phals, artificial light vs professional growers

[vyltan]

Greetings all.

Posted something similar in the artificial light forum but seems it's not read often or my questions are not exciting so am trying here.

I grow around 40 hybrid phals under 430 w hortilux HPS, getting between 800 and 1200 fc 12 hrs a day. Use MSU for demineralized water that i use for watering at 5ml per gallon twice a week with flushing monthly. I still believe i don't get same flower count, size, or fragrance than professionnal growers.

Been told that they spur vegetative growth with temperature around 26C (85F) witch of course I wont tolerate in my house, and that account for the difference in performance. Any thoughts on the subject and are we condemned as indoor growers to have less than optimal results?

Please any comment appreciated.

[Royal]

I think I saw your other post. Light is only one piece of the puzzle. The way this question is phrased makes more sense to me.

It sounds like you are covering all your bases, but you will know best what your weakest link is. Phals are (in general) warm growers. So, depending on which Phals you are growing temperature could be the issue.

The obvious answer is that no residence will enable you to match the performance of a professional orchid grower. We (indoor and windowsill growers) can only hope to get close. Figuring out what your limiting factor is part of the fun -- partly because it is constantly changing.

[OrchidSue]

I agree with Royal. Growing indoors offers challinges with humidity and temperature as well as light. However, just because conditions aren't necessarily perfectly optimal, it doesn't mean that nicely grown and bloomed plant can't be achieved indoors. You just have to provide the best conditions you can, be aware of limitations, and the plants will adapt and do the best that they can.

Susan

[orchidsamore]

The real difference with commercial growers is that you only see our good plants.

It is just as common for use to have plants not flower one year while the others on the bench flower fine. Some have a few flowers some are spectacular. A great one this year may be poor next year. One that I wanted to throw in the burn pile is the best plant the next year.

It is all a part of nature.

The temperature is not an issue. You are probably confusing it with the fact that commercial growers heat the Phals in Winter and cool them in summer to get summer flowers. This is only for commercial purposes to expand the selling season and not really the best for the plants.

[marydaniellesantos]

Originally Posted by orchidsamore

The temperature is not an issue. You are probably confusing it with the fact that commercial growers heat the Phals in Winter and cool them in summer to get summer flowers. This is only for commercial purposes to expand the selling season and not really the best for the plants.

If you cool them in the summer, and heat in the summer, it seems like I have been doing the same to my phal, I know they like warmth, but she's been doing so well inside where I keep it at a constant 65 F. Would that cause issues with her? I have 12 healthy blooms, and she has been in bloom since June... Is she using too much energy?! Oh geez...

[Pete]

Call me a contrarian, but I know that phals under lights can be grown as well as greenhouse phals. Check out the BigLeafOrchids forum. There are at least a half dozen indoor growers that grow phals of specimen quality. In fact, they have received AOS awards for their efforts.

It takes extreme dedication, skill, and knowledge of phalaenopsis culture to grow very well under lights but it absolutely can be done. At an orchid show that I attended this past spring, there was a seminar about how specimen phals were being produced under lights and the "edge" that light growers had on greenhouse growers (can you believe that?).

What is the lumen output that your lights produce. How many footcandles of light do your phals receive? Do you use vegetative and bloom bulbs? Do you have a method to amplify humidity to 50 -60% (you don't need to keep your house at 85F). What media do you use and how often do you repot? Sufficient air movement?

The point being is that light (the right light) is only one variable in a very complicated equation. If you are determined and dedicated to grow spectacular phals under MH, t-5s or HPS lights, it can be done.

[vyltan]

Thanks all for your input.

To answer your questions Pete I use coconut husk chunks medium size mixed with equal part of coarse perlite in slotted plastic pots since I water every 4 or 5 days. I stated my water and fertilizer in my initial post. I also use K-L-N 1cc per gallon every other watering. Repotting is done every 24 months or before if needed. I have a 12 in fan rotating over the plants; relative humidity is between 35% in winter up to 60% in summer; the 430w Hortilux HPS has extra blue wavelength in it; for a 4' x 8' growing table it's not practical to have both HPS and MH. That's why i was wondering if T5 would really make a difference. Please keep up analyzing the situation

[Pete]

There a many ways to successfully grow orchids/phals and it sounds like you have the basics pretty well figured out.

I do not have any experience with CHC so I cannot comment on its effectiveness. From my personal experience, I have found that my phals growing in sphagnum moss (NZ AAA or Chilean 5 Star) do best. I always use packing peanuts in the bottom to cut down on the time it takes the moss to dry. Also, in my experience, sphag retains nutrients for the roots to absorb where as regular fir bark retains very minimal nutrient amounts. I too use MSU fert and have had good results. Perhaps your medium is not retaining the nutrients from the fert? With Sphag, depending upon the age of the orchid, I will repot between every 3 months (seedlings) to one year (mature plants).

I have found that humidity levels more toward 60% or 70% tend to promote lush vigorous growth. I cannot maintain these levels growing indoors and have to settle with humidity in the 40 - 60% range.

These are my experiences as a a still learning phal grower. I have not mastered indoor culture like many on this board and the BLO forum have done. I aspire to one day elevate my indoor culture to those levels. Until then, I observe my orchids regularly and adjust my culture to the needs of the orchids. I will also try new techniques/methods - - sometimes they work/ sometimes they don't.

Good luck.

Note - I grow my phals under t-5 lighting and the fcs range from 600 on the ends to 1200/1300 in the middle of the table.

[Royal]

Originally Posted by Pete

These are my experiences as a a still learning phal grower. I have not mastered indoor culture like many on this board and the BLO forum have done. I aspire to one day elevate my indoor culture to those levels. Until then, I observe my orchids regularly and adjust my culture to the needs of the orchids. I will also try new techniques/methods - - sometimes they work/ sometimes they don't.

This is a wise statement, Pete. Good growers never stop learning.