CFLs?

[camille1585]

Ik speek een beetje nederlands. All my study programs were in English that's why! Even now as a PhD student there is little incentive to learn Dutch, since the working language is English. In 5 years I picked up a lot of vocabulary on my own though. I can read and understand quite a bit (and read children's books like Yip en Yanneke), write a bit with mistakes, but can't speak yet. Sentence structure is too difficult to wrap my brain around. And that being said, slaap lekker!

Sorry for the thread hijack ElenaMarie!

[ezil]

Thanks Camille. I enjoyed our little chat, but in all honesty: I think we hijacked this thread. Hopefully Jeanne-Marie will excuse us.

[Melody]

back on topic...sort of :
I've been thinking about using a CFL in my desk lamp so that I can enjoy having one of my orchids next to me while I work, but I don't know much about growing using CFLs either. (note:there isn't a window near my desk)

Has anyone tried doing this with just one plant under a lamp? I have phals and paphs that would be small enough to live there. Would a different wattage be necessary for a paph vs. a phal? Also, what's the best way to figure out what distance the plant should be from this type of light?

[silken]

I had all my Phals on a shelf under 1 60W CFL and every one of them has bloomed or is in spike. The bulb was roughly 6 inches to a foot away depending which Phal was closest to the bulb! Usually Paphs are said to like about the same amount of light as Phals. The mottled leaf ones take a little less light than the plain green Paphs.

[Melody]

Thanks silken!
Was there any heat output by the bulb that you had to compensate for?

[silken]

No problem! My area that they were in wasn't completely dark without the bulb but no direct light of any kind, just to be clear. The bulb does give off heat so you don't want any plant touching it. But Phals like warm temps and mine were out in a cool greenhouse over winter in their own little plastic covered house with the top shaded so they probably liked the heat. They grow there in the summer too tho and have no problem. I do have some moving air but not a lot for those guys.

Another thought. If you are using your desk at night then you might have on and off lighting that could confuse the plant. But if it's where you work during the day and it is darker at night it should be fine.

[Melody]

Another thought. If you are using your desk at night then you might have on and off lighting that could confuse the plant. But if it's where you work during the day and it is darker at night it should be fine.

By "night" do you mean after it's dark outside? or do you mean late at night? How much light at "night" (whichever that refers to) would be enough to confuse them? would having a floor lamp on that doesn't put out much light confuse them? Would a computer screen light confuse them? I currently keep my orchids in a window, but I keep the overhead light on in the room after the sun goes down. None of them bloomed this year, so I am trying to work out their culture better. thoughts?

Also, I'm having difficulty finding a CFL higher than 24W even online. So those of you that have found one online, where did you get it from?

[silken]

I may have said that wrong. My CFL is 'equvalent' to a 60 W incandescent. Sorry to throw you off. I will see if I can find out what the actual wattage is. It was just a regular CFL that you can buy anywhere and they usually say equiv. to 100W or 60W incandescent. I look at that as as most of our fixtures are rated for a max. of one or another and don't have the CFL ratings.

I don't know if there is an exact science as to how much ambient lighting will make the plant think it is not night. I would say a computer screen (ours goes to sleep soon after I am done with it) and very dim ambient lighting shouldn't bother them. But some orchids are day/night sensitive and need some nighttime hours. I know people have street lights that shine in their windows etc. so in the city it is really never truly dark. I would say right near a pole lamp or desk lamp that is on would be too much but off in a darker corner or something is likely fine. Sorry. I don't know for sure. I just envisioned you working with your light and the plant right there in the evenings.

Phals and others types bloom more reliably after a period of cool temps in the fall so you might want to consider temperature too if they aren't blooming.

[silken]

OK, The box of bulbs I have at the moment says in very fine print 13W. In very large print it says 60W replacement. So I guess that's why I don't even think twice about its real wattage. I almost had to use reading glasses to find it!

I don't know if yours are packaged the same in the U.S. but we buy these at any hardware store, or Costco or anywhere light bulbs are found. My Phals all spike after a number of weeks at temps in the mid 50's to low 60's in the fall and under this light for about 13 hours/day.