Shades/windows that block direct sun but let light in?

[JKeys]

Thanks all!

[Orchid126]

When I first started growing I took the advice about shading the orchids as if it were gospel. I've since learned that this advice isn't meant for the north Atlantic states. Here in central New Jersey I don't use any curtains at all. At this time of year the plants are light starved. I grow the cattleyas right up against the glass and phals, oncidiums and milts behind them. Dens in a clear west window.

What color are your leaves? They should be light green, like an olive. Dark green leaves don't promote blooming. Do you get many blooms using shade curtains? Feel the leaves. If they're cool to the touch they need more light. If they're warm, they're getting a bit too much.

[Vanda lover]

From what I understand, the sunlight is a lot less intense in the winter. I never had a problem with sunlight in my south facing windows during the winter, but when it gets towards spring I have to be careful to filter. It was the same in Ontario and there we had much more sun during the winter.

[Ferns Daddy]

I don't use any thing in my window south facing in the winter but come summer I use cheap white blinds to cut the sun on them for about 3 hours every day from around 11:00 am till 2:00pm they they just get bright light after that

[gardengirl13]

I haven't grown orchids in my south window until a couple months ago when I got bright light loving chids. Even being in NYS I wouldn't not use a curtain in summer. We have a few trees far from the house that allows some dappling, but the sun coming in is still very strong. Now the west window, which I am considering putting a few orchids in over the next couple years will need probably two sheers covering it in the afternoon. When the sun is farther east or above the house will stay about 72-75 in summer, then maybe 20 minutes after the sun hits that window the temp will rise to over 80 quickly! Even with huge eaves when that sun hits it's killer! I do think sheers will help though if they're thicker or doubled up. But I still am somewhat hesitant to put much more then cactus in that window.

[Vanda lover]

I suppose it really depends on the window. If you have a really large window, it would be brighter. In our last place we had a huge bay window that faced south. It was fine with just a shear, but maybe yours is at another angle. The south window we have now can get very hot, but only until the sun moves a bit.

[gardengirl13]

yes it does. We have three west windows, the two small ones get less sun and less heat, but I'd still put a sheer in there if I had plants there. For some reason that 3pm sun at our house is REALLY hot. It might be the way the house it situated, or the angles of the roof, or the tree line etc... I think if our south window was huge it would still be like the smaller one is. Not too bad in summer. In winter the sun hits it all day and it never gets warm, obviously, but int he summer when the sun is higher in the sky it still get somewhat hot, but nothing like the west window.

[Phalchid]

All my orchids are either at a south and west corner windows or a window that faces directly west. These windows have the honeycomb top down blinds, and I only put them down at night. But in the summer I close all blinds by 3:00pm because the sun can get really hot. But in the case of Jkeys, since you go to school, and won't be home to pull blinds up or down, sheers may work best!