Can anyone help me with the right lights for indoors?

[Debra Campbell]

Hello,

I am hoping that someone will help provide me with some information on what kind of lights to use for my orchids. I have around 45 orchids they range from big to small and all different kinds. I need more lighting, I am not getting enough light for them all to bloom.

I have alot of faith in all of you, Most of you are all experienced enough to have alot of information. You seem to have great sucess with your beautiful orchids. I have seen some of the absolutely gorgeous pictures of some of them.

I have seen the LED lights on ebay that are very interesting but I really know nothing about them. And I have also heard some things about the T5 lights by reading some of the posts on here. But I would rather hear it from you all on what lights you think would be the best I should use.I really need to keep the cost to a bare minimum. I want my babys to be big and beautiful and happy all the time. I hope you can help me. Thank you all so much.

Debra

[kmarch]

Dear Debra,

Because the light requirements for orchids varies quite a bit, a bit more info would be helpful:

1) What kinds of genera are in your collection? Phals? Paphs? Cattleyas? Oncidiums? etc., etc.

2) Where are you currently growing them?

3) Which of your orchids are not blooming?

4) Why do you suspect low light is the cause? There are lots of reasons an orchid might not bloom. Are they all blooming size (perhaps they were in bloom when you bought them)?

Light systems can be as cheap as $30-50 for flourescent shop lights all the way up to several hundred for other systems. It's best to first find out what your plants need, determine if extra lighting is even necessary, and of so, then get a system that will deliver what you need.

[mayres]

Debra - as Kevin noted the types of orchids you are trying to grow is necessary to know. Supplemental lighting will only be cheap if you are trying to provide light for low light genera like phals and paphs. Another "trick" many of us use that do not have a greenhouse is putting them outside for as long as possible - hopefully about half the year (unless you are fortunate enough to live in Florida or S. California where you can leave them out ALL year or nearly so). Here you can often find a location that gives them just the amount of lighting they want without purchasing any lighting setups at all.

[BunnytheOrchid]

Lighting will definitely vary from orchid species to orchid species. Also, if the only concern is that they are not blooming, it may not be light-related. Temperature could also affect some orchids and blooming. What types do you have?

[clarita]

I'm in a similar zone. CFL's have been the most home friendly in my environment. More attractive than shop lights and deliver more punch. I use the 5000k 42w's & 55's. I also have the 85w but they require some retrofitting

[kmarch]

Let's hold on here. We all want to be helpful (which is great and one of the best things about our members) but how can we recommend lighting systems without knowing what Debra is growing or what her situation is? If we want to make helpful recommendations lets get all the facts.

[PhalPal]

Debra LOTS of us have gone through the "I have to do something different but I don't know what" phase. I researched lights for months and it can be overwhelming.

What you are growing and your budget are the two most important factors.

[draggosaurus]

Hi there everyone, haven't been on here for ages. My husband has had motor neurone disease and finally succumbed on 9th February.
Just reading about lights, I have my phals, oncidiums, miltonias, paphs, on a cabinet about 6 inches in from the window, north facing, with net curains inside the glass, and heavier curtains to shut at night as I live in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Aust. These orchids were all bought in the last year so I am yet to find out how I go as per flowering goes. More sun will come in during the winter so things may have to be adjusted. I will keep you informed as to what happens, they are all growing well.
Also have put my cymbidiums in more light ready to get spikes, we have had an extremely wet summer, which has worried me quite a lot for my cymbs.

[liquidmojo]

I agree with Kmarch. Different Orchids require different light strengths. If you are more concerned about needing more light now, you can always buy a 4' long four bulb T5 lighting system. The one I have puts out 3000 footcandles about six inches from the bulbs, and you can vary the distance from the light by placeing the Orchids at different heights. the system with the bulbs only cost me $180.00 out the door. A cheaper way is to buy normal flouresent fixtures and use full spectrum bulbs. AOS recomends four bulbs up to a foot apart for most mid range light Orchids around 6 inches to 1 foot from the top of the plant.

As far as the Led's? I bought one just to see how it would work...the spectrum charts were impressive, but after plugging it in I only read 9 footcandles at 3" from the source! Spectrum charts or not that just does not seem like a wise idea to light plants that I love! The reason is that the intensity of the light is also necessary seemng that is where the energy is. There is a led that I found that has the same par as a 400watt hps, but I do not have the $4000.00 for it, nor would I spend that much on a new technology still being tested.

But you should really research the individual light needs for the plants you have...then group the ones with simular requirements together and address thier needs as a whole.

Hope this helps. PhalPal said it right, it can be a lot of research and it gets very overwhelming with all of the different styles and intensities of lighting out there!

[liquidmojo]

At Home Depot and Lowes they sell a "American Garden Association" Compact flour. bulb for...I want to say $14.00, but don't quote me on that. It gives off a full spectrum light and is around 600 footcandles. You can also get a clamp on work light with a reflective hood there for about $5.00. This worked for my Draculas and Masdevallias until i could get a better light system for them...they even had started new growth with the compact light! This is a very economical approach and the light can be easily adjusted to the individual plant!

