The cultural requirements within the orchid family vary greatly. The following information is a general guide for plants in the orchid family. Cultural requirements for specific genera may differ slightly.
The most common reason an orchid fails to flower is inadequate light. The plant may grow and appear healthy, but if there is not sufficient light, it probably will not bloom. In the horticulture industry, light intensity is measured in footcandles (fc). A bright sunny day outdoors might yield 10,000 footcandles. A window indoors, with northern exposure, might yield as little as 100 fc. Orchids are classified into three groups according to their light requirements: high light (3,000 or more fc), medium light (2,000-3,000 fc) and low light (1,200-2,000 fc).
The best place to grow orchids in the home is on a windowsill. A south-facing window is the ideal location for optimum results. An eastfacing window would be next, then west and finally a northfacing window. If a windowsill does not provide sufficient light, artificial lighting may be used. For optimum light transmission, clean the windows frequently, and clean the foliage of dust as needed. The plant itself is the best indicator of proper light levels. If you have not been successful in getting your orchid to bloom, your first suspicion
should be too low light. Orchids that are not getting sufficient light will be a dull, dark green. Plants that are receiving sufficient light will have light to medium green leaves. Although orchids do not generally receive too much light in the home environment, they may become sunburned if placed outdoors in direct sun.
Sunburn may appear as blackened or yellowish leaves, or leaves which are tinged red.
Temperature
Temperature is a critical element in forcing orchids to bloom. Orchids are divided into four categories according to temperature preferences: warm-growing orchids that prefer winter night temperatures no lower than 60F, intermediate-growing orchids that prefer a winter night range of 50 – 55Fs, coolgrowing orchids that prefer temperatures no lower than 45-50F and hardy orchids that can be grown outdoors year round.
A 10-degree drop in temperature at night is critical to flowering in most orchids. Plants that are grown under constant temperatures will not grow or flower as well as those grown with fluctuating temperatures. If the plants are grown outdoors in the summer, the temperature will drop naturally. For indoor plants, place the plants in a windowsill where a natural drop in temperature will occur. Plants grown under artificial lighting will naturally receive the temperature drop as the lights are turned off in the evening.
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