orchids for artificial lights

[Amanda L]

Dang!! I only have 6500k bulbs. I have 2 of them, both CFLs. I may need to get some warmer bulbs!! I have lots of new growth on 2 of my dens I have canes sprouting like weeds and a leaf growing on a phal and one, possibly 2 keikis. I wonder if I can find the warmer bulbs the same place I found the cool ones? Definitely worth looking into, because what's the point if I don't get blooms?!

[Becca]

Originally Posted by let_it_grow

I use a 6500k bulb but its supplemental so i have sunlight too. 6500k is considered full spectrum because it has light from the blue end of the light spectrum all the way to the red. Plants require as wide a spectrum as possible to grow properly. Take a look at this article... it helps understand


Indoor Plant Lighting

I haven't read the artcle yet, but I will in a few, but I was told by a company that the 6500K bulbs only have blue, 5000K have blue green and green, and the 3000k only have the red. I'll go read your article to educate myself

Update: I just the read the article, I am surprised it doesn't mention the T5 lights, or perhaps I missed it, there was a lot of information there. The article also said that full spectrum was at 5000K lights and not 6500K lights, here is the quote from it: "Full Spectrum:Full spectrum tubes imitate natural sunlight as closely as possible by emitting light in every spectral range. All the different colours of visible light and a very small amount of ultraviolet is emitted. The Duro-Test Company produces "Vita-Lite" tubes. GE produces "Chroma 50", Philips produces "Colortone 50", Sylvania produces "Designer 5000K". All these tubes have an output spectrum that is similar to sunlight - about as close as modern chemistry can bring us. These tubes try to imitate equatorial sunlight at noon, which has a colour temperature of around 5000K."

I read and hear a lot of different things with lights, one person tells me this, another person tells me that, and I read a lot of stuff. I know what I have been using works, which is a mixture of the warm and cool colored bulbs, so I am going to play it safe and stick with that rather then try and experiment and see if my orchids bloom for that year or not...lol. Let it grow, have you actually been able to bloom orchids using the 6500k light or are they just growing? I hope I am not coming off the wrong way, I just want to find out who all has bloomed orchids using only the 6500k light, but then again you (Let It Grow) are using it as a supplemental light so that isn't the same as using just the light itself, which is how I grow, no natural sunlight here!

[lepanthes89]

Hi;
I wouldn't worry too much about exact color temperature;I grow a great variety of orchids under 1 cool and 1 "plant light" type bulbs,(by the window,so I suppose its supplamented by a little natural light.
Temperature is very important.Can you provide a 65F minimum night temp?Thats what Phals(most) need for long term success.
If not look into Encyclias,Paphs,Pleurothallids etc.
Take care.
Spiro

[let_it_grow]

I use a combination of t5s, t12s and sunlight but and have had plants bloom. Would be hard to tell what made them bloom though. They grow real pretty too. I was wrong about the full spectrum. Maybe I'm mixing up my information.

[Becca]

Originally Posted by let_it_grow

I use a combination of t5s, t12s and sunlight but and have had plants bloom. Would be hard to tell what made them bloom though. They grow real pretty too. I was wrong about the full spectrum. Maybe I'm mixing up my information.

Hey if it's working for you, then don't stop! It's ok if you confuse info, it is all so confusing and hard to keep straight! And you never know, maybe a 5000K or 6500K bulb would work! I think Ross (where is he?) is trying the 6500K bulbs as well but I think he just started using them recently so I don't know if he has gotten any blooms?

[let_it_grow]

the 1st ballast I used was my moms. She used the t12s to germinate her seeds for her veggie garden and I figured it would be better than no bulbs cause I knew I didnt have enough natural light. I got the brightest t12s I could find just until I got some t5s. After getting the t5s I knew lots of my plants would still be happy with as much light as I could offer so I hung onto the t12 ballast for an extra boost of light. Something is doing the trick, I just done know what it is, maybe its my pep talks.

[latebloomer]

Well, today is exactly a year from when I received my first orchid, which is a phal. What better way to celebrate my first year "anniversary" than to go to an orchid show! I felt very encouraged by your comments and advice about being able to grow under lights so I'd gone and gotten myself a few more orchids!

I already have several phals and 1 teenee paph. I wanted something different so at the show I bought a Brassia Eternal Wind "TOW", Odcdm Tiburon, Columnara Wildcat, and another oncidium type which name I can't recall. The vendors assured me they will do well under lights, but I hope I know what I'm doing Now that I feel more comfortable growing phals, I feel very much a novice again with these new acquisitions.

I did finally check my light bulbs. I have one warm -just under 3000 Kelvins and the other is 5000 Kelvins. I hope this is enough to make all types happy.

[beanluc]

To provide a little important clarifying info about units of light intensity:

Both "footcandles" and "lumens" are measurements of (let's call it) "brightness". However they are not interchangeable nor even convertable from one to another.

"Lumens" describes how much light is emitted by a source. To know how many lumens one's lamps emit is definitely important, but it's only relative, even when one is very familiar with one's own specific set-up. Unless one has this experience and familiarity with one's own specific set-up, lumens by itself is not enough information for one to know how much light their plants are actually going to receive. Distance, temperature, reflectors, direction, etc. all have an effect on how much of the light your lamps emit will actually reach the plants.

"Footcandles" describes how much light falls upon a point or surface. This is the number one needs to pay attention to when reading culture sheets or when evaluating one's own growing conditions, because this is what light the plants are actually receiving - whether from lamps, windows, sun, or a combination. One should have a light meter for this, and nothing is a substitute for directly measuring footcandles.

Hope this helps,
BL

[Zozzl]

Can someone suggest what type of bulb to use for compots. I have not grown under lights before and I an unsure what to get for flasks and compots? I have run out of room in my kitchen window? I was going to get one of those little tabletop grow light setups but I don't know if that is what I need? Thanks for any info Pat