Gene,

I tend to agree that the amount of light contributes to "color
intensity"; however, here is another consideration: It's a hybrid. From
all that I have seen, you can place the same hybrid in the same place
under the same amount of light and in a control environment, and yet
some hybrid flowers will not be identical to the previous bloom. Such
depends on the amount of interbreeding, whether it is a mericlone or
seed grown, etc.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System
http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

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Gene Schurg wrote:

Two years ago I purchased two Phal at the Greater New York Show from Carmela
Orchids. They expected them to be of award quality (never heard that before
huh?).

The cross was Carmela's Bright Lites x Brother Pirate King.

I brought it home and it bloomed a yellow flower with weak red spots. Last
winter it bloomed again with a kinda washed out blah color and I thought
this would be a good plant to find its way to the sale table.

This year under lots of natural light one of the two plants have opened
flowers with very intense red dots that nearly croud out all of the
background yellow. The lip is a solid ruby red.

I also have a Phrag Eric Young (with some tetraploid background) that in the
past was ho hum pink. The first bud to open this year on the plant is also
very intense red.

I'm sure it's the sunlight. I've been giving them all they can take since
taking the shade cloth off on November 1st.

Any feedback?

Gene