2023 What Kind Of Light Do Vandas Need: Expert Tell You

Understanding the Natural Habitat of Vandas

Vandas grow as epiphytes in the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia. They receive abundant, bright and diffused indirect sunlight filtered through the tropical rainforest canopy. Vandas thrive under these conditions due to adaptation to the high humidity and warm temperatures found inrainforests.
More comprehensive information and care guidelines can be read here.

vanda, sun, orange skies under sun — *Photo by* *Julien DI MAJO* / *Unsplash*

The Importance of Providing Adequate Lighting for Vandas

Providing adequate light is essential for the healthy growth and flowering of Vanda orchids. Insufficient light leads to several issues:

Weak growth: Without enough light, vandas develop long internodes with soft thin growth. Leaf size may reduce.
Drooping leaves: Foliage becomes limp and droopy due to lack of adequate energy from photosynthesis.
Reduced flowering: Flowering and blooming depends on accumulation of sufficient carbohydrates through photosynthesis. Insufficient light limits this process.

Vandas require medium to high light levels to: perform photosynthesis efficiently, which provides the energy and nutrients needed for:

Vegetative growth of leaves and roots
Flower initiation and development

The amount of light required varies based on factors like:

Vanda type
Hybrid vigor
Temperature
Humidity

But in general, vandas need 1,500 to 3,000 lux of light for at least 8 to 12 hours daily to ensure:

Strong vegetative growth
Healthy dark green leaves
Profuse and continuous flowering

Without adequate lighting, vandas tend to become increasingly weak over time, resulting in slower growth