My lights setup!

[refu]

Hello everybody,
I grow 15 orchids under lights, I have Phalaenopsis, Oncidiums, and a Dendrobium.

I use 2 lights setup as following:
I have 2 x 18W fluorescent lights, 1 is an cool white and has about 1150 lm, the other is a Osram Fluora that has the blue and red part of the lightspectrum and has 550 lm.
The second steup is an 36W Osram Fluora that has 1400 lm
There are links in the Tubes name to the data sheets.
I use a 50 W fan for ventilation.
What do you think about the lights is this enought ??? And what do you think shouls I do to improve this???

Here are some picturesc of my setup:




Here are some pictures taken a week ago:





WHat do you think the Phalas have bloomed under this lights I also use reflective foil.

Feedback much appreciated

[Ray]

You might eke by with the phalaenopsis plants, but it is unlikely that you will get the oncidium or dendrobium to bloom under that light level.

Don't forget that the lumens published for a bulb is the output right at the bulb, and that the intensity (foot-candles = lumens per square foot) drops off as the inverse square of the distance, so right up close they might be fine, but as little as 30 cm away, the intensity is almost of no value.

Also, the reflective foil may be of some value (probably not significantly so), but decent specular aluminum reflectors are far better. The purpose of a reflector is to redirect the light emanating from the sides and top of the bulb - the parts that don't directly face the plants - down onto them. A flat reflective surface behind (or above, if you want to look at it that way) the bulb reflects that light right back to the bulb, and light coming from the sides never gets reflected downward.

Take a look at Artifical Lighting Intensity

[refu]

Thank you Ray.
The Dendrobium bloomed but small flowers and they haven't open fully.

I will check the link. Cheers!!!

[refu]

If I add 2 of this CFL SONLIGHT FLUO 150W White:
Lumens: aprox. 15000
Coloure: Alb
Grade °K: 6400
Model: 6U
Voltaje: 220-240V

Could this be enought ???