I think if I got potted up next to that window I would be healthy! What a beautiful view!!! I live way down south in Florida. We need to do things differently. I'm sure they would tolerate the direct light, but for how long! It may not matter due to your latitude. This is best answered by a local grower. You could use the footsteps method by providing a frequent watch if you are available and at the first sign of trouble, retreat. Best is to ask a local grower.

But what a view. What room of your house is that?

They should be ok there. I would watch them daily and watch for signs of "yellowing" in the leaves. When you notice the darker green color starting to fade/wash out, you are giving them a bit too much light.

Good luck, they look healthy =)

Wow, thanks everyone for the advice and kind words! I have been monitoring them daily, and they still look great so far. I also saw a lovely phal in a south-facing window of a house down the street, so I hope it will be okay--especially now that I have the humidifier to combat the higher light levels.

Shavedmonkey--I bet you get some great sun in Florida! I have purchased several bromeliads and humidity-loving bonsai on my trips down there, but sadly, neither enjoy the dry, bipolar weather of central Ohio :( My succulents do really well on the porch, though! This is the view from one of our guest bedrooms facing the street out front :)

Here the sun is too strong for phals except for a brief few minutes. Shade as bright as possible. Nice view for your guests. Is that a large body of water?

I'm in west central Ohio and I'd say you're fine with the phals in a south window for now. As fall and winter approaches, the sun moves south and that window will get a lot more sun, be sure to watch it once fall arrives. May have to put a sheer curtain up or move them back a little when it is shining in directly for several hours.

A hybrid phal usually needs a couple of weeks of nighttime temp drops in the early fall to induce blooms, consider opening that window at night for a couple of weeks in about a month to give them that cool down. Once you see the beginning of the spikes, you can keep the window closed.

If you can, next spring get them outside where they can enjoy the sun and temps. Ease them out into the environment and no direct sun from 11-4 if you do this. The temp drops usually take care of themselves if they are 'summering' outside.

Good luck,

Bob

You want to find the delicate balance between giving them as much light as they want and enough light to hurt them.

Watch for general yellowing in your case...burns in other people's cases who move plants around.

I use a sheer curtain to diffuse the direct sun.

Thank you everyone for all the advice! So far they have been looking great, but I will definitely get a curtain for the fall and winter. What kind of curtain works best for this sort of thing?

I'm in PA and I can't leave mine that close to a window in the winter I worry it won't be warm enough for them. With daylight starting to be shorter you might not need to add a sheer

I am in Northeast Ohio and have had Phals in south windows during the winter. In the winter it is not the light you have to look out for. It is the low temps. I have had cold damage before because I left them too close to the window when it was freezing outside.