Orchid Light - Essential Guidelines to Matching the Right Light to Your Orchid

Giving your orchid the proper light is absolutely critical to its success. Without the right amount and type of light your orchid can end up either sunburned or sun-starved. Not all orchids have the same needs. So, finding the right type of orchid light starts with finding out what your orchid needs.

First off, you want to find out if your orchid is a low, medium or high light orchid. Whether it is indoors, outdoors, or in a greenhouse, this will determine where you should position your orchid. You might be saying to yourself, "Okay, I have an idea of what low, medium, and high light means, but what exactly does it mean for my orchid?" That is a great question.

The light intensity for plants is quantified in foot-candles (fc). A single foot-candle means the amount of light that one candle will give off in a one foot radius. Although there is some variation, the generally accepted light levels for orchids are as follows:

-Low Light: 1000-2000 foot-candles

-Medium Light: 2000-3500 foot candles

-High Light: 3500-5000+ foot candles

The very best way to measure light is to use a light meter. However, these can be costly for the average orchid grower so this might not be in your budget. Lets look at some examples of general light guidelines for some specific orchid species based on the criteria given above.

Phalaenopsis orchids are a very popular orchid and a common first orchid. Most Phal's are actually low-light orchids. I personally think they flourish best around 1500 fc's. However, presuming you don't have a light meter, I'd recommend placing your Phal orchid near an east-facing window so that they get bright morning sun, but not during the most intense parts of the day. I'd also pull them back a little bit from the window so that the light they get is minimized.

If I were supplementing or using only artificial lights, I'd use a fluorescent light placed on a timer to mimic the normal daylight hours of that time of year. I'd aim for 12-16 hours of light on the orchid, again, taking into consideration the time of year. When using artificial lights is best to place them 12-16" above the orchid and on an angle.

A really easy way to check on the intensity of the orchid light is to look at the shadows. Place your hand about 6-8" above the leaves of your orchid. If the shadow cast onto the leaves is very sharp and strong then you've got strong light on it. If the shadow is soft around the edges then you have more of a medium or low-medium light. If there is little or no shadow then the light is low or very low.

Make sure and monitor the leaves of your orchid and adjust your lighting strategies accordingly. If the leaves are green and thick with no wrinkles then continue to do what you are doing. If you begin to see some wrinkles or browning consider reducing the light and/or increasing your watering intervals. I always recommend reducing light first as over-watering can quickly kill your orchid.

It is important to find what light works best for your orchid species. If you follow the tips given above then you should be well on your way to getting the light just right for your orchid.