Temperature and Flower Color

[ronaldhanko]

On this particular plant the light intensity is the same year around - so are watering and fertilizing regimes. It is very definitely the temperature that affects the flower color and I have noticed the same with other hybrids of Sophronitis coccinea. This has been demonstrated with other flowers as well: carnations for example (http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/articl...6A0491900.php). Some commercial growers of cut orchids even recommend placing the plants in a cool house for a time before cutting the flowers in order to strengthen flower color.

[Jan Pahl]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

On this particular plant the light intensity is the same year around - so are watering and fertilizing regimes. It is very definitely the temperature that affects the flower color and I have noticed the same with other hybrids of Sophronitis coccinea. This has been demonstrated with other flowers as well: carnations for example (http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/articl...6A0491900.php). Some commercial growers of cut orchids even recommend placing the plants in a cool house for a time before cutting the flowers in order to strengthen flower color.

Ronald, Are your sure about that "constant" light "regime" on your plants?.... unless you grow your plants on a dark room illuminated only with light bulbs that's cant be accurate to say, specially on well marked season countries. Even in the tropics the angle of the sun changes, and that implies more or less light intensity.

Ronald, on the other hand aquinations (splash Cattleyas) genes on species and their hybrids are mediated by heath, the more heath, the more obvious the aquinations would be... but that is a very different trend compared with color intensity, aquinations are the expression of color "area" compromised, not color intensity... they aren't synonymous phenomena

[Phantasm]

My experience in the overcast and short days of a Seattle winter is that the color richness is primarily due to cool temperatures rather than bright light for S. coccinea and it's hybrids and also Phrag besseae and it's hybrids. They all bloom noticeably lighter in color with brighter light and warmer temperatures. The best combination would be bright light and low temperatures for the very best colors in the red shades.

[ronaldhanko]

Mine are grown under lights with very little other background light. That would make little difference in any case, since the artificial lighting is on far before and after the beginning and end of daylight. I have tried varying the length of the time the lighting is on (reducing it a certain amount for three or six months and then increasing it by the same amount for either three or six months) and it has made little difference in flowering that I could tell, and has not affected flower color at all (though I understand that is not necessarily a matter of light intensity, but the amount of light).

[Sandy4453]

Those colors are absolutely fantastic, Ronald.

My Dend. blooms, are much more intense in color during the summer than the blooms (from the same plants) that occur in winter. Though, much cooler temps now, I'm growing on a screened patio where light intensity is much lower in winter.

[ronaldhanko]

Just discovered that this plant is correctly: Sc. Dream Catcher, not Slc.

[Jerry Delaney]

Isn't it possible that both light and temperature play an important part in color? For example, in the spotted Phals with Golden Peoker, Super Stupid et.al. in their background, it has been fairly well documented that the size, number and intensity of the spots are pretty well controlled by the temperature.
Likewise, light intensity is known to affect the production of many pigments.
Also, exposure to light as the flowers are opening quite dramatic. Once had a C. maxima that I took to work and placed in a fairly dark lobby. About half of the blooms were open when I took it in and were normal in color while the ones never exposed to light after opening were still white weeks later!

[Jan Pahl]

Originally Posted by Jerry Delaney

Isn't it possible that both light and temperature play an important part in color? For example, in the spotted Phals with Golden Peoker, Super Stupid et.al. in their background, it has been fairly well documented that the size, number and intensity of the spots are pretty well controlled by the temperature.
Likewise, light intensity is known to affect the production of many pigments.
Also, exposure to light as the flowers are opening quite dramatic. Once had a C. maxima that I took to work and placed in a fairly dark lobby. About half of the blooms were open when I took it in and were normal in color while the ones never exposed to light after opening were still white weeks later!

In 25 years I've seen literally thousands and thousands of Cattleya alliance species and Hybrids and I would bee very surprised that color intensity is controlled by temperature.... In my experience I could say that if temperature play a role on color intensity, it is minimal or at least only noticeable on very chilly winter countries. Another thing is "color area compromised", in that matter yes, temperature plays a role, specially notorious on plants that have "splash" genes on it. For example, some "splash" violaceas and lueddemannianas in Caracas only develop the "splash" on quite Warm years, standard "unifoliates" tends to cover more the lip on warm years, etc.

another complete different thing are other genera, yes, Phalaenopsis controls their bloom (including many "quality" aspects), regarding temperature. Also Cymbidiums do that, etc, etc

[Jan Pahl]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

Mine are grown under lights with very little other background light. That would make little difference in any case, since the artificial lighting is on far before and after the beginning and end of daylight. I have tried varying the length of the time the lighting is on (reducing it a certain amount for three or six months and then increasing it by the same amount for either three or six months) and it has made little difference in flowering that I could tell, and has not affected flower color at all (though I understand that is not necessarily a matter of light intensity, but the amount of light).

Well the only reasonable explanation I have, Is that in Seatle and other "due north" places, differences in temperature are enough to trigger this kind of effect absent on the tropics.

[thumperinflorida]

Being so far south, I notice the difference in color. I think the combination of day and nigh time temps, sunlight and humidity all contribute to the variations in bloom color. I think all combined can make for a washed out looking color on a bloom and still be blooming on a very healthy plant. Some of the best colored blooms in catt and laelias are seen in Calif and Hawaii, where the nights are cooler with warms temps during the day. Couple that with a high humidity level...and you get spectacular color.