I was hoping to get a greenhouse this year, but I don't think that is going to happen. As a result, my largely expanded collection of Slipper Orchids will be moving inside probably by mid-September.

They will be going upstairs to a heated bedroom on its own heating zone, so I'll have no problem with keeping the temps. They will be going in front of a large Southerly facing picture window, so they should be getting some light. (In fact, I added the gauzey curtains to filter the light to the leaves do not burn. I will have 2 tables for a total length of 120" and width of approx
30." That translates into 25 square feet of growing space.

Question is what sort of lighting system would work for this space? Since the space will have light, do I just need to supplement the lighting? If so, would flourescent fixtures with gro lights do the trick? They could hang from the wooden beams that run parallel to the tables.

Or should I go with a High Density lighting set up? The wooden beams above the table would be perfect for a light mover. I'm just wondering what wattage I would need for optimum growing. I don't think I would need 1000 watts? What about 400 or 250 watts?? I'm a little concerned about the electric bills, if I were to get a higher wattage system.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I'm going to have to figure out something relatively soon.

Here's the photo of the space. It's not the best, but you can see the set-up and the beams. Thanks!!!!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/dustyatticstuff/Space.jpg

PS: I have 2 Westerly facing windows in the same room if I run out of room. Last year I hung my plants from the beams.

The Maine winter sun is not intense and the days are very short and mostly dark in the middle of winter, so I would definitely recommend a 430 w HID on a light mover. That is what I'm using with no natural light when the plants come back inside end of this month or early Sept.

Thanks, Pete! I was thinking along those lines: I just did not know what wattage I would need.

Would I have to have the light on all day or could I have it on a timer so it would go on early in the morning and late at night to extend the growing time??

Mine is on a timer set to come on at 6 am and shut off at 7 pm. In Dec, the timer is set to go off at 6PM and night temps dropped at the same time to induce spiking. My 430 W HPS light system hangs about 3 feet above the plants which gives me enough room to water, inspect and admire my plants. :D The light mover takes about 30 mintues to go across the 6 ft track each way.

What about in the Springtime when the light gets stronger? Should the lighting be used intermittently or should a lower wattage bulb be used? I'm lucky that I like sleeping in cold temps, so I can easily get the temps down to the mid 50's (f) in the Winter.

Humidity will be a problem. I use humidifiers and fans. Also I love the humidity trays that Heather turned me onto.

hehe, i did notice your trays and fans, Susan!
Will be a nice set up, but quite bright in there - keep in mind, if you do a lot of "living" in that room.
Lucky girl!

What about in the Springtime when the light gets stronger? Should the lighting be used intermittently or should a lower wattage bulb be used? I'm lucky that I like sleeping in cold temps, so I can easily get the temps down to the mid 50's (f) in the Winter.

Humidity will be a problem. I use humidifiers and fans. Also I love the humidity trays that Heather turned me onto.

I wouldn't change a thing but your conditions may differ since you will be growing next to a bright window. I don't think the springtime sunlight from the window will hurt your plants at all, in Florida yes but not up here in Maine! If you sleep in that bedroom, then the HID light will be quite distracting. Sometimes, I have to wear sunglasses in my grow room, it is that bright! :D

don't think the springtime sunlight from the window will hurt your plants at all, in Florida yes but not up here in Maine!

I know I am further south a bit but I had some plants burn in my south bay this spring in Feb/March. Temps got very high, much higher than they are now, in the window, and I had to use blinds occasionally. Just FYI. 8)

Yes, I've burned leaves in that window before. Also fried a few flasklings from the heat. :( I think the sheer curtains and the fans will help. I didn't have the fans last year. I just do not want to add to much heat from the lights. It is a second story window. (I did not mention that before) and the light can get rather intense, even in the Winter months.

Yep, sheer curtians should work just fine and provide lots of air movements.

Will do.. It is a bedroom, but I would imagine that the lights will be off when it is time to sleep. Then they could be turned on in the morning. Whoa!!!! Just time that light with the clock radio. :evil: What a wake-up call.

hehe, I don't think you'll need the clock radio, Susan!
I cannot see well w/out my lenses in, and I know what time it is (roughly) because I can see from the bedroom if my lights downstairs are on or not.

I'm just not sure about having a 430 watt HDS system going all day. Help me here, Pete, so I can understand!! I really do appreciate your help and am not giving you a hard time deliberately, but you are referring to your system of lighting in a room without any natural lighting? I have this huge South facing window. Do I really need all that wattage? If I do, do I really have to leave it on all day???? I just don't want my system to be "overkill," as there is so much natural light available. I just don't "get it" yet. Sorry.....

Thanks Pete, I really don't want to be a pain and I appreciate your patience as you explain this to me. I know our light in Maine will be very weak in the Winter months. Still, it doesn't do a bad job.

