Dark green leaves

[stonedragonfarms]

Originally Posted by ImABrat

Hello....I'm curious about something...I've read in several books that if your orchid has dark green leaves, the orchid is getting inadequate light. Which orchids have dark green leaves naturally? I have 3 Phal's, a dendrobium, and a vanda that all their leaves are very dark green, thick of course, but they are looking healthy.

I'm curious... I've read your post, but am curious what sort of light conditions you are currently growing under. Most orchids will grow under a wide range of lighting, but many will not flower without sufficient light levels. Your collection covers plants needing three different levels of light: phals need relatively low light (when compared to dendrobiums or vandas at least...); I believe that they will be happy between 750~1000 FC of light. Most dendrobiums will take quite high light; I assume that you are probably growing either cane type or phalaenopsis type dendrobiums; they will be happy at around 2000 FC. (if the light level is sufficient, they will take on a reddish-purple tinge around the margins of the leaf) As for your vanda, provided that it is not one of the vanda intergenerics ( something with ascocentrum, neofinetia, etc crossed with it) it will gladly take as much light as you can give it, 3000 FC+
Remember that as light intensity increases, so should ventilation and watering; plants which are actively growing in higher light will more readily use both water and fertilizer.

Watering practices differ so much from grower to grower, based as much on what you are growing in, as where you are growing and what part of the country you are growing in...it is best to ask other growers in your area what their watering schedule is like. I too agree that it is better to err on the side of too little water than too much...unless you are growing anything from the cloud forest regions of S. America or in the case of most mounted plants; for these two groups it is almost impossible to overwater.

Just my 2 cents as well...
Adam