The Orchid Garden

Looking for Recommendations

Question:

A pair of shoplight hung together (4 tubes) will over winter even large Cattleyas. But it is easier to use them to bloom things like Encyclia, Epidendrum, mini catts Or Phalaenopsis. If you are growing something which really stretches the ability of the lamps, remember to 1) buy new bulbs EVERY year (you can not visually check the condition of the lamps) 2) summer what you can outdoors. The summer growth spurt will help many plants maintain the vigor they would loose to poor light otherwise. Many that are marginal under florescence will bloom after being given the summer boost. Good Luck. SuE – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –     If you buy shoplights, you are limited to about 40W.  They are all the same, regardless of brand. I think that newer ones are 38W or something silly, I haven’t bought any in five years or so.  Any shoplight will be the same.  You can spend as much money as you would like on custom lights.  I would save it for plants.    As a tip, two shoplights illuminate a 2 x 4′ shelf very well…  I usually build shelves in 4′ increments.     I’ve seen some people use a couple of 100W or 60W incandescent lights in clip on fixtures, one on either side of a modestly sized window.  You can get ‘full spectrum’ incandescent lights cheap.  I find that the cheapest ones are not at nursery or garden supply stores.  We have something called ‘Meijer’ around here (a megastore kind of thing all over the midwest), and they are dirt cheap there.  I bet Walmart would have a similar product. Thanks for the info Rob.  One more question about the lights, is there a specific wattage or size that would be good or normal/average? — Rob’s Rules:           http://www.msu.edu/~halgren   1) There is always room for one more orchid   2) There is always room for two more orchids      2a. See rule 1   3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase      more orchids, obtain more credit

Response:

    If you buy shoplights, you are limited to about 40W.  They are all the same, regardless of brand. I think that newer ones are 38W or something silly, I haven’t bought any in five years or so.  Any shoplight will be the same.  You can spend as much money as you would like on custom lights.  I would save it for plants.    As a tip, two shoplights illuminate a 2 x 4′ shelf very well…  I usually build shelves in 4′ increments.     I’ve seen some people use a couple of 100W or 60W incandescent lights in clip on fixtures, one on either side of a modestly sized window.  You can get ‘full spectrum’ incandescent lights cheap.  I find that the cheapest ones are not at nursery or garden supply stores.  We have something called ‘Meijer’ around here (a megastore kind of thing all over the midwest), and they are dirt cheap there.  I bet Walmart would have a similar product. Thanks for the info Rob.  One more question about the lights, is there a specific wattage or size that would be good or normal/average?

– Rob’s Rules:           http://www.msu.edu/~halgren   1) There is always room for one more orchid   2) There is always room for two more orchids      2a. See rule 1   3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase      more orchids, obtain more credit

Response:

Thanks for the info Rob.  One more question about the lights, is there a specific wattage or size that would be good or normal/average?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – – I’d like to get a light for my orchids but I don’t know where to start. Is there such thing as a beginner light?  Where do I get something like that?  Can I just go to Home Depot or my neighborhood hardware store and get something?  What do I want to get?     Any light is fine.  A lot of beginners (and experts) use a 4 foot ’shoplight’ fixture.  Two tubes, of any cheap denomination, will get you started.  10 bucks on sale, 15 if you get screwed. – I want to get a digital humidity meter, again, anyone have any recommendations?     No help for you there.  I don’t think most beginners need them.  If you are comfortable and you don’t wake up in the morning with a sore/dry throat, it will probably be ok.  If you think it is dry in the house, get a humidifier (10 bucks, 20 for a big one) for the room.  Or invest a bit more and get a whole house humidifier.  That will pay off in comfort in the long run. – Anyone have any recommendations for mounted orchids (not in a pot but mounted on wood) that I could hang in a pretty humid room with indirect light?  Something that smells good would be great.  Any suggestions?     Any of the Encyclias would work.  Enc. cordata, alata…  Brassavola nodosa is certainly nice and easy, with great smelling flowers.  All would benefit from a little supplemental light.  Bulbophyllums would probably work, but smells good is not a traditional feature…  Interesting smell is often observed. Rob — Rob’s Rules:           http://www.msu.edu/~halgren   1) There is always room for one more orchid   2) There is always room for two more orchids      2a. See rule 1   3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase      more orchids, obtain more credit

Response:

– I’d like to get a light for my orchids but I don’t know where to start. Is there such thing as a beginner light?  Where do I get something like that?  Can I just go to Home Depot or my neighborhood hardware store and get something?  What do I want to get?

    Any light is fine.  A lot of beginners (and experts) use a 4 foot ’shoplight’ fixture.  Two tubes, of any cheap denomination, will get you started.  10 bucks on sale, 15 if you get screwed. – I want to get a digital humidity meter, again, anyone have any recommendations?

    No help for you there.  I don’t think most beginners need them.  If you are comfortable and you don’t wake up in the morning with a sore/dry throat, it will probably be ok.  If you think it is dry in the house, get a humidifier (10 bucks, 20 for a big one) for the room.  Or invest a bit more and get a whole house humidifier.  That will pay off in comfort in the long run. – Anyone have any recommendations for mounted orchids (not in a pot but mounted on wood) that I could hang in a pretty humid room with indirect light?  Something that smells good would be great.  Any suggestions?

    Any of the Encyclias would work.  Enc. cordata, alata…  Brassavola nodosa is certainly nice and easy, with great smelling flowers.  All would benefit from a little supplemental light.  Bulbophyllums would probably work, but smells good is not a traditional feature…  Interesting smell is often observed. Rob — Rob’s Rules:           http://www.msu.edu/~halgren   1) There is always room for one more orchid   2) There is always room for two more orchids      2a. See rule 1   3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase      more orchids, obtain more credit

Response:

Hi all, I’m just a novice Orchid grower and would really like some advice from whoever is on here. – I’d like to get a light for my orchids but I don’t know where to start. Is there such thing as a beginner light?  Where do I get something like that?  Can I just go to Home Depot or my neighborhood hardware store and get something?  What do I want to get? – I want to get a digital humidity meter, again, anyone have any recommendations? – Anyone have any recommendations for mounted orchids (not in a pot but mounted on wood) that I could hang in a pretty humid room with indirect light?  Something that smells good would be great.  Any suggestions? Thanks a lot! Greg

Response:

Filed under: Phalaenopsis Orchid

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