I've got two flasks of cattleya lueddemanniana and cattleya rex, the plants are still on the smaller side, so I'm going to wait to open them.
What would be the ideal temperatures at which to grow them, and how much light should be provided? Also, can anyone recommend a smaller sized grow light?
Can you put them in a window getting bright shade, but with no sun ever falling on the flasks? Or even outside now in the shade where there is no chance sun will fall on the flasks. 80-85 F / 26-29C would be great. Growth will be slower at cooler temperatures.
__________________ May the bridges I've burned light my way.
I can put the flasks in a window where they would be kept a bit warmer. They won't receive enough light in a window, so they will have to have a source of artificial light. If I put them on the patio with my other orchids they will likely get too warm.
Outdoors can get up to 90 in South Florida or more. I keep a fan or two on my orchids during the day, two on hot days. Ideally, I'd like to be able to 'set it and forget it'. Put the flask in one place, and let it grow until it's time for deflasking. I'd like to set it up in one place and put a timer on lights for it.
LOW light. No direct sun on the flask. Ever. When I got my last 2 flasks, I kept the blinds mostly drawn at first, stepped up to having them near, but not directly under, a 6500K fluorescent. For flasks, virtually any fluorescent will do.