Growing Orchids in a windowless office

[cvawter44]

Is it possible to grow orchids in a windowless office with just florescent light? If so what kind are the best?

[Ross]

To a point. I think you should stick with shade lovers such as Paphs (mottled leaf) or Phals. If you are limited on space try something like Compact Fluorescent - 105 Watt - Full Spectrum 5000K - EIKO #81180 Light Bulb

If you have the space and it is permitted, then I would recommend something like Discount CFL Compact Fluorescent Grow Lights for Plants from ACF Greenhouses or even the "big boy" New Wave T5 Light, New Wave Florescent Grow Light, New Wave Fluorescent Growing Light, New Wave High Output T5 Lighting, Low Profile New Wave Grow Lights

There you have it, small all the way up to huge. Try for "full spectrum" as that bulb or bulbs should have the spectrum plants need. Hope this helps.

[cvawter44]

This is not my office to put light into. It is a very large government building.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by cvawter44

This is not my office to put light into. It is a very large government building.

You could possibly do the first one I recommended. My setup looks like The 105 watt bulb is the one in front. It's just a standard socket and cord. Can you setup something like that?

[cvawter44]

I cannot add anything to a government facility. It will have the regular florescent lighting that the building already has. I can put the plants on top of my cubicle and they would be about 3 feet away from the lights.

[SheilaJ]

Three feet away is not enough light to give you optimum results. It will certainly keep an orchid alive for a while, probably years if you care for it properly, but I doubt it will get enough light to bloom again.

If you can, prop it up somehow using something like a stack of books, a milk crate, or piles of files (they are always in abundance in the government ). Your goal is to get the top of the leaves about 12" away from the surface of the bulb. This will probably look a bit silly from floor level, but the plant will do much better. You are still at the mercy of various factors, including the wattage of the govt. bulbs, if there is a diffuser on the fixture, how much dirt is caked on there, and how recently the bulbs were replaced.

Oh yeah, and stick to a phalaenopsis orchid.

Let us know what you decide! Good luck!

Sheila

[quiltergal]

If you can't change the lighting then consider sticking with philodendrons. They can grow in a dark closet.

[cvawter44]

Well, at least my African Violets look amazing in my office! Thanks everyone for the help! You have all been great!

[Ray]

If you can successfully grow and bloom AV's, you can probably get away with phals, as well.

[datousteve]

Originally Posted by SheilaJ

Three feet away is not enough light to give you optimum results. It will certainly keep an orchid alive for a while, probably years if you care for it properly, but I doubt it will get enough light to bloom again.

If you can, prop it up somehow using something like a stack of books, a milk crate, or piles of files (they are always in abundance in the government ). Your goal is to get the top of the leaves about 12" away from the surface of the bulb.

do you mean 12 inches from the flowers or the leaves?

trying to grow in the office also..