Spring Shade
As we enjoy the sun’s ascent and longer daylight hours with spring, it’s time to move orchids from their brighter winter homes into shadier areas. Don’t wait until leaves turn yellow or sunburn. Since different orchid varieties need different light levels, consider what each requires for their spring and summer home. Many types, like Cattleyas, Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, Epidendrums, Oncidiums, and Vandas, will enjoy morning sun. Phals, Paphs, and Masdevallias may tolerate some morning sun, but are best in shadier locales. Give orchids enough light to keep their leaves a light green color. Dark green leaves may mean there’s too little light for blooms.
This year, unusually warm temps in much of North America and Western Europe even have experienced growers keeping an eye on leaf color. Relying on spring moving dates from past years may not work, since the warmth can contribute to earlier sunburns. At the first sign of leaf yellowing, find some shade.
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March 28th, 2012 at 9:10 am
Many thanks for taking this chance to speak about this, Personally i think florescent lights are better. I’ve found it extremely useful and I can conttrol the lights level. My orchids are in my basement with no windows so there is no naturel sunlight. I turn on lights for 15 hours a day except in winter I shorten the days for a month. No sunburns on my leaves!
March 31st, 2012 at 4:17 pm
I found what I was looking for. great article, thanks
April 12th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
A few individuals think that because they live in a cooler climate and their orchids won’t need as much light. They still need lots of extra winter light or they have a tendency to hibernate and not grow at all. Those n warm climates figure to have it easier. Just push the orchid closer to the window in winter and pull it back for spring.
May 1st, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Good tips, thanks.