24 hour photo period?

[Gin]

I found out in one case the hard way , we moved, I had to put my plants from my greenhouse to under artificial lights in my bird room the lights were running longer then they were getting because of the canaries , some of the Catts. tried to bloom on not mature growths I blame the extended day length , just my

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by Undergrounder

Lopez, R., G. (2003). Effects of Photoperiod and temperature on growth and flowering of six orchid hybrids

PM you're email, ill send it

done.

thanks, mate

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

Sounds to me then like you asked a question but don't care for any answers that differ from your preconceptions. So I say go for it - give them lights 24/7. Let us know, in about a year, how they do.

Not at all. I just don't accept that saying "it happens in nature" represents some logical reason for doing, or not doing, something. Especially when I am already growing in such an artificial environment


Also, if I was just going to do it no matter what, there would be little point in trying to discuss it on a message board, nor acknowledging the points raised about the physical limitations imposed by the biological processes of certain orchids

[Grandma M]

I untentionally, had my orchids under artificial light for 24 hours a day for 4 days and 3 nights in the summer. Finally my son came here to check my plants. He turned off my lights, he also remarked that he turned off my 'heater' because it was very hot in there. The 'heater' was not a heater, it was my fan.

Result: my plants suffered because of the extra light but mostly because of all the added heat. It took them a long time to recover, but they all survived.

Unfortunately my plants survived better than I did. I passed out, fell in my driveway, head first, flat on my face and I spent several day in the hospital. I survived but I did mash my face badly.

I my plants suffered because from the extra light but mostly from the heat. My lights are now, all on timers.

Marilyn

[Gin]

Hope you healed well Marilyn , the plants can be replaced you can't be .. Gin

[johnblagg]

I agree that 24 hrs a day could very well cause bloom cycle problems most likley ....in my case it was not yet a factor since they were all very young plants and no where close to bloom size yet....That was actually my reasone for cycling the lights through several long then short day periods in order to see if I could possibly fool them into acting as if they had experianced a compleat yearly cycle in just a few months and then do it again to simulate two years in one winter....

I have read some plants can induced to mature quicker this way .I do not know if it is actualy possible but if it is I may possibly have cut one year off the three years from bloom that was the estimate of the grower when I got them in Aug of last year.

It all just a concept I have nothing proven at all and I just though I would try it and see how it worked out.I did get a realy good increse in the number of leads I have and the plants are looking really good at this time.I do have to say that I have not had a single eye go active since I set them out this spring after the days got long and It became impossible for me to do a artifical short day period.both are just now maturing the last growths they made before going outside and are looking as if new eyes are about to start into active growth again.

[chipmunk1]

Undergrounder - a big thank you for your illuminating posts about orchid biology and how it should be taken into account in their culture.

I have grown Cymbidium ensifolium under 24 hours (continuous and constant) CFL for 1 year - the plant did not die, it produced smaller and smaller new growths, did not flower, and appeared to be less "happy" than another ensifolium grown on an indoor south facing windowsill.

[salmonmanAK]

I live in Alaska and we have no darkness for about 8 weeks in the summer up here and I see no problems with the orchids during that time. They seem to flower, grow, and do their normal things. Maybe they adapt.

cheers,
Jason

[Brotherly Monkey]

Salmon, if I remember correctly, the light isn't very intense during that whole 24 hour period, correct (it's more like a continuous dusk at night?). Which could very well have very different implications to growing under 24 hours of intense lighting