Day length questions?

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Cattleya17

Cam!!! That is an excellent point!!!!!!!!! I for get these things!!! thanks!!! That was my thinking, that i was mimicking nature, i will leave that idea behind now with this added information!!!

so anywhere from12-16 hrs is good, thats the general consensus?

Looks like it.

I think I answered my own question about why reduce light in winter when I was reading up on Catts and light after posting here. Fall blooming Catts respond to the shortening of days, and spring blooming ones to the lengthening of days. For me a constant 13-14 hours works, mainly because I own mostly Phals which don't use light as a blooming cue. From what I read though, if you want to successfully bloom Catts then you need to have 15-16 hours during the growing season and then reduced this by a few hours in the fall-winter.

[RJSquirrel]

Photoperiodic flowering plants are actually governed by hours of darkness, not the length of the day.

When the photoperiodic phenomenon was initially discovered, the assumption was made that the critical aspect was length of the day. Subsequent research soon indicated, however, that the length of the dark period was the determining factor in whether or not a plant flowered. An interruption of the night with a few minutes of light will prevent a short/day (long/night) plant from flowering and promote flowering of long/day ones. An interruption of the day with a few minutes of darkness has no effect at all.

[Cattleya17]

Oh wow! this is great info. So i guess that's why they say to be careful when growing Cattleya Labiata, that you dont leave a lamp on during the night because it can interrupt the blooming cycle. i only have one cattleya that is supposed to bloom this winter and thats is the Chia Lin its making a new growth right now im hoping it makes a sheath and blooms. im guessing it would respond to the longer nights. All the other cattleyas i mentioned are "supposed to be" Spring/summer bloomers. so they should be fine with the shorter days and long nights and the winters will be happy as well

I have no idea what triggers the Angraecum Sesquipedale,the leonis or the dideri but both the dideri and the Sesquipedale are spiking i have no idea what is making them bloom. Anyone know what their trigger is?

this leaves me with a question im bringing the plants in because its going down to the 40s tomorrow. Many are still in a growth cycle i have no choice but to bring them inside how do i get their growths to maturity without making them think its still summer lol.... im sorry for all of these questions guys! thanks so much for the help!!

[camille1585]

I don't know about the Angraecums, but about bringing the plants in, they'll keep growing fine if you provide good light an regular feeding/watering.