Help with direct sun/filtered sun
 

:)
Ok guys, I hope this newbie is not driving you nuts with all the questions. I think i did figure out most of the staff regarding my babies, there is still the question regarding light/sun. So, if you can, please shoot me your advises and comments. My balcony is on the 5th, last floor in our building, positioned north-west. I am getting the direct sun starting around 3pm till the evening time. Left balcony wall is in the shade 24 hours a day, and there is also double wooden step made especially for orchids, so there are orchids that likes the shade, phals, oncidiums, miltonia, flat leave Vanda. It is not dark but it does not get direct sun at all. Railing is bamboo, letting little bit of sun through via gaps, and along the railing inside the balcony are many orchids hanging in the pots or baskets, bulbophyllums, masdeviallias, cattleyas and few others, they seem they are pretty happy there. The question is for the right corner side, where there is late afternoon direct sun. I do have orchids, like some dendrobiums, and even cattleyas and few others that should get filtered sun, or some pages say even direct morning or late afternoon sun. I did place them at that spot, but it seemed some of them did not like it at all and got burned, even the sun is there from like 4pm till evening. Some of them are doing well at that spot. So question is, is DIRECT AFTERNOON sun acceptable for orchids, especially those, that need lot of light and some direct or filtered sun? Should I put sunscreen shade cloth there to filter the afternoon sun and keep them under? I am really trying to do my best this year, to make them bloom, most of my orchids is doing fine regarding growths, but mmany has never bloomed or did not bloom after the first time I received them in the bloom already:(( Any advises regarding light, direct/filtered sun, and what orchid likes what would be greatly appreciated. I have really a big collection of probably 20 different kinds and it is getting complicated what to provide to whom to make them happy and blooming:-)

I would rig shadecloth to protect them. As the seasons change I have noticed that the afternoon sun is pretty hot compared to 4 months ago. Because of this, I now leave the shadecloth up all year round. I purchased aluminet and it works really well.
Dappled shade/sun would also work but that would be hard for you to achieve on an apartment balcony. I have moved most of my non-phals outdoors, under trees, shrubs and other cover - and they are thriving in the dappled shade/sun.

Direct sun from 11am to 3pm will burn your orchid leaves unless they are Mokaras, reed stem Epidendrum or some Vanda plants. Lab created plants are pampered with controlled light and humidity so they will definitely burn in direct sun.
Filtered sun is when you put the plants under a tree, a shade or a thin curtained window sill.

Your NE position with a 3pm direct sun is still tricky since you are in Miami where the temperature at 3PM can be scorching hot in mid summer. In the fall when the temperature at 3pm is below 90 then the direct sun will be tolerable to your plants.

Orchidsarefun is right, invest on a shade cloth. You can find those really cheap at Wal-Mart garden section.

Thanks so much guys. I did order already shade cloth from home depot and got it yesterday. So I was just thinking if it is necessary or not, but you are totally right, our sun in the summer is pretty strong. So i think for the hot summer days, like from May-October I will keep shade cloth and orchids under, for the rest of the year I will remove shade cloth. I have also chain across the whole balcony, and it is under over leaping concrete ceiling, we are on the top floor, so there is really enough light but not direct sun at all the whole day, the sun is too high and therefor it shines directly from the middle to bottom part of the balcony. I think I can hang some there. I have also huge dracena tree at that corner with afternoon sun so I have some hang under that tree. Sun gets to the balcony only after 3pm. I guess i will go with the TEST IT and see, I hope I won't kill any of them, but will watch for any of burns. MANY THANKS for all the advices!!!

---------- Post added at 12:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:15 AM ----------

one more question, you wrote epidendrum, I have epidendrum Mabel Kanda, and also Grammatophyllum scriptum citrinum. I kknow from seller that Grammatophyllum loves direct sun, and even he had it on some direct sun in Hawaii, so I will hang that onein the corner balcony spot with full direct sun in the afternoon, but do you guys think my epidendrum Kanda can also be on direct sun??? still talking afternoon from cca 4pm till evening?

I think direct sun after 3 pm is fine for cattleyas, vandas and even some oncidiums. They may burn a little at first or develop red spots or red borders on the leaves but eventually they will adapt to the brighter light and grow better as a result. It helps to increase the light slowly if that's possible. I have friends with cattleyas mounted on palm trees that get almost full sun except at mid-day. One other point. Orchids given strong light need to have good root systems so don't put a small orchid with a couple of roots in full sun.

All of the windows in my apartment face west. My bedroom window has tiny teeny weeny trees outside that do NOT in any way filter the sun (it's too high in the sky by 2:30 when the sun swings to that side of the building). I've got an Eplc., Blc., and Lc., hanging out in that window and when I initially put them up there they HATED the direct light (they had previously been in a bathroom window with a big tree outside that shaded them..but it was too much shade and they were too dark green so I had to move them). I got a piece of lace from Walmart and hung it up against the window, and one of the days it was super hot they got all purple and angry at me despite the lace being there to break up the direct light.

I got them a small desk fan and some humidity trays (with the blinds down behind them it's kind of its own contained area), and when I get home around 4:30 I mist them and turn the fan on, and I make sure their little trays have water in them...they are totally fine now. Their leaves are nice and turgid, they are growing roots and shoots like weeds...they just had to adjust. I think that with your shadecloth they will adjust and be just fine, as Tucker said.

Thanks much, I guess I will try and see. The plants I am planning to put into that corner are very matured plants, big ones, with great root system. So they should be just fine. Ill watch and see if it works for them or no. Many thanks for the tips!

If you can, try to slowly increase the light, so they won't burn as badly. A good test, is to touch the leaves (w/ the back of your hand), if they feel hot, or really warm to the touch, they are probably getting too much sun, and you will need to shade them a little more, and/or increase the air circulation around the leaves. As butterfly_muse said, if you have real good air circulation, this will help them survive more sun, b/c it keeps them cooler.

its not advertised nor is it easy to find from what I can remember but the cloth from Home Depot is 85% shade?.

Tis much better to caution on the side of safe :waving

it does not say how much shade it is actually, i did try to look on label. I did apply it to the balcony corner and put some orchids under so will see, I will try to watch for any signs of overheating and burn. The sun in that part is late afternoon, I would say after 4pm and till sunset. I guess I just really need to try and see