's measured 2000. Two feet back from the window (the width of my shelf) it measured 230 fc.

This area in those windows was used to display blooming 'chids in the house. I added three supplemental CFL fixtures to the display area because some orchids will bloom for months and I didn't want the plants to decline while I was enjoying the blooms.

Brooke

[PhalPal]

Brooke for some reason I don't experience any decline in plant health, bud blast or decrease in life of flowers when I move my orchids. When moved they do go to a very sunny kitchen window and last for months, continued root growth and they fare well.

I wrote in another post that I don't know why this is so (something I am doing or NOT doing??) but would like to figure it out so we can learn from it.

I now have my orchids under lights in an orchid room upstairs and I grow them to enjoy. If I don't move them down to our living space there is not much sense in having them at all.

[shiningrock]

Thank you for all your replies. I moved the stand in front of the double window (most of the orchids were purchased recently so I don't think it would be too much of a shock for them) and I will be looking for light meter to buy. If the light is still too low I will look into buying some lights.

[PhalPal]

Keep us up on how it goes so we can all learn from this!! Good luck!

[psyc1210]

I have all my orchids in a window facing ESE. And apparently they all like it. I'm not sure that it's enough for my one Catt though, it's leaves look dark right now, however my other Catt leaves look normal.

[tom499]

I'd figure that abit less light isnt much of a worry in winter to be honest, with the frame in the middle of your window they should hopefully get enough light, temps will be slightly lower anyway, then when summer comes the new growths flower.

On personal experience I had a cattleya flower a few weeks ago in a north facing window and I'm in the UK!

[Brooke]

PhalPal you misunderstood my intent stating the decline reference. I have had phals and phrags bloom for over six months. I always put any higher light plant on the first row and lower light plant, farthest from the window. It was the low fc reading two feet from the window that shocked me.

I don't have any bud blast either when I move a phal but felt it was better for the plants if I added additional lights to the area to keep them - and me - happy. I want to be able to grow leaves, roots and have them continue to bloom while on display.

Brooke

[janice]

You guys are making me nervous!!! Almost all of my orchids are in a south window....about 6 inches away................I don't worry about burn this time of year but now I am worried if they are getting enough light??? My Phals. are in a south window but almost 2 feet away...........and are they getting enought light?? Maybe a light meter is needed...............................I don't put my Phals too close to the window because of the temp. I just added a humidifier so I guess my next purchase is the light/temp. gizmo.

[PhalPal]

Not a problem Brooke! I am very fortunate to have a wonderful sunny window to put my Phals when blooming. The light they get through a thin blind is perfect. At one time it was the only place in the house that I had any orchids at all and when they started to take over the kitchen I moved them to the dining room. Now that I have them upstairs in an 'orchid room' I don't hesitate at all moving them downstairs to their old home.

It was the light readings I got in my dining room that brought me to this forum, for exactly the reasons you stated above. 1,500 fc here, 200 fc three inches away. I couldn't believe they could survive at all even though this was a VERY bright room! Enter my light meter and it changed the way I grow orchids; I think it is an invaluable tool!

[mayres]

For anyone who wants to learn a little more about light levels and orchids check out this link! The entire orchid culture factoid is good but I especially like this page on lighting facts - Comprehensive Culture Guide—Light levels for growing orchids
Notice how the light levels drop off quickly as you back away from a glass patio door or window. Hard to believe because the eye adjusts to this difference so well.