# How much light for stanhopeas?



## ALToronto (Feb 12, 2014)

And what's the downside of giving them too much light, provided that there is no leaf burn?

The only convenient place I have to hang them is in a south-facing window. There is a big tree in front, but lots of sunshine still gets through, and they dry out very quickly. The leaves are also in a poor shape, and the pb's are very shrivelled. 

I'm thinking of placing them around a corner, completely out of direct daylight, and I'm wondering if that's too drastic a change. Supplementing with lights is always an option, but if I don't need to add lights, that would be a major bonus. I haven't seen any actual recommended light values in any of the literature I've looked at for stans.


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## John M (Feb 14, 2014)

I grow my Stanhopeas under the benches where only ferns and some hardy weeds will survive. I also grow many plants hanging up around the greenhouse where they get intermediate light (about 60% - 80% shade in summer). For more info, try this website:http://stanhopea.autrevie.com/


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## Brabantia (Feb 15, 2014)

Are there heavy feeder? I have a Stan. tigrina which is a big plant with many bulbs (15) but it has never flourished . It is cultivated in half shade.


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## ALToronto (Feb 15, 2014)

I have four species stans, all 1-2 years away from blooming. However, at the rate they're going, I doubt they'll bloom at all. I'm going to have to relocate them into a much shadier spot, maybe then they'll recover. They keep putting out new growths, but the growths are smaller than the older bulbs.

Are they warm growers, or do they need to chill over the winter? The window they're in can get pretty warm on a sunny day, I've seen temps above 25 degrees even when it's -15 outside.

I've heard that stans are heavy feeders, but I'm not sure what that means, exactly. How much is 'heavy', and since they're not getting a richer diet in the wild than other plants, why should they need more nutrients in cultivation?


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## NYEric (Feb 15, 2014)

Hmmm, maybe mine are getting too much light. thanks.


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## laurel (Feb 15, 2014)

I don't think you can generalize about stanhopea care. My jenischiana takes 2500-3500 fc, according to Baker, and needs a cooler,dryer rest period in winter to trigger flowering.

Laurel


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## keithrs (Feb 16, 2014)

You may find what you have been looking here.....

http://stanhopea.autrevie.com


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## Rick (Feb 16, 2014)

I have a few Stanophea species. I raised a flask of S. tigrinum to blooming size in a few years. I gave away about 1/2 as Christmas gifts to society members.

They don't need much food, just lots of water. Generally they are in baskets since the spikes come out of the bottom of the basket, and these really dry out fast, so they get watered every day, and I give them about 5ppm N with every watering. Once they get big they have lots of momentum. 

A wardii seedling I got as a gift was a very slow grower at high feed rates, but since I've cut back it is growing very fast. 

They are all hanging in the GH high enough where they get Cattleya level light.

I haven't found them to require winter rests.

Generally they get so big I'm surprised you are wanting to grow these in a window.


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## ALToronto (Feb 16, 2014)

I'm growing mine in my house, and the front window is really the only place where I can hang them (off the window trim) because the plant shelf underneath catches the drips. But I'll be making another living wall soon, to be placed in a shadier spot adjacent to the window, so I will put the stans and some ferns on it. 

My jenischiana is struggling the most - it readily initiates new growths, but most of them wither and die when they're still little sprouts. I water all four stans every day, but I wonder if they still dry out too quickly. The humidity in their area is around 70% right now; they're directly above a cool mist humidifier.


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