Your orchids know exactly what they want. Bright lighting conditions are at the top of the wish list. Read here what exactly lies behind this definition. These symptoms indicate incorrect light at the location.
What light do orchids need and how do I recognize false light?
Orchids need a bright location with 70-90% light intensity, ideally on an east or west window. In winter, a lack of light can be compensated for with fluorescent tubes. Yellow spots indicate sunburn, long horny shoots indicate a lack of light.
Bright sun is not desirable in summer
The queen of flowers likes to hold court wherever the lighting conditions simulate the conditions in their natural location as perfectly as possible. Orchids come from the rainforests of tropical regions. Here they sit majestically on the branches where the canopy of leaves filters the sunshine. This is how the plants' expectations are met:
- A bright, not full sun location with a light intensity of 70 to 90 percent
- Ideally on an east or west window with mild sun in the morning or evening
- On the south window only behind a curtain, curtain or similar shading
How beautifully an orchid could look in the living room cupboard or wall shelf; Under these reduced lighting conditions you will look in vain for the magnificent flowers.
Lamps bring light to dark winter days
Winter is a problematic time for your orchids, as the months-long lack of light affects them. By installing fluorescent tubes (€184.00 on Amazon) with the light color 865 daylight white above the plants, you compensate for the deficiency. Equipped with dovetail reflectors, the light output can be additionally increased so that even your young plants do not stop growing in winter.
These symptoms indicate incorrect light
In summer, the sun can become the enemy of your orchids if it beats down on the plants unfiltered at midday. Unmistakable symptoms of sunburn are yellowish spots with a dark edge that do not spread any further. By changing the location or providing shading, the problem can be quickly resolved.
If orchids lack enough light, long, stunted shoots develop. Species that are particularly light-hungry stop growing completely or drop their flowers and leaves. If the plagued flowers move to a brighter place, they will recover quickly.
Tip
The striking pansy orchid (Miltonia) is very happy about the unfiltered sunlight and fresh air on the balcony. If it is allowed to stay here in a bright to semi-shady place from May to August/September, the pretty flowers will appear twice a year.