Silly question
 

RE: artificial lighting.
This may be a silly question but as this is not done in our climate I am just wondering...how long are lights left on orchids?
Are they turned off at night?

Thanks.

I haven't grown under lights for many years, but they definitely need a dark period. In the wild, most tropical orchids have equivalent hours of dark/light so it's probably wise to approach that. In a greenhouse, you get extra hours in the summer and fewer in the winter.

Marleneann, you need to simulate the changing light patterns they would encounter in the wild. Here's what I've found to work;
Nov-Jan 16hrs/day, Feb-June 18hrs/day, July-Aug 16hrs/day, Sept-Oct 12hrs/day...hope this helps

I have a fluorescent light garden, that I use mainly for seedlings....almost all paphs with a few phrags. I keep the lights on about 15 hours a day, from late September to mid-May...then they go off while the plants go outside or on windowsills. I use to leave them on 16 hours, but saw no benefit...so I cut back. I use 4 bulb fixtures, 3 cool white, 1 warm white. Take care, Eric

Orchfrk are you growing under flourescents or HID? And is that without supplimental natural light? 18 hrs seems like a long time - although you must be getting good results.

I have gone up to 16 in the summer and dropped down to 12 in the winter.

Oscar, i'm growing under both; 400wHID for my catts and encyclia and a dual warm/cool fluorescent for the rest. In a west facing window with sheer curtain so they do get supplemental afternoon sun. My avatar is my C. Maxima

Hello thats all I grow under. Except I use floursent bulbs from a reef tank, 10,000 k whites and antenic blue.I have about 35 miniature mounted orchids,sinningias, carnivorous plants,phals, paphs, winter 14 hrs, spring 18,summer they are all out side!
Clay