Adam Seward
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Thanks Tom!
Light levels by foot candles
- Thread starter Tom-DE
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Help Support Slippertalk Orchid Forum:
https://www.slippertalk.com/threads/vacation-watering.51956/reply?quote=715711
I found this very helpful when I had to leave for several weeks this summer.
I found this very helpful when I had to leave for several weeks this summer.
Tom-DE
Well-Known Member
Bill, thank you for your interpretations on artificial light levels by fc.
I am hoping I can hear from different hobbyists as well on light levels(by fc, artificial lights) for slipper orchids.
I am hoping I can hear from different hobbyists as well on light levels(by fc, artificial lights) for slipper orchids.
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Oh Tom, it was my pleasure! Anytime.
I'll add my two cents to the light part of this discussion. Understand that I am very inexperienced in comparison to most of you, but I added lights fairly recently to my collection and this is what has worked for me with good growing/blooming results with less than a year of use.
Instead of FCs I use PPFD. I downloaded an app called Photone, which, while not a $200 professional light meter, works well enough. Your local orchid society might have a member with an official meter you could borrow which would be ideal.
I follow the recommendations on our fellow member's blog Here But Not:
https://herebutnot.com/light-recommendations-ppfd-par-for-orchids-and-houseplants/
Here is a quote from this particular blog post:
"Light Suggestions for Orchids (PPFD or PAR Recommendations)
Low-Light Orchids (Mottled-Leaf Paphs, Jewel Orchids, Phals)
40–80 umol/m2/s PPFD (20 umol/ft2/s)
Moderate-Light Orchids (Onc, Phrags, Epidens, Dends etc)
80–150 umol/m2/s PPFD (30-40 umol/ft2/s)
High-Light Orchids (Cattleya)
150–350 umol/m2/s PPFD (50-100 umol/ft2/s)
Very High-Light Orchids (Vandas)
350–600 umol/m2/s PPFD (50-100 umol/ft2/s)
*Converting meters to feet: 1m = 3.28ft
**NOTE: These are general suggestions not EXACT numbers; you can expect that +/- 50-100 umol/m2/s is likely okay and individual orchid species may be adapted to a range beyond these numbers—for example, a lot of strap-leafed paphs can take closer to 150 umol/m2/s. I encourage you to use this information to help you benchmark where your light should be, but as with all things related to horticulture and plant care, adjust based on your conditions and how your plants perform, look and grow."
Oh, and my two cents on a plant sitter (if you get one) is, if you have any phrags with wet feet... make sure you make it physically impossible to give any other plants wet feet. I learned that the hard way when I came home to a paph drowning in its decorative pot.
It has thankfully recovered somewhat and is about to bloom. But a lot of its roots tips stopped growing.
Instead of FCs I use PPFD. I downloaded an app called Photone, which, while not a $200 professional light meter, works well enough. Your local orchid society might have a member with an official meter you could borrow which would be ideal.
I follow the recommendations on our fellow member's blog Here But Not:
https://herebutnot.com/light-recommendations-ppfd-par-for-orchids-and-houseplants/
Here is a quote from this particular blog post:
"Light Suggestions for Orchids (PPFD or PAR Recommendations)
Low-Light Orchids (Mottled-Leaf Paphs, Jewel Orchids, Phals)
40–80 umol/m2/s PPFD (20 umol/ft2/s)
Moderate-Light Orchids (Onc, Phrags, Epidens, Dends etc)
80–150 umol/m2/s PPFD (30-40 umol/ft2/s)
High-Light Orchids (Cattleya)
150–350 umol/m2/s PPFD (50-100 umol/ft2/s)
Very High-Light Orchids (Vandas)
350–600 umol/m2/s PPFD (50-100 umol/ft2/s)
*Converting meters to feet: 1m = 3.28ft
**NOTE: These are general suggestions not EXACT numbers; you can expect that +/- 50-100 umol/m2/s is likely okay and individual orchid species may be adapted to a range beyond these numbers—for example, a lot of strap-leafed paphs can take closer to 150 umol/m2/s. I encourage you to use this information to help you benchmark where your light should be, but as with all things related to horticulture and plant care, adjust based on your conditions and how your plants perform, look and grow."
Oh, and my two cents on a plant sitter (if you get one) is, if you have any phrags with wet feet... make sure you make it physically impossible to give any other plants wet feet. I learned that the hard way when I came home to a paph drowning in its decorative pot.
It has thankfully recovered somewhat and is about to bloom. But a lot of its roots tips stopped growing.Oh I’ve been there! I asked my husband to take care of the orchids and the roses for a well. Wrote everything out, color coded the various orchids. It seemed foolproof.Oh, and my two cents on a plant sitter (if you get one) is, if you have any phrags with wet feet... make sure you make it physically impossible to give any other plants wet feet. I learned that the hard way when I came home to a paph drowning in its decorative pot.
Anyway, when I got home the roses were bone dry and the orchids were swimming in six inches of water . Thank goodness I wasn’t going long.
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A simple $38 light meter from Amazon that gives me a combined instant reading of not only foot candles but humidity and temperature as well, seems simple and easy.
Plus I am dealing with recommendations for light intensity gathered from orchid books, lectures and periodicals from 1975 to 2008.
Why 2008, that is kind of when books fell out of popularity for me and internet research took over.
Well that and experience. Your orchids will tell you for the most part, if the light is right in your conditions. I know that time marched on and new techniques are developed but man o’ man, I have enough trouble understanding foot candles.
Plus I am dealing with recommendations for light intensity gathered from orchid books, lectures and periodicals from 1975 to 2008.
Why 2008, that is kind of when books fell out of popularity for me and internet research took over.
Well that and experience. Your orchids will tell you for the most part, if the light is right in your conditions. I know that time marched on and new techniques are developed but man o’ man, I have enough trouble understanding foot candles.
yeah the foot candle thing feels like something g from a different era.
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