Dave,
I've still got space in my current arrangement. I have a shelving unit
standing in front of one of my windows with supplemental lights attached to
the top shelf. So far I am really using only one shelf of that for the
orchids in that room, but I could fairly easily add more lights and use
another shelf or two. So space is not an issue quite yet. But I am a bit
concerned about the increasing pace of my orchid acquisitions ... if this
trend continues, I will run out of space sooner than I expected not too long
ago ... so I think I need to slow down a bit. Not long ago I was thinking
that one orchid per month on average would be a reasonable limit, or one
month buying two orchids and the following month no orchids to balance it
out, but at some point I seem to have found that self-imposed limit
impossible to maintain. Having bought 4 orchids this month, I will
definitely not be able to abstain for the next three months!
Joanna

"Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
...
J Fortuna ) wrote:
: Dave,
: Thanks for the update! I too get around 1000 foot candle readings on my
: light meter under my lights in the best lit place, and my humidity is
: generally above 50%. So it does indeed sound like we have very similar
: conditions. I will consider getting a Burr. Stefan Isler sometime then
as
: well. Thanks! Though at this point I might need to wait a bit, since I
: splurged and bought 4 orchids this weekend for a total of 28 orchids in
my
: apartment, so I think I may need to wait a bit before buying more ... at
: least a few weeks or a few days, right? :-)

Yeah, I saw your post and I wondered if you had any space left for more. I
thought I'd pass the information along anyway. I ran out of window sill
space
long ago and since have taken to hanging plants in the window in order to
be
able to keep more orchids. I got a new Bulbo recently and resorted to
co-mounting it with another Bulbo.

Dave

: Joanna

: "Dave Sheehy" wrote in message
: ...
: Dave Sheehy ) wrote:
: : J Fortuna ) wrote:
: : : My local plant nursery has some really attractive intergeneric
hybrids
: for
: : : sale, including Bllra Marfitch 'Howard's Dream' and Colm Wildcat,
and
: I am
: : : quite tempted to buy one of them, however I would not want to buy
them
: if my
: : : conditions are such that they couldn't possibly do well.
:
: : : I grow on the windowsills or rather on shelves next to
north-facing
: windows.
: : : I supplement this with growlamps so that I can achieve medium
light
: right
: : : under a lamp, but I am not sure whether I could have medium light
at
: leaf
: : : level for a Bllra since they are rather tall plants. So the light
is
: low to
: : : medium, but mostly low.
:
: : : The temps in our apartment are usually around 70-80 degrees
: Fahrenheit.
: : : Sometimes in the summer the air-conditioning doesn't work though
and
: then it
: : : can be in the upper 80s or in the low 90s for a short period of
time.
: In the
: : : winters, especially at night the temp might be in the 60s.
:
: : : Humidity-wise we try to keep it above 50% at all times -- easy in
the
: : : summer, harder but doable in the winter.
:
: : Like you I have been branching out and experimenting with other
orchids
: I
: : might possibly be able to grow there as well. Last spring I bought a
: Burr(?
: : I think that's right) 'Stephan Isler' and put it in that north
window
: with
: : the phals. It's too soon to report any success other than it is
growing
: well.
: : The new growth has done well and the pb is starting to flesh out
nicely
: so
: : I'm pretty encouraged. I won't know if it'll bloom until next
: spring/summer.
:
: I have an update on my Burr. Stefan Isler that I keep in my north
window
: along
: with the Phals. I examined it the other day and found a new flower
spike
: growing. So, there's at least one intergeneric that can be
successfully
: kept
: along with Phals.
:
: For those that are interested here are some details. I have a light
meter
: and
: if I hold it so as to maximize the reading I get a value of 1000 (I
: believe
: the units are foot candles but I don't remember for sure off the top
of my
: head). Phals require a light intensity range between 500-1000
according
: some
: sources and the grower that I bought the Burr Stefan Isler from told
me it
: requires a light intensity between 1000-1200 (so it comes in at the
high
: end
: of the phal light requirement). Humidity in my house ranges from
40-60%
: year round as far as I've been able to measure. I don't go to any
special
: efforts to control humidity. There are 4 aquariums in the house which
: contribute between 1.5-2 gallons of evaporated water per day to the
: surrounding air so they are probably helping to raise humidity to some
: degree.
:
: So the upshot is I think it is very possible for you to keep
appropriately
: selected intergenerics in your conditions.
:
: Dave
: