I still don't see a mitten, but am going to assume it is a spike and will oficially wait for the blooms.
Here is the view from the back:
Off-topic: I removed another tube from my lighting fixture in the tank and now it has just two 4ft T5 HO tubes in the middle. With three tubes it was still too strong light for phals, some of them had leaves just 12 inch from the lamp and they were burning. I positioned the fixture to have tubes above the middle shelf and put cattleyas there so they are right under the tubes. Phals are concentrated on the back and front where there is no direct lamp above them but still plenty of light.
Too bad I don't have light measuring device and have to experiment. Newest leaf on one of the bellinas got unsightly yellow patches because it was growing under burning lamp and I tried to shade it with other plants, oh bother...
My phals are growing under 4 T5 tubes, but I have them 22-24 inches away from the lights (benefits of a taller tank). I lost a leaf to light-burn the one time I tried bringing a small phal to a 16" distance. The noids seem to handle bright light better than my named hybrids. Phal gigantea, likewise seems quite tolerant.
ReplyDeleteDo you have HO (high output) tubes? I didn't loose any leaves yet, but some(cornu-cervi and its hybrids) got purple splotches all over, Kuntrarti Rarashati became almost black and some others starting to show the rough leathery appearance. My tank is 22 inch high but because of levels - plants are raised and become closer.
ReplyDeleteI wonder now if 2 tubes is too little light, it does look pretty bright still though.
I don't want to get rid of levels because they are more convenient and fit more plants.
Yeah, HO (8000 lumens supposedly). 2-feet distance from the tallest leaves and 4 light bulbs seems to work for me.
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