In their native rainforest, orchids under the canopy have not learned to deal with blazing sunshine. Therefore, the exotics are not considered sun worshipers even as houseplants. However, the queen of flowers cannot live completely without the sun. Read how to do it right here.
What lighting conditions do orchids prefer?
Orchids prefer lots of light, but not direct sunlight. Window sills on the west or east side of the house are ideal. Shade-tolerant species such as Brassia or Miltonia can also be placed on the north window.
These lighting conditions are ideal for orchids
As houseplants, orchids want lots of light all year round. However, they do not want to come into contact with the piercing sun at midday. This is especially true during summer time. Therefore, choose the location according to these criteria:
- Ideally on the windowsill on the west or east side of the house
- On the south window, preferably in winter or from March to October with shading at midday
- The north window is only suitable for shade-tolerant species, such as Brassia or Miltonia
If the sun is rarely seen in winter, the lack of light on orchids causes unsightly curling on the shoots. In the worst case, the flowers and leaves are dropped. In this case, you can compensate for the lack of sunlight with daylight lamps (€109.00 on Amazon).
Sun protection is mandatory on the balcony
The fresh air fans among the orchids prefer to stay on the summer balcony. Miltonia, Cambria and Odontoglossum are in peak floral form after the summer break. However, this only applies if they are protected from the blazing summer sun during midday under an awning or a roof overhang.
Detecting sunburn early – tips on the symptoms
Orchids react to an excess of sun in a similar way to humans: they suffer from severe sunburn. A clear symptom is that the leaves turn yellow in the early stages. If the damage progresses, light brown spots with dark edges develop. Please move the troubled orchids to a semi-shady location now at the latest.
Tip
The sun is completely undesirable if you propagate your orchids by sowing them. To ensure that the seeds actually germinate on the nutrient medium, the test tubes must not be exposed to sunlight at any time.
