Alyssa,

Your orchids are looking good!

1. Your current fert routine seems OK, maybe throw in a watering with Miracle Grow every 6 weeks or so at 1/2 strength for grins and a change-up. Be sure to flush the pots with plain water every 4th watering no matter what fertilizer is used, this helps to prevent mineral build-up.

2. If you search for "octopus lights" on this forum you'll find several threads where Jane talks about her New York set-up that looked quite presentable. She used a 5 light 'octopus' fixture and 5 CFL (the spiral ) lights. If looks aren't that important, look at a 27 watt LED flood light hanging @ 18"-24" over those orchids. Put the phals and paph in the lower light and the dens and catt in the brightest light.

You do want enough 'breeze' to see leaf movement occasionally.

The aggregatum needs some very specific culture to get blooms, take a look at the Den aggregatum (aggravation) thread I started about 6 weeks ago.

Good luck,

Bob

Thank you both! I'm glad they look good, I was worried about my Paph when I first got it but I think it's really thriving now. I'll take a look at those lights you mentioned and check out the threads

One more question...

What Bob said is true. I was able to bloom Phals and other orchids under CFL's indoors but they were grown outdoors all summer when I lived in NY.

Can your plants go outside during the summer months? What State do you live?

The only plants you are growing which I could spike and bloom under lights with very bright/strong window light was Phals.

I could bloom Catts indoors over winter but the plants lived outdoors over Spring and Summer. Same with Dends. I would never try to grow them to bloom indoors under lights. For that you would need a professional lighting system.

The aggregatum and Catt will not do well unless you can get them outside over the summer. They need strong light.

Bob's advice is good. You should look for your local Orchid Society and attend a meeting. Just Google your area, 'Orchid Society.' You will meet other orchid growers living in your area growing under similar conditions. You will get better answers to your questions there. You will also learn which orchids could grow and bloom under your conditions.

Unfortunately, without strong window light and the ability to put these plants outdoors all summer, I fear you will not be successful.

Jane

Jane,

I'm in southeast Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. I put them outside today since it was in the 70's. They were on the top 2 shelves of a ladder shelf against my back patio. They had direct sun from sunrise to about 11, maybe 10:30, then right shade for the rest of the day and I just brought them in a few minutes ago (supposed to be in the 40's tonight). About how many hours of direct light should they get?

Winter indoors without proper light can be hard for cattleya and dendrobium. Paph. will be fine, phal will be ok. I have experience of growing in the winter under lights (LED mostly), so I gave up on vandas, cymbs, dends. Good candidates are wilsonaras, colmanaras and something like this. In my brightest spot I have rhynchostylis and neofinetia. Neo is fine, rhynchostylis never bloomed. I have keiki of den.loddigessii, but it is not doing good, but not dying either.

Alyssa, putting your orchids outdoors during the warm season is the best thing you can do. Morning sun is the best, midday sun and west sun is for your high light plants like many Cattleyas and dends. If your plants have labels (I can see a tag on the Dend) could you post their tags?

All of your plants, with exception of the the Paph, will thrive with morning sun outdoors. Gradually acclimate them to the high light by putting them in a shady spot for a few weeks. If you don't have a shady spot you can use a patio umbrella to shade them during the day. (I've done that many times).

You are in a cool zone so your morning sun should not be very strong. As they gradually acclimate, you can close the umbrella.

Leave them out until danger of frost. Not sure what Den you have, but if a hard cane it should be starting to spike by Sept/Oct. Your Phals need the fall night temps to initiate spiking. So both plants should stay outside all summer into Fall.

The Paph can grow in your window or a shady spot outdoors.

When the plants come inside in the Fall, you can use lights to get the spikes to flower. Keep them outdoors for as long as possible, even if you move them in and out. The more light, the more the spikes will grow.

Lets deal with lights when we get closer to Fall. The light you have seems good but you will probably need another floor lamp. I like octopus lamps because they have multiple lights and you can direct them to each plant.

I was able to bloom many plants including Catts and Dends indoors over winter if they spent the summer outside. I also had very bright windows in my house. I can't tell your light situation indoor.

Jane

Jane,

I have a spot on my back patio that gets morning sun until 10:30 or 11, and a table that gets sun until around 2. I've been putting them all outside on sunny days over 65 in the spot with sun until 11 with my Paph and Phrag behind the higher light plants. All plant names are mentioned in my original post except my newest, Onc. "Twinkle" and Phrag. Don Wimber x besseae.

What is a good temperature to start bringing them in at? I've been leaving them out overnight the few times it's stayed in the mid to low 50's... is this too cold?

I currently have 5 CFL grow lights, and my orchids are spread out amongst my other plants while they are inside.

Thank you,

Alyssa

I couldn't find 20-20-20 fertilizer at my store. Would 18-18-21 work?

I do not use 20-20-20. I use a bunch of different fertilizers all of which work. I even use regular Miracle Gro. My main fertilizer is Dyna Gro 7-9-5. I haven't found much difference between fertilizers. I do try to get fertilizers which have micro-nutrients. I have a few that are designed for rain water and RO.

I do not like high nitrogen numbers. I find it makes weak growths. I like lower numbers.

Don't worry about what you use. Just something which provides a good, well-rounded feeding.

Jane

My choice for years has been orchid plus sold at home depot and lowes.

Thank you both!