Low light orchids

[bullsie]

I have a small north just slightly short of northwest facing window. In winter no sun. Decent light, but no sun. Sun will start to come through in the evenings going into spring. What I could use are some nice small or compact orchid species to grow there. Any suggestions?

Appreciate!

 

[The Orchid Boy]

Try some phal species. Like manii, schilleriana... Also try putting foil under the plants on the shelf. It bounces more light back for plant use, and yes it works.

 

[NYEric]

Phals like warm and partly sunny. How about some paphs?

 

[limuhead]

Have you ever tried growing Aerangis hyaloides? This is a 2 inch pot, leaf span is a little more than that and it has 13 spikes; packs quite a punch for a mini...

PM me...

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Ludisia discolor, although it will eventually get large....but plenty of other, smaller jewel orchids.

 

[bullsie]

Wonderful suggestions! Starts me on a nice list of look-fors.

 

[NYEric]

Have you ever tried growing Aerangis hyaloides? This is a 2 inch pot, leaf span is a little more than that and it has 13 spikes; packs quite a punch for a mini...

PM me...

Consider yourself PM'd!!

 

[Rick]

Lots of Pleurothalid genera, but need to watch humidity

 

[NYEric]

Pleuro. tripteratha or endotrachys can be kept less wet and cool. Also, some Restrepias.

 

[Ozpaph]

Have you ever tried growing Aerangis hyaloides? This is a 2 inch pot, leaf span is a little more than that and it has 13 spikes; packs quite a punch for a mini...

PM me...

love that.
can you show flowers, later, please?

 

[Leo Schordje]

some Paphs, like virens, purpuratum, superbiens, curtisii, malipoense, micranthum and with some surprise to me, even Paph sanderianum like fairly dark conditions. Sanderianum might even bloom with north light. They seem to like less sun than any of the multiflorals. Maudiae type hybrids, especially with superbiens or curtisii in their parentage seem to do well in shade, such as Claire de Lune. Cochleanthes, Keifersteinia and Promanaea (spelling?) are also happy in the shade. I love my Cochleanthes Amazonica, and it blooms better for me in light too dim for Phalaenopsis, than when I had it in better light.

 

[ALToronto]

What about complete shade, not even in a window? Will anything grow?

I just set up another living wall for my Stanhopeas (they were not doing well in a sunny window), and this location is on the adjacent wall to the south facing window, right in the corner. The corner is in full shade, one edge of the wall gets a bit of morning sun.

I put 4 Stans and 2 bulbos on it - what are their chances? I guess an LED fixture is always an option, but I'd prefer to avoid it.

 

[Erythrone]

You should consider adding artificial light sources....

 

[SlipperFan]

Watch the color of their leaves -- they will tell you.

 

[NYEric]

Some aeragis and angraecoids are nice low light plants.

 

[bullsie]

I put a Pleuro, a Bulbo, and a Cirr on my shady windowsill. So far so good!

 

[NYEric]

Ok.

 

[ALToronto]

I went to our orchid society meeting yesterday and mentioned my setup to a couple of senior members. They said that stans and bulbos actually need high light levels, and bulbos grow well right beside cattleyas! This is quite contrary to what I've seen in AOS literature and books on orchids - but then this guy grows lycastes in the sun and gets spectacular results with them.

So there is yet another LED setup in my future. I hope the plants do ok in the dark for a couple of weeks.

 

[NYEric]

Al, against convention I am also growing Stanhopeas in an apt. Humidity and watering are high priorities for success.

 

[gnathaniel]

In my limited experience many Bulbos, esp. cirrhopetaloid ones, grow and bloom better in moderately high light. Hard to generalize about such a huge and diverse genus, though, and there are certainly many shade-loving species. A good rule of thumb is to go by foliage succulence-- species with thicker/reduced-surface leaves tend to at least tolerate higher light, while those with broader, thinner leaves do better with less. Not 100% foolproof but it's a decent starting point.

The books by Emly Siegerist and Bill Thoms are the only ones I know of written by Bulbophyllum specialists, and to my recollection Bill's is the more culture-oriented. I don't remember his precise light recommendations but I've been to his GH a couple of times and while it wasn't blastingly bright it wasn't dim, either (kind of vague, I know...).

To your original question, Bullsie, my Leptotes bicolor and Dendrobium tetragonum grow and bloom decently well in fairly dim light.