Using Growing Lights for an Orchid

Orchids have needs just the same as any other house plant. This includes the amount of light, water and nutrition it receives. Of these, the amount of light an orchid gets is probably the most important. It varies from species to species, but as orchids hail from the tropical regions of earth, they will in most cases require a good amount of diffused light every day.

Because the orchid is acclimatized to a lush environment that has consistent patterns of sun and shade, the best position in your home for an orchid is in a window that faces east. By so doing, your orchid will have the cool morning light and will also avoid the burning midday sun. This setup will closely resemble the orchids’ natural setting. Orchids should get 12 hours of sunlight a day, but this of course won’t be possible for every day of the year, due to some days being hotter than normal.

Do Your Research

Being the owner of an orchid means bearing the responsibility of figuring out the correct amounts of light and shade that your specific species requires to thrive – and this means finding as much information as possible that is relevant to your plant. I’m happy to say that you have many options to complete this task. Firstly, just talk to the people where you bought the plant, and secondly, the internet. The internet is a huge resource for information on all topics, and gaining knowledge for your particular orchid, especially before purchasing it, should not be too difficult. With the varied species of orchids,you’ll discover that there are advantages and disadvantages to light and shade.

For instance, some prefer more exposure to sunlight and others prefer more shade. To help you determine which orchid you have, there are two classifications: ‚”soft growing” orchids and ‚”hard growing” orchids. The ‚”soft growing” type prefers more shade and the ‚”hard growing” type prefer more sun. Overall, the owners of soft growing orchids will have a very healthy plant that will last longer but will be of a smaller size and have smaller and less frequent blooms. Conversely, owners of hard-growing orchids will have a smaller plant but with larger blooms and the leaves could tend to be yellow.

Growing Lights

A very good way for ensuring the right amount of light exposure is by using growing lights for your orchid. Using a grow-light and timer will assure that the preferred amount of light and shade is given, and thus the maximum growth potential will be attained. Fluorescent lights are another good way to provide light that isn’t too strong for an orchid. The misconception for years has been that only experts can successfully grow and cultivate orchids. In reality, all it takes is a good general knowledge of your specific orchid species, the right amount of light and shade, including a little artificial light, for even a novice to own a flourishing orchid plant.

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Orchid Lighting Methods