How do you rank light needs? -OR- making lemonade out of toxic roof cleaning solution

[DirtyCoconuts]

SO this is a dual purpose thread- one because i am looking for insight about how to arrange plants by light needs and also, slyly, to show off how i have re-arranged the grow spaces in my yard for better control and protection

i have my Schom/ myr species and hybrids out getting max light;
then, very close is the area where the catesetums go;
next highest light is the brassavolas and hybrids- this includes Bc. and Blc. hybrids.

next i have catts and catt hybrids. i include catt, leilia, Rlc. Lc. in this group.

another area has dendrobiums (phal type and laurinatre and aussie)

then i have the lath house which has a sunny side and shady side and the sunny side has the antelope dens and the "chip" family of dens as well as the zygotes and miltons as well as neos

shady side has the phals and the bulbos and there are oncidiums moving around as they confuse me the most


any glaring errors you see? suggestions

this is the new catt area

Reorganization by J Solo, on Flickr



this is the shady dendrobium area with the catts beyond the shade

Reorganization by J Solo, on Flickr


the brassavola area

Reorganization by J Solo, on Flickr


thanks in advance for any advice

[estación seca]

You might need to turn pots so they grow evenly upward and not horizontally.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Thanks ES, is that just a “form” thing or is there a benefit to the plants as well?

[Ray]

I’ve always grown my brassavolas in the brightest light, hung up with the vandas in the greenhouse, catts and myrms next (I’ve never grown catasetums enough of comment), then oncids. Bulbos were always deeply shaded, like phals.

[estación seca]

When they sprawl sideways they get tangled into a mess, and it can be hard to pull one out without breaking something or knocking over a lot of plants. I grow in a sunroom with solid roof and a wall of windows.

[DirtyCoconuts]

cool, thanks ES- ill make some wire hoops to keep em at least somewhat vertical

Ray- that's great- i thought that onc were more shade lovers with a lot of dappled light...i'll see if i can move them to a brighter place with just midday cover

where would psycopsis and cymbidiums go? i have the cyms with the cats and under the dens and the psycs are under shade cloth and then shade (roof)?

[WaterWitchin]

I kept Cymbs in full sun outside (slowly conditioned to sun in very early spring), other than a 2-4 hours shaded light in hottest part of day. Kansas sun, high humidity.

Psychopsis, same as Catts.

[estación seca]

You're much farther south than most of the country. Catts will flower for me with only 2 hours of morning sun, then bright shade the rest of the day. I seem to recall from visiting Florida that not many orchids take full sun other than terete Vandas, Renanthera and hybrids, and some Grammatophyllum, Cyrtopodium and Myrmecophila. Your bright shade is probably enough to bloom almost any Oncidium.

[DirtyCoconuts]

that is correct, ES, the only full sun orchids are the terete vandas ( and semi) the myr/Schom. i keep the gramm scriptum covered and the Renanthera got SCORCHED by me being too hasty and so i am scared to put her back in brighter light

i am extremely grateful for the help as this is more the nuanced stuff as opposed to general cultural needs. I am very lucky to be able to consult the best growers on the planet for my personal questions!!!

[DirtyCoconuts]

if acclimated, are cyms all sun tolerant or do i have to research each plant? i wanted to move them to max sun without hurting them