If I were to buy a light mover and a 430 watt HDS system, could I be able to substitute a 250 watt blub when the light intensifies in Springtime? Or would I just crash the lighting system??

Thanks for your help!!!!

Susan, nope you can't use a 250w bulb in a 430 w system. If you think your bedroom receives ample natural bright light, then go with fluorescents but I don't recommend them. I have tried them and all my multis sulked and never bloomed plus fluorescents are just too unattractive and cumbersome and they have to be very close to the plants. Once I switched to HID, they actually perked up right away and flourished and I would never go back to fluor. lights again! Another option is get a 250 w instead of 430 w but beware as your plant collection grows you may soon need bigger and better systems! :D

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your patience with me as I try to understand!!! I will definitely go with an HDS system and the light mover, simply because I can do it in this room. It looks better than the flourescent lighing systems I have seen.

Thanks for helping!!! :Party:

I just read this on OGD and found it timely and interesting. Perhaps my plants did not actually "burn"....I
*think* this describes my plants last spring to a T - things getting very chlorotic very rapidly, though I wasn't home
at the time I experienced the start of the transformation, and by the time I got home, I'd lost quite a few lower leaves.
(BTW - I am quite sure JF uses his "Green Jungle" fertilizer as it was discussed earlier in this conversation. I can't be sure that name is right - their site seems down at the moment.) Note to self, no more trips in Feb/March!


Message: 3
Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 09:49:57 -0500
From: Orchids Limited <orchids@orchidweb.com>
Subject: [OGD] re foliar feeding
To: Orchids@orchidguide.com
Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20050806094239.023b01e8@pop.mm.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
I will foliar feed especially in spring when there is a huge light change due to
my location in Minnesota. The intense and rapid increase in light after a
long dreary winter causes a lot of nutrient problems for orchids. I observe
this and when I start seeing a problem (such as yellow leaves at the base
of my Paphs) I will foliar feed at a rate 6 times stronger than recommended
for root feeding. I do this only in the morning and perhaps once per week
until thing stabilize. I apply only enough to wet the leaves through
misting but not to the point of runoff. I can literally see the difference
in the plants color by the end of the day.

Jerry Lee Fischer

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your patience with me as I try to understand!!! I will definitely go with an HDS system and the light mover, simply because I can do it in this room. It looks better than the flourescent lighing systems I have seen.

Thanks for helping!!! :Party:

You're welcome! Keep us posted and let us know which system you're planning to get.

Susan

If you don't want HID and still want to go fl. look into Housermann's light cart. They come with 2 trays. I just ordered another one. I like them and my slippers do well under them. They have 4 tubes per 22X 48 inch tray, although you can use only 2 of them if you prefer. They are the hi intensity lights and I have them in my computer roomand the light does not bother on my screen. I love to be in this room because the light is so much like real sun light. It is very restful and I especially like them on dark Michigan winter days. I put them on a cheap ($14.00) timer. If you need to spend time in that room with the lights on it is not like the distorted light of the HID lights. The carts are not ugly like some I have seen. I will try to get a picture posted for you.

I also have HID lights in my basement grow room, and also 3 Housermann's carts. The trays come with, or without, drainage holes. I like the drainage holes because I can water right in my trays and let the waste water run into a pail.

I am not trying to talk you out of HID lights but just want to give you and alternative.

Send me a PM if you have any questions.

Grandma

Susan

Here is a picture of my computer room last winter....snow and all.

This is one of my orchid carts from last winter when I had phals on it. The other tray was cymbs on a tray sitting on a book table. The cymb tray is the one I am going to replace with another cart. I expect to have paphs on the bottom tray and have Phrags on the top tray and hang the top light from the ceiling so I can raise it higher if necessary. I now have paphs on the top tray of the other orchid cart and the bottom tray is on my deck with phrags in it for the summer.

The tray is adjustable but you need to take the tray off to do it. I find it is better to just raise or lower the light itself as they hang on chains and it is easy for me to do it myself.

You can see the drain hose and one of my pails sitting on the floor. I water with a 1/4" plastic hose connected to my sink.

The carts have 4 light bulbs on each level with 3200 lumens from each bulb. I have grown and bloomed catts under these bulbs, but now I have my catts under HID lights.

I run a humidifier and have a 39" tower fan running on low 24/7.

Hope this helps you to make your choice of what kind of light to use. I use both.

Grandma


http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/GrandmaMC/Orchidroom3-17-05-2.jpg

Thanks so much, Grandma! That is a great looking set up AND your plants look really happy and I've never seen so many plants in bloom at one time. Whatever you are doing is certainly working.

Thanks for the great ideas. I will definitely check out the lighting carts. I really do not need the carts, but the light units look good. I've never seen so many happy plants!!!! Great growing!!!!

Best,