My new window sill set up - Is this curtain too much?

[hypersparkle]

Hey there,

So, finally getting some of my window sill set ups lookinga little prettier. Today, we moved the lemon tree out of the window so that the orchid would have more space.

Here are a few photos without and then with the curtain. Extra bright out there due to clear skies and a fresh blanket of snow!





This is a southern exposure window and we have no big trees in the backyard so it gets some pretty intense sun. I don't have a light meter, so I had my husband go pick up a sheer curtain at Target. It's a crinkle curtain, but sheer. (Excuse the safety pins.. we wanted to see what it looked like before going full on with the curtain since we already have blinds there.) Do you think it is too much? Enough to filter? Too much? Thoughts?

I don't want to burn these pretties, but we only have south and north windows.. oh and one east window, but it's in the guest room and I'd rather keep these down here in the living room for now. I'm sure eventually I'll spill over upstairs too. Right now, it's where my recovering orchids are living.

Thanks for your time!

[Roberta]

If the window is getting blasted when the sun is straight-on, the sheer curtain is a very good idea. As the sun shifts north with the approach of spring, you would then probably want to raise it out of the way when the sun isn't intense. That's a problem with window light in general... when the sun shifts it may be inadequate, but you do need to protect the plants from toasting at the sun's peak intensity. if the light is not sufficient, you might want to supplement it with an LED light (on a timer, you could go up to 12 hrs. per day) Any increases of light need to be done gradually. But heat/light damage can happen within seconds or a couple of minutes and is permanent, so best to err on the side of caution.

[hypersparkle]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If the window is getting blasted when the sun is straight-on, the sheer curtain is a very good idea. As the sun shifts north with the approach of spring, you would then probably want to raise it out of the way when the sun isn't intense. That's a problem with window light in general... when the sun shifts it may be inadequate, but you do need to protect the plants from toasting at the sun's peak intensity. if the light is not sufficient, you might want to supplement it with an LED light (on a timer, you could go up to 12 hrs. per day) Any increases of light need to be done gradually. But heat/light damage can happen within seconds or a couple of minutes and is permanent, so best to err on the side of caution.

Thanks. Yeah, it gets decently intense light so I am worried about damage. I'll pin it up maybe when it isn't as intense. I appreciate the feedback.

[Roberta]

When the sun is at its brightest feel the leaves. If they are warm/hot to the touch they're getting toasted, take action immediately. Your fingers will tell you more than a light meter will because you can check on specific spots.

[hypersparkle]

Originally Posted by Roberta

When the sun is at its brightest feel the leaves. If they are warm/hot to the touch they're getting toasted, take action immediately. Your fingers will tell you more than a light meter will because you can check on specific spots.

Gotcha. Will do.

[camille1585]

I do see what appears to be a Neofinetia. That one I would not shade, in the wild these get brighter (and mostly unfiltered) light than in the summer since they are found in deciduous trees.

[Paul]

This time of year it may not be an issue considering how weak the winter sun is. However, as you move into spring and summer, you may indeed need to use the sheer OR if you have other, tallish plants that are sun lovers, you could put them between the window and the phals so the phals are sitting the shade of the other plant. You definitely have enough room with that setup to do something like that.

[rbarata]

Where are you in the states? That's important info.

A south and north window is the best of both worlds. That's what I have too. I have a curtain like yours and so far it has been enough to bloom catts.
In the beginning of summer, when the sun still hits for hrs the window my curtain is not enough to protect from "my" sun.

[hypersparkle]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Where are you in the states? That's important info.

A south and north window is the best of both worlds. That's what I have too. I have a curtain like yours and so far it has been enough to bloom catts.
In the beginning of summer, when the sun still hits for hrs the window my curtain is not enough to protect from "my" sun.

I'm in southern Wisconsin. It's not a north & south, just one or the other. It wasn't until we moved in that I noticed we only have one east window in the whole house.

What's your curtain like? I ended up taking back the sheer in this photo because I didn't like the look. For now, I'll put the blinds down in the afternoon. They're too thick, but some light does get through.

I've though about the tall plants, but I'm not sure what I want there. Whatever it is, I'd want it be low maintenance so I can focus on the orchids. The lemon tree ate up too much space which is why it got moved to its own table. It also lives outside on the deck in the summer.

[Mountaineer370]

Hypersparkle, your set-up is almost identical to mine. I'm in SE Michigan. Take your window and add a second one next to it, and you have my set-up. In our latitudes, the sun is coming into those south windows most directly in the winter.

I don't care for sheers, either. I find they block my view of the outside more than I like. What I have is a woven, lacy kind of tier curtain that just covers the bottom half of the window. In the summer, when the sun is higher in the sky, I even push that all the way open to let more light in. There's also a matching valance across the top. Like many of us, my orchids are in the main living area of my home, so I try to find a balance between what's good for the orchids and aesthetic appearances.

I also do what Paul mentioned above which is to move plants around, depending on how much light they prefer. I do have a couple taller ones that I can use to shade others, or I may simply move them back and forth closer or further from the window. It's a balancing act, and the positions change with the seasons.