What kind of lights are you using?

terpguy - i am not currently growing orchids. but in rochester my green house in the basement had about 16 fluorescent lights, a humidifier and a fan. lights etc. were all on a timer. the mini cats that i grew were in my dining room and did not get a whole day full of sun. but they bloomed reliably. to grow them here in south carolina the sun is relentless and the humidity and temps are high. up in rochester the mini cats had different bloom times. one bloomed around christmas. and if you know anything about rochester in winter, well the fact that the mini bloomed then in gray skies and hardly no sun nor additional light source is a miracle.

sorry to take so long to post a response.

Maybe the way to go might be to contact some of the local orchid societies to see how they grow their orchids. "sun is relentless and the humidity and temps are high" mean that you would need an appropriate amount of shading if you wish to grow outside in summer. Some mini cats, especially those with a lot of Sophronitis in the breeding like it a bit cooler.

Sorry, not much help.