Snow's affect on orchids - Orchid Board

Pilot · #1 01-17-2011, 12:26 PM

I know, its a strange title, but one that may have some relevance. Consider, if you will, that we got a foot of snow recently and when it isn't snowing (or raining etc), Colorado is a very very sunny place (it isn't just cloudy like the Northeast can be this time of year). Anyway, I have a phal schill in a place in my solarium where it normally would not be but because of the weak sun of Winter, it got moved to a better spot. Well I noticed yesterday that one of the leaves its showing some darkening-- as in it looks like it's suffered some damage and it showing some dead/scar tissue. So I moved it back to where it normally lives but wondered, how could this happen?

The plant had been in that spot for a month or so but it was only recently that we had the snow on the ground. When you walk into the solarium, it was noticeably BRIGHTER, than it normally would be without the snow on the ground. Snow is a great reflector, but would it do enough to stress and even "sun burn" some of my phals? I wouldn't think so but having several phals that seem a little over-sunned, I believe this could be the case.

Do any other snow dwellers experience the same thing? Light input increases dramatically with a snow pack on the ground?

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #2 01-17-2011, 01:07 PM

Complicated phenomenon. Try getting a light meter, and maybe that'll shed some light on your lighting issue. (Hah! I made a funny.

Okay, it was bad, but still...)

trdyl · #3 01-17-2011, 01:16 PM

Interesting...

Pilot · #4 01-17-2011, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Complicated phenomenon. Try getting a light meter, and maybe that'll shed some light on your lighting issue. (Hah! I made a funny.

Okay, it was bad, but still...)

Oh I did... and with full sun and snow on the ground, there is a LOT more light pouring through the glass. Even the radiometer spins faster (didn't think that was possible in our high altitude sun).

But otherwise I cannot account for the light burn on my Phal Schill. I don't believe its a virus or bacteria as its quite healthy and none of my plants show any other suspect issues (also nothing new has been introduced). It shows up on the schill has light to dark browning-- just as if it were too close to a heat source. The other leaves that were either shielded by this one or not flat against the sun are fine.

Backing up my theory, many of my other plants (succulents and tropicals included) have spawned new growth suddenly. We have had snow on the ground for about two weeks now and its as if something woke up all the plants. I have not changed my care for any of them during this time.

Our temps have also moderated outside, too-- allowing for the solarium to warm up faster and more than those times when we struggled to get into single digits for a while. All of this combined, I believe this is why my phal schill looks like this and why so many plants are suddenly growing again.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #5 01-17-2011, 02:17 PM

You're right, the snow does act like a reflector.

Not because it's "white". It's the same principle of water bouncing off the surface of a body of water.

Orchid126 · #6 01-17-2011, 05:35 PM

Also, the days are getting longer very gradually. If the day gets longer by one minute, since December 21 which was the longest day of the year, approximately 27 minutes have been added to each day.

orchids3 · #7 01-17-2011, 09:08 PM

when I retired in Connecticut, I tied a snow shovel to the front of my car and drove south till no one knew what it was. Hope not to worry about this one.

nhman · #8 01-17-2011, 09:43 PM

Paul Mc · #9 01-18-2011, 08:54 AM

It may also be because even at night the sun's rays are being reflected from the moon and off of the snow. Likewise, they say cloudy days are more dangerous for us humans because the rays are trapped and bounce back and forth off the earth and off of the clouds. Perhaps the snow is preventing the orchids from getting adequate rest at night (no light) and the bouncing effect during the day intensifies it quite a bit. Just a thought.

orchids3 · #10 01-18-2011, 01:37 PM

I grew up in Idaho - so know of the reflected light being a hazard to humans. I went completley blind from the reflections from the snow for 4 days (snow blindness) its partly the angle that the rays entered the eye. Notice that people who ski almost always wear tinted goggles or sun glasses. Suspect that damage to orchids from an angle they are not adapted too might also cause the orchids problems.