Do you rotate your orchids to change direction of sunlight?
 

When growing a plant with sunlight coming from a single direction, I periodically rotate the plant so that it gets more uniform sunlight exposure. It also helps to keep the leaves growing evenly.

With orchids, I'm wondering if this practice has any merit. Certainly on Phals, it doesn't look like the leaves pivot to get optimal sunlight exposure. Still, is it a good idea to rotate them?

Also, there are other species of orchids with smallish leaves that seem to be more sensitive to sunlight direction. I've got one in particular, an Encyclia Dickensoniana, where the leaves do appear to twist in reaction to the direction of sunlight. I try to give even sunlight exposure for it. I guess ideally it would be great to have a set of corner windows for multiple angles of sunlight.

I have learned that moving orchids can upset there routine and cause them to not flower. They get use to the amount of light and change with the seasons. Not sure if rotating does the same. I use to move my orchids with the seasons to get better light but they seem to do much better if I leave them alone. The only time I move them is if we have a storm on it's way.

Thanks, flhiker. Are you talking about orchids that you keep outside? I'm strictly an inside grower. For my orchids, I have a single window that is facing south, and I have a Venetian shade that diffuses the light so it is mostly indirect.

Yea! I grow outside. I use to move them from the front of the house to the back in the summer. But they would sulk for a while. Now they live out back permanently. I don't imagine rotating them would upset their routine. What I mean by routine is. The same amount of light each day with a gradual change as the seasons change.

I grow cattleyas and always keep the growing tip of the rhyzome toward the light. Phals don't have rhyzomes like catts and therefore must be treated differently, although my phals always wanted to lean forward out of the pot!

Mine look as if they have some sort of travel malady associated with sea travel but they look like they have gone by rail! :) ;)

One word of caution, if the plant is in spike and you change it's position, the flowers will not present as well as they would if you had left it alone. They will face in all different directions.

^ Good to know this, Glen. So if I see any new spike formation, I'll be sure to keep the orchid in a consistent orientation. :)