Light to get my phal to bloom

[en3rmax]

Hi there Ob,

My first phal i had as a gift at easer 09 still hasn't spiked i think it's to do with the light as i've moved it's position, it's now by my french window that's south facing, i tested the light today in that position and it was getting 1800 foot candles is that good?

Here is the position - it's the phal on the left



Can i use low energy bulbs to substitute real light like in this second picture while i wait to get some fluorescent light fittings? this is just a test on another phal, it was quite dark in the room when this picture was taken, the bulbs are quite bright and don't get hot, it's a mini spiral 950 lumen 15 watt equivalent to a conventional 73 watt.

[Jennyfleur]

Hi, I can't comment so much on the light level (as I don't have a monitor to establish what mine get), but have you checked the temp levels as well between day and night?

(Just checking that that's not part of the 'problem')

[en3rmax]

Hi Jennyfleur, there is always about a 10 to 15 degree difference at night in the room where my phals are.

[zxyqu]

It's really tought to say whether the conventional bulb is going to put out much at all in terms of the light the phal needs. Likely it wont be enough to supply much in the right spectrum for the plant to flower. Given you're south window, I still think it needs some more bright light. You're leaves appear fairly dark green, suggesting insufficient light, but it's hard to tell from a picture. If there isn't some sort of light green to the leaves, I'd try boosting the light in any way possible. But Jenny made a good point about changing temps, as well as changing light cycles.
If you think the plant looks pretty healthy, try slowly increasing the light level over a week or so, and see what happens. Orchids are weird, and never do what you want. Good Luck!

[BobInBonita]

I always try to keep phals on the high end of their light tolerance, using the leaf color as my measure. Here's how I interpret it:

Dark green - Light deprived - need brighter
Medium green - better but still more needed
Olive green - sufficient but not optimum
Olive green with reddish tint at edges - my target
yellowish or brownish tint - too bright
beached / whitish - badly sunburned

When you increase light, always do it a little bit at a time. Give the plant time to adjust (at least a week - two is better) before increasing it again.

[Jennyfleur]

Cool, just checking that wasn't the reason Did you check your light through a light meter? If so, where did you get it and how much was it? (if I may be so bold!?)

PS good advice Guys

[en3rmax]

Originally Posted by Jennyfleur

Cool, just checking that wasn't the reason Did you check your light through a light meter? If so, where did you get it and how much was it? (if I may be so bold!?)

PS good advice Guys

It was a light meter app for my iphone, not sure how accurate this is compaired to a proper one but it gives you a rough guide.

[Jennyfleur]

Originally Posted by en3rmax

It was a light meter app for my iphone, not sure how accurate this is compaired to a proper one but it gives you a rough guide.

Ah yes, iphone apps, bit beyond my technological capabilities I'm afraid!! but thanks for the tip if I ever find someone I know with one!

[Orchid126]

This may not be the time of year that your phal likes to bloom. Since you got it at Easter, it may have been "forced" into bloom for that holiday. Many phals like a 15 degree cool down in the evening at the end of summer, and then they set spikes a few weeks later. They won't bloom for several more weeks, which means early the next year. There are some phals that like to bloom at other times of the year, but it's hard to tell about your plant.

The window that you have it in looks like it provides plenty of light for a phal, nice and bright.

One thing, though, while the plant looks healthy, the plant is overpotted. The pot looks way too big and too deep. Orchids like to have tight shoes to the point that they look top heavy. They bloom better. The pot should just accommodate the roots and a bit more. Perhaps that's why the phal hasn't bloomed. The plant next to it is also grossly overpotted.

[en3rmax]

Hi Orchid126,

Both of those orchids came in 12cm pot and both had a big root mass so i repotted into 12cm pots, the orchid on the left started to send out quite a few aerial roots, i put them in the medium when i repotted.

The roots on the phal in question since it's been repotted have grew through a tiny air vent in the bottom to the pot and is still growing now.