subject: Growing an Orchid Under Artificial Lights [print this page] The orchid is a tropical plant, native to lands of excessive heat, moisture, and diffused light. For this reason, orchids may be a tad bit more needy than some other household plants. Here we will explore orchid's lighting needs, because arguably nothing is more imperative to a plant's health than its light.
Again, due to the tropical environments that orchids are used to, they prefer plentiful amounts of light in the morning and afternoon, while midday light, not so much. If you plan on keeping you orchid indoors, place it in a window facing the east if possible. This emulates this lighting schedule nicely. If it is inconvenient to keep your orchid near a window, another viable option is glowlights or fluorescent lighting. Flourescent lights can accommodate your orchids' lighting needs just as well as sunlight if placed approximately a foot above them. Glowlights even come with their own timers also, meaning you can even set your own lighting times.
A very important thing to note is that the specific lighting needs of orchids may vary greatly from one species to the next. Much more than can be discussed here, as to go over all the hundreds of different orchid species and hybrids and their unique lighting needs could take forever! Some orchids will thrive in the shade, while others need tons of light. A good rule of thumb is that usually the "softer" species tend to deal with the shade nicely, while the "harder" ones are usually the ones that need more light. The softer ones will also usually have shorter and less often blooms than the harder ones also. A good tip would be to simply take a look at your home or garden, and observe the environment and lighting conditions you can provide for your plants. This will give you a starting point to go from, and then you can simply go to your local plant shop, and ask for assistance in recommending an orchid that will thrive in your environment, and you'll be on your way!
