Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Am I using the correct lighting for my phaleonopsis orchid?

Just thought about this....I'm using an 18 inch, 15 watt flourescent bulb, to provide light to my orchid....I'm unsure if that's sufficient. The plant remains under the light for about 8 -10 hours of the day. But my concern is how much wattage of artificial light am I suppose to give my orchid, considering that I don't get sun light into my apartment.

Am I using the correct lighting for my phaleonopsis orchid?
A regular florescent light bulb isn't going to do it for your orchid. You need a "grow light".



Phalenonopsis don't need SUN light, they just need light. If you have a window, you probably have enough light for your orchid.



Good Luck!!
Reply:I'd boost the light to 40 watts; two, 2-foot, 20-watt grow bulbs will generally do nicely. Keep the lights down low near the leaves; don't try to keep them above the flower spike when it appears - just let it grow past the fixture. I raise mostly African violets, but also a few orchids (fortunately they do well in similar conditions), and I have a fixture that I really like that I purchased via the link below. It's good for a tabletop; if you have lots of plants, you may want to check into some of their larger fixtures. I've done business with them on several occasions, and they have always been quick and reliable.



Good luck!

gordon

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