Question for those growing under lights
 

Hi All,

Been a while since I could connect with OB - work.

Do those of you who grow with lights change the timers to correspond with the change of season? How do you adjust? e.g. do you follow the diminishing light outside and set timers accordingly? Is this needed by the orchids to stay in sync with nature?

Thanks for your help.
Jeff G

i dont, i dont actually use a timer. i just turn them on by hand. i am sorry i couldnt be of more help. if you figure it out, please let me know

I grow under lights and I do not adjust to match natural light....I usualy set my lights for 9 or 10 hrs and leave them there. I would not have a problem with 11 hrs even.When I feel its time to adjust for spring I add a hour for a week or so then add a hour again to go to 12 hoursbut I have not had blooming size plants untill this fall so I have still got to learn what will be needed to bloom winter blooming types...I may have to start adjustiing more closely to the naturaul schedual.but my den and my phaius did great last fall and winter as far as blooming was concerned.

Even though I don't use lights,(plan on it soon!) It would seem reasonable to vary the light depending on the season. I plan on doing 12 hours from Feb-Apr, 13 hours from May-July, 12 hours from Aug-Oct, and 11 from Nov-Jan. This I think would imitate the natural hours of light most wild orchids receive

It will make a difference for those orchids that need a change in photoperiod to bloom.

well I am not sure wit orchids yet but wit most other plants that do react to photoperoid under 11 hours is all that is needed no need to go strictly with natural hours and adjust that much ...and for long day plants 13 or more...

I have never heard of a plant needing days shorter than 10 hours to bloom .I would be interested in hearing more though if there are ...

I do use grow lights in my basement to over-winter a lot of tropical plants beside my orchids. Most of my orchids though are on the windowsills throughout the house. However, my phaius' and cymbidiums stay on the floor downstairs to experience the cold of the basement floor.

I do periodically adjust the timers of the lights - they don't have to be exactly mimicing what's going on outside as they are tropicals. However, I have had great success with decreasing it a little.

I fear this year that I have so may orchids though that I may be over-wintering a few down in the basement under the grow lights.

What about incident light from sources other than your grow lights? All of my orchids get both artificial and window light. I have shelves set up with lights for the lower shelves, and the plants on the top shelves get south facing window light. And I don't have a separate growing space, so room lights get turned on and off at random times.
It seems to me that it doesn't make that much difference. I grow mostly phals, masdies, slipper orchids (okay I haven't had that much luck with them), some dens, catts, oncidiums and intergenerics.

I grow under lights in my basement. I set the timer for 14 hours from mid March until the end of October then I set it for 12 hours for the winter. It works well.

Carl

as far as I know actually less that 13 hrs seems to be the trigger point for blooming 12 usually is the accepetd tagret