[PhalPal]

liquidmojo - I don't remember the reason why, but you can't measure footcandles with LED's. It's just a different wavelength. There are some growers on this forum that are successful with LED only lights, even with high light requiring orchids.

[liquidmojo]

I was not aware that you could not measure LED's...my meter read 9 and I thought that was an acurate measurment. I may have been wrong on that.

My main concern was using a new light source that has not been completely tested in long term growth on a valued plant. The research that I have done varies to much on both sides. I have talked to many people who have had sucess with LED's, but at the same time just as many have reported failure. I'm not saying that they do not work, just that there is a lack of data supporting either side.
I hope they do work out well, I just was not willing to test it on my Draculas.

[nbd13]

liquidmojo- Where did you get you t5 4' system for $180? How many bulbs does it have? I would like to get a t5 system ordered this week.

Thanks,

Nick

[butt0n]

What would you guys suggest for catts and oncids?

[PhalPal]

nbd13 - Hi Newbie; welcome to the forum! I got a four foot/four bulb T5 set-up, bulbs included for $160. No tax but I did pay $20 shipping. I found others that seemed cheaper but the bulbs did not come with it and they are about $15 a piece. I like the quality and I am so happy with the results I can already see in my orchids. Try Hydroponics, Indoor Gardening Supplies, Hydroponic Systems - home
Button - if you are talking about artificial lighting I would use HID (expensive) or T5's (at least four bulbs wide) for high light orchids like Catts and Oncs.

[butt0n]

Originally Posted by PhalPal

Button - if you are talking about artificial lighting I would use HID (expensive) or T5's (at least four bulbs wide) for high light orchids like Catts and Oncs.

Couple of questions: 1) How far do you place the lights away from the plants? 2) Do you mix red/blue bulbs? 3) What do you recommend for phals/paphs? I thought I was going to have this issue resolved last year, but unfortunately it didn't happen the way I wanted...so here we go again! Thanks for your help.

[PhalPal]

It depends on what plants you are growing and which lighting you choose. I have a light meter ($40) and it has proved invaluable, especially after I bought my lights and needed to know how much light a certain plant was getting. It is amazing that I can move a plant just a few inches up, down, or to the side and get vastly different light readings. If using 'shop lights' the bulbs need to be as close tot he leaves as possible, but they still won't provide enough light to bloom Catts. I really don't know how I ever lived without my light meter; the best investment I even made!

[butt0n]

I'm mainly thinking of getting lights for catts and such. Approximately how wide are the 4-tube lights? I'm trying to figure out space accommodations...

[jay]

I somehow missed this thread, but I do have an answer to why you can't measure footcandles for LED lights. Your LED grow lights will only focus on the red and blue wavelengths of light since this is what a plant actually utilizes. Most of the rest of the spectrum is not used by plants. Traditional light meters cannot measure LED because they are calibrated to measure the entire spectrum of light. You will get wild variations of measurements between the high intensity of the blue or the less intense red LED's.

I like my LED panels for my bright light orchids. They all seem to be doing well with them.

[nbd13]

PhalPhal- Thanks for the welcome! I think I may pick up that light fixture! One question though, what bulbs do you use and reccomend? The 5000k (Day) or 3000k (Warm) bulbs? Or a mixture of both? I should be able to order this today or tomorrow if I can figure out which lights to get! So, with this fixture I should be able to bloom ANY type of orchids under these lights correct?

Thanks again for the welcome and help!

Nick

[PhalPal]

If lighting is your problem for lack of blooms and the bulbs are placed close enough to the plants, then theoretically, I would say yes. For instance, Cymbidiums like outdoor light at about 6-8,000 fc and just don't do well indoors. LOTS of other variables come into play when orchids won't bloom, but adding more light is the first thing I would think of if the plant is otherwise healthy and growing in good culture.
I would get two warm bulbs and two cool bulbs; this will cover the spectrum used the most by orchids.

button - my light bank is four feet long and 10 inches wide. It sounds like a small amount of space, but I have a cork board hanging on the wall 11" away from the side of the reflector with mounts hanging on it. I have Phals, Tolumnia and Catts with new growth and/or spikes on all of them, so the light is reaching pretty far to the sides. My higher light orchids go directly underneath the lights, lower light needs are to the side of the lights. There are pictures in the 'Growing Spaces' thread of my set-up and many others.

WARNING!!! If your orchids are used to natural light, be careful to introduce them slowly to your T5's. I burned quite a few leaves and set some plants back by burning them. They are really intense and this is where having a light meter would come in very handy.

When both of you get your new lights set up, make sure to take pictures and post them in the Growing Spaces thread. It is very helpful as well as interesting to see how other growers work around our obstacles. (either space or financial!)