Hi Lucille!

i winter all my plants, orchids and cacti alike, indoors under AgroBrite bulbs. They are 32W (150 equivalent) full spectrum grow lights, and my plants have not complained!

I have 23 watt CFLs (6500K) that I use for my citrus all winter. The orchids love them as well.

Hi Lucille,

I've been growing indoors using a 3-tiered light cart (among other things) for @15 years. My cart has shelves that are 4' x 2' with 4/40 watt T12 flouros per shelf for a total of 12 40 watt flouros. My 3-tiered set-up is especially good for shorter growing plants, one tier is @ 10" tall and the other two are @ 20" tall each. The cart is great as it increases that 4' x 2' growing area x3 which is critical to me as an indoor grower. You can bloom almost anything under the cart as long as you can get it close enough (4"-6") to the lights, paphs and phals should do great. If I were to change anything it would be to replace the T12's with some of the newer T8 sized 4' LED fixtures, much less electricity and more light.

What type of cart and lighting are you using?

Bob

Alyssa I have an Agrobrite 6 light fixture for the cacti/succulents and those coiled fluorescents for my orchids. They work well. I'm waiting to hear back from my Ebay seller that he is going to be able to get the cart packed up and mailed. Once it is there, along with the lights and plants I have, I will not be able to pass my living room off as normal any more, lol.

I have 5 of the coiled bulbs in 5 separate lamps, LOL. My bedroom hasn't been normal in over a year!

It's a spare bedroom for me, the term bedroom is being used very loosely here as you could barely sleep a small child on the floor currently. Along with the light cart there are 7 27+ watt hanging LED flood bulbs, 1 55 watt hanging CFL (spiral) and 3 2' 2 LED hanging fixtures covering 3 different grow areas besides the cart. I keep the window curtains and blinds open 24/7, not just for the daylight but to also let 'people' know that I'm not hiding things and growing pot. I also make sure to mention to any new neighbors that I grow orchids indoors over the winter. So far after 15+ years, no knocks on the door from the local police asking to take a look :) There is also a recliner and side table, a TV, an exercise bike and a coffee table holding fert, chemicals, watering cans and other odds and ends in the room.

Sometimes I wonder how my wife puts up with it all. She likes the pretty flowers, but isn't into the orchids and their care. She has her own spare bedroom (the one where company sleeps), it's filled mostly with her clothes and I don't say anything. So fair is fair I guess.

Bob

I guess it is off topic, but I think the best marriages are where the couples respect the likes and dislikes of the spouse.

I am still waiting to hear back about the cart, hope he sent an email tonight.

My winter sanctuary, a 10' x 12' spare bedroom:

Assorted long/tall spiking plants, 4-5 phrags, and several other taller plants under 6 27 watt LED floods and 1 55 watt CFL. Area is @ 4'x4'.

My 3-tiered 4'x2' light cart with 4 lights per shelf. Also a mountie/bare-root area to the left under 2/2' 2 led fixtures.

East window growing area, 1 LED flood above and a 2 light 2' led fixture hanging under top shelf (behind foil) of 4' potting bench. The two big plants on the floor stand and on the corner of the potting bench are cereuses, I really like night blooming cereus but they are a real hassle during the winter because of large size and light needs.

Panoramic shot from doorway that gives a realistic view of the amount of light in the room, it is very bright as these pics were taken at 6AM this morning. There are @70 orchids in this pic and there are 4-5 more nice bloomers that are spread throughout other areas of the house.

Nice area to escape to on a cold winter day...

Bob

Bob I love your room. Do you mostly water in place with a hudson type sprayer like I do, dunking them only occasionally, or do you haul all those orchids out of the room to get watered?

Lucille,

There are drip trays filled with pebbles under all of the orchids with egg crate (type used to conceal ceiling lights) or wire shelving over those trays. The potted orchids sit on the egg crate/wire shelf and get watered in place 1 or 2 x per week with a watering can. The overflow goes into the trays to provide a little added humidity for a few days. Bare root and mounties get at least one daily misting with an occasional dunk. As far as time spent, about 45-60 minutes watering all plants on Saturdays, 15 minutes watering select plants on Wednesdays and 5-10 minutes daily for misting and such. All lights are on adjustable timers running at @ 16 hrs/day currently. During the summer I generally only use the east window set-up, the rest go outside on an east facing patio and I'm able to power down the rest of the 'winter' room.

Bob

Beautiful, cozy set up, Bob. So organized and neat for a growing room. I bet its a nice place to sit and enjoy your plants and a glass of wine.

Jane

Lucille,

If you can't water in place use a 5 gallon bucket and put some type of screening over the top of the bucket to hold plants and water with a watering can over the 5 gallon bucket. You can dump the bucket easily enough when full or done and you don't have to go back and forth to your sink or whatever. The 3/2.5 gallon water jugs on the floor in my shots are what I initially fill and then use to fill the watering can when getting ready to water. If and when I fert, it is in the 2.5 gallon jugs. I generally use 5 gallons of water to water all orchids (and a few dirt plants) on Saturdays, and another 2.5 gallons for the sprayer and other watering weekly. So about 7.5 gallons per week for me in winter. Much higher water usage in summer when outside.

Bob

Bob,

I can water most of the plants in place using the hudson type sprayer, the individual hanging plants like vandas will get dunked. I have a wash bucket on wheels I may use, if I do I plant to dedicate it to orchid use only to make sure no cleaning soap contaminates it.

Yes! Unlike Bob, mine has only two T5's per shelf but I am adding a little extra light soon with some clamp lamps.

So in my tiny under 700sf apt, here is my 12 foot plant area:

Very nice!

Jane

I love it!

I really like the catcus and succulents you have potted.

Nice job...

Bob

Super use of space and attractive plantings. Your plant wall is a nice enhancement for your living space.

Sue

Is 16 hours a day about right for the lights? I had to put some of my orchids in a bathtub on the north side of the house and am using my 4' shop light with T5's that I normally use to start veggies with. For the veggies I had it timed at 18 hours a day. Most of the orchids in there are oncidiums. The rest of my orchids are in east or west windows and in my shower on the south side. They will all be going back outside in a couple of months.

Judy,

I run mine at @16/per day for most of the winter. In early fall when I first bring them indoors I run them for 12-13 for the first 3-4 weeks and then up it to 16 for the rest of the winter/spring. I use the 12-13 to initiate any blooms for orchids that might bloom based on day length and to follow what was happening when they were outside. Personally I'm not sure the initial time drops helps that much, but it makes sense to me and is easy enough to accomplish.

Good luck,

Bob

This is what happens when one only has a certain amount of space and one buys a few more orchids

Lucille,

Here's a link to a very old 2009 thread about the 'stages of orchid addiction', you're at about a 3 :) For us old-timers on the forum, there are some long gone members in the thread.

Stages of Orchid Addiction

Bob

Thank you, I enjoyed reading the thread. It is helping me to see the possible future of my orchid jones.

Bob,

Have you gotten those t12s replaced yet? Apparently they make conversion bulbs that fit your old fixtures.

https://youtu.be/uAotWU_cOn8

If you do it, please let me know how it goes and whether you had to rewire your fixtures or not. (I don't think you do but I could be mistaken)

I haven't switched yet, but I am aware that there are options out there now that allow you to not have to rewire. Just replace the T12 bulb, here is an example from Home Depot: T12 LED

I'm a little frightened of screwing with electricity, so I'd go this route rather than having to rewire a ballast.

Bob

I'm going to have to get some if those. Thank you for the link!

I thought Phals under lights should have the same amount of added light time as what is going on outside. I have only been running my lights to match the outdoors. I did get all of them to spike and bloom. Maybe next winter I show or bump up to the time Bob is using,

Anyone do a mini setup under lights? I've got an 8x8x8 inch tank with an ultrasonic humidifier on a timer, a tiny computer fan running 24/7, and I'm thinking of adding a grow light like the 100W full spectrum CF-UT01 to my mini orchidarium. Currently trying Haraella Retrocalla, Psygmorchis Pusilla, Neofinetia Falcata, and Maxillaria Schunkeana. All except the Haraella Retrocalla have been doing well in the Northern Window, which gets only shaded sun. Curious if they take to the new habitat. Thermometer + Hygrometer should arrive tomorrow.

If it were me, I'd look for something in a white color. The pink of a lot of the LED grow lights 'bothers' me and I find it very unattractive, almost to the point of not enjoying the plants any longer. I'd think the 55 watts/5000 lumens of the CF-UT01 would work fine for that area. May want to keep it at least 12" above tank initially and see how they react for overexposure to the new light.

Good luck,

Bob

I actually kind of like the pink light. With the ultrasonic mister, it really looks awesome. No idea how I'm going to mount the COB light when it comes.