I am puzzled about Light..... - Orchid Board

hosshead · #1 10-22-2008, 10:13 AM

Okay, let me start by admitting that I'm a Stan and Species man.
My phals tend to become Foliage Plants.
Generally healthy ones, but Foliage Plants, nonetheless.

In the summer, they go outside and hang up under the roof of the "orchid porch" where they get a lot of light, but it isn't direct light. Many of them are mounted with just a bit of sphagnum, or else they are hanging upside down in mesh pots so that, no matter how much rain or spraying they get, they never get crown rot. These also have just the smallest amount of sphagnum so there is no chance for rot. A few of them get some early morning dappled sunlight, but nothing to scorch the leaves. Some of them turn a lovely greeny-maroon colour, but no burns.
They get rain and mist as the sky dictates,(the "porch" roof is deliberately a leaky one

), and get a fertilizer dose with the weekly hose down.

At autumn,(Disclaimer;I do this because a person who grows FABULOUS phals told me to),I leave them out during the first couple weeks that the night temps drop into the 40's.
Then I bring them into the greenhouse where they hang up in a similar way to how they are during the summer season. The temps in that greenhouse go 50's at night.
They get a cloud-foresty daily misting in the morning.

Okay.
So my puzzlement is this:
I have read many discussions and posts and literatures on Light for phals and how that pertains to setting spikes.
There are so many contradictions that I am very lost and confused.
I think that my lack of flowering phals must be due to light?
I do fertilize and I've even started using Bloom Booster.

Can somebody shed some Light on this for me?

I will be eternally grateful and grovel at you-allsez feet.