Growing Orchids With Artificial Lights
Light, water and nutrition are the building blocks of what orchids need to thrive, or for that matter any kind of house plant. Some plants want and need full sun and some need shade to do their best. Others need a combination of light to prosper. Orchids do have specific requirements to achieve their best for your home. Light is a critical factor in your plants success and is the most essential ingredient for your orchid.
The species of orchid is the determining factor to the amount and type of light needed. These needs can vary widely. One way to understand the need for your orchids is the fact that orchids come from the tropical areas of the world. And with that knowledge we can deduce that the principle type of light is “diffused.” And with the understanding of how a tropical forest is laid out and the distinct patterns of sun and shade, we know that this kind of light will constitute the bulk of the daily need.
Just as in the forest we need to give them cool morning light and shade during the noon high sun. In our homes we can set the plants in an east facing window which will allow for the needed shade at high noon and cool morning light. One of the challenges is the requirement of twelve hours of light for our plants. This is sometimes not easy to accomplish with just an east facing window alone.
“How much light without it being too much?” is the question. Since all orchids are not alike, the amount of sun and shade needed will require some research. If you just bought the plant, check on any label information. This is usually a great place to start. Also, the store may have written information for you to take with you. The sales people at the store or nursery can help. One last idea is the internet, check it out. You may want to do this first prior to buying the plants. The “net” can help with the best plants for your home and the needed light requirements.
You will find in your research, some orchids do well in the direct sun and others would die if put into this kind of environment. These orchids need shade and plenty of it. Most sun loving orchids are considered as hard, and soft orchids are the ones that live and do the best in the shade. When buying a plant the sales person should know the kind of orchid it is you are buying. If not seek help from someone else or consider going to a place where the staff has a good understanding of orchids and can be of help to you.
Characteristically orchids that thrive in a shady or soft environment conditions can be the easiest ones for owners to grow. But with the ease comes a trade off of the blooms, they may be smaller and occur less often. Hard or sunny types produce blooms more often and normally larger but with the risk of the plant itself having leaves turn yellow from the direct sun light.
Proper orchid lighting, what is a budding orchid horticulturist to do? We can water and feed with great ability but we can’t control the sun and its timing. But wait, we can. One of the simplest ways to make sure the light is right is a small investment in our orchid enjoyment. A timer and orchid lights are the remedy. Well a grow light is the correct name. This will guarantee our plants that depend on us for the right stuff will get the right light. A grow light and timer are at any hardware store or even at the plant shop. By using the correct lighting we can give to our plants not too much light and not to little light. Just the right light and you will have happy orchids. So using natural sun light, a grow light or even florescent lighting with a full understanding of your orchid you can have a plant that will give you full bloom during its blooming season.
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