Home & Garden Gardening

The Best Options in Artificial Lights for Growing Orchids

Orchids are wonderful plants that, when provided with the proper growing requirements, produce some of the most spectacular flowers imaginable.  One of the orchids' crucial requirements is the right amount of light.  Many people don't have the right natural conditions in their homes, so it may be necessary to install some orchid lights.

Generally speaking, orchids thrive with a full 12 hour day of light and some even do better with up to 16 hours.  Light intensity is important too, with most orchids doing best with bright light but not direct sunlight.  Given those somewhat restrictive guidelines, to grow a lot of orchids or a wide variety of them, some type of artificial lighting is necessary.

What are the best artificial lights for orchids?  Like so many questions regarding these beautiful plants the answer is "it depends".  The following are the pros and cons of the most readily available lights for orchids, with the disclaimer that this is for general orchid care.  Specific orchid species may have different requirements.

Incandescent lights are generally not the best choice.  They are too warm, so you risk actually burning the orchid plants.  They are also inefficient and do not last very long.  But there is one application for incandescent bulbs, and that is that they give off "warm" light - the yellow/orange/red part of the spectrum - and they can be used as a supplement for cool fluorescents that only emit the blue end of the spectrum.

Fluorescent lights are a very good choice for most orchid lighting applications.  They burn cool so there is no risk of burning the plants.  They are efficient and long lasting, but they do lose intensity over time and should be replaced after 1 1/2 -2 years of use.  Also, they give off the most intense light right in the middle of the tube as opposed to the ends, so keep that in mind when placing your plants.  The basic fluorescent bulbs do lack the warmer end of the light spectrum, but you can find full spectrum or "daylight" fluorescent bulbs, and they are the best choice.

For some orchid species that require high-intensity light it may be necessary to step up to a High Intensity Discharge or HID light.  These come in high pressure sodium bulbs or metal halide bulbs.  The advantage here is that they emit a high-intensity light, but the primary disadvantage is the cost.  HID lights are significantly more expensive than other options. Unless you are very serious about growing orchids as a hobby, the HID lights are probably overkill for someone who just wants to keep a few plants in their home.

As one advances in the hobby and gets into more elaborate lighting setups, there are other options available, but for the casual grower or basic houseplant keeper, the aforementioned are the best considerations.
SHARE
RELATED POSTS on "Home & Garden"
Organic And Hydroponic Gardening
Organic And Hydroponic Gardening
Home Garden Decor & Gardening Improvements
Home Garden Decor & Gardening Improvements
Some Of He Medical Conditions Medical Marijuana Can Be Used To Treat
Some Of He Medical Conditions Medical Marijuana Can Be Used To Treat
Use the Right Method for Planting Grass Seed
Use the Right Method for Planting Grass Seed
Entertaining In The Evening Garden
Entertaining In The Evening Garden
Do You Really Need A Shed?
Do You Really Need A Shed?
5 Vegetables That Do Well in Less Sun
5 Vegetables That Do Well in Less Sun
Find the best rectangular planter for best fitted at home and garden
Find the best rectangular planter for best fitted at home and garden
Home GrowGrowing Weed At Home With Hydroponics
Home GrowGrowing Weed At Home With Hydroponics
Rudbeckia, Golden Petals With a Dark Heart
Rudbeckia, Golden Petals With a Dark Heart
Benefits of Belle Roller Doors
Benefits of Belle Roller Doors
Landscape Edging Options
Landscape Edging Options
How to Build a Water Fall Rock Garden
How to Build a Water Fall Rock Garden
Organic Gardening - The Back To The Nature Way
Organic Gardening - The Back To The Nature Way
Planting and Sowing Vegetables
Planting and Sowing Vegetables
Growing Container Tomatoes
Growing Container Tomatoes
4 Compelling Reasons To Install Garden Lights In Your Yard
4 Compelling Reasons To Install Garden Lights In Your Yard
How to Grow a Cottage Garden Border
How to Grow a Cottage Garden Border
Add Structure with a Path
Add Structure with a Path
Rose Society - 7 Big Reasons to Join One
Rose Society - 7 Big Reasons to Join One
Productive Fruit Trees through a Biodynamic Farming Strategy
Productive Fruit Trees through a Biodynamic Farming Strategy
Services of the Pool Companies San Diego
Services of the Pool Companies San Diego
Advantages of Workshop for Lease Kalgoorlie for Business Purposes
Advantages of Workshop for Lease Kalgoorlie for Business Purposes
Debunking 10 Myths on Artificial Turf Grass
Debunking 10 Myths on Artificial Turf Grass
How Take Advantage of the Easy Set-Up Indoor Grow Boxes Or Grow Tents
How Take Advantage of the Easy Set-Up Indoor Grow Boxes Or Grow Tents

Leave Your Reply

*