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#1
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Lighting for One Phal.
I have looked at several posts regarding lighting, and I still
haven't been able to come up with a satisfactory answer to my problem. I have one phalaenopsis and the best window I have is north-facing. The window receives a little light but not nearly enough, so I need to provide supplemental lighting. I have read varying opinions about florescent and "plant lights" that Phillips, and the like, makes and cannot decide what I need to get for my situation. I have limited space. I was thinking about buying a compact florescent desk lamp. Will this do the job? Or, will the bulb-style plant light be better. I would assume that the plant light would get fairly warm since it is a bulb. Any help is appreciated. --Pete |
#2
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Lighting for One Phal.
Pete wrote:
I have looked at several posts regarding lighting, and I still haven't been able to come up with a satisfactory answer to my problem. I have one phalaenopsis and the best window I have is north-facing. The window receives a little light but not nearly enough, so I need to provide supplemental lighting. I have read varying opinions about florescent and "plant lights" that Phillips, and the like, makes and cannot decide what I need to get for my situation. I have limited space. I was thinking about buying a compact florescent desk lamp. Will this do the job? Or, will the bulb-style plant light be better. I would assume that the plant light would get fairly warm since it is a bulb. Any help is appreciated. --Pete If you are planning to leave the Phal at the north window, the answer is easy. The north window light is good light, there's just not enough of it. All you need to do is add some more. I think the fluorescent desk lamp would be enough as long as you can have it quite close to your plant. The thing I really don't understand is planning on just one orchid. Are you sure you shouldn't just go ahead and plan light for as many as the window will hold. ... and then one more... ? Steve |
#3
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Lighting for One Phal.
Steve,
Thanks for the reply. I am a student and my space is limited. I cannot put anything in the window. Actually, the plant is on a desk that is butted against the window. Between the light I am planning to buy and the tray that I am using to create some humidity, I simply don't have the room. As soon as I have some room, I'll go the full measure. I already have my eye on many, many things. --Pete |
#4
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Lighting for One Phal.
Pete wrote:
Steve, Thanks for the reply. I am a student and my space is limited. I cannot put anything in the window. Actually, the plant is on a desk that is butted against the window. Between the light I am planning to buy and the tray that I am using to create some humidity, I simply don't have the room. As soon as I have some room, I'll go the full measure. I already have my eye on many, many things. --Pete I got my first orchid when I was in college. Then my second, then 3 more... then I graduated, got a job and my own place. That's when things started getting out of hand. :-) One last bit of advice. Don't compromise the light just so you can fit in a humidity tray. Humidity trays are not very effective at all but more light can work wonders. It sounds like what you plan to do will work just fine though. Steve |
#5
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Lighting for One Phal.
Sorry to intrude on this post, but I am interested in the spragnum moss
mentioned? I have two Phal's and wondered what the benefit of using spragnum moss is? Thanks |
#6
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Lighting for One Phal.
One of the benefits of sphagnum moss is that it is easier to tell when the
Phal needs watering (at least for me it is), since one can just touch the top surface of the moss, and water when it is dry. Bark just seems dry all the time to me, and I never did get the hang of figuring out by weight of the pot or the other methods, so I just water the plants in bark when I suspect they might possibly need watering without much feedback from them, whereas the ones in moss I know I am watering when they need it. Joanna "UKOrchidFan" wrote in message oups.com... Sorry to intrude on this post, but I am interested in the spragnum moss mentioned? I have two Phal's and wondered what the benefit of using spragnum moss is? Thanks |
#7
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Lighting for One Phal.
On Tue, 04 Apr 2006 12:48:26 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote: One of the benefits of sphagnum moss is that it is easier to tell when the Phal needs watering (at least for me it is), since one can just touch the top surface of the moss, and water when it is dry. Bark just seems dry all the time to me, and I never did get the hang of figuring out by weight of the pot or the other methods, so I just water the plants in bark when I suspect they might possibly need watering without much feedback from them, whereas the ones in moss I know I am watering when they need it. Joanna One of the problems with moss is that it is easy to pack it in too tight if you are not very careful to leave lots of air space. It is very different from planting in one of the bark style mixes. I have trouble with it. So there are some that swear by it and others (me) that swear at it. |
#8
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Lighting for One Phal.
So there are some that swear by it and others (me)
that swear at it. I alternate between the two! I used to keep all Phals in spag, but no more. Now I use it for small Phals which need to grow their roots-keikis and plants that have had trouble. For me, it's fine in a basket, but not in a plastic pot. I also use it in certain mixes. For my mature Phals, though, most are in Aliflor and get watered twice weekly. There will always be a place for spaghnum, however. Diana |
#9
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Just to throw a spanner into the works, I have a white phalanopsis that I have had for the last two years, it has always been kept on a north facing window sill without any additional lighting! It has flowered repeatedly, to the point of stupidity, having in excess of 35 blooms at a time that last for about 6 months!
So perhaps you should just leave yours on the window sill and see how it does for a bit without worrying about additonal lighting. I don't think there is anythign special about the window where I have put mine, it faces due north and is in the kitchen. I havn't even repotted it since I bought it and its roots are growing wild, I dare not touch it in case it causes it to become upset! Good luck! |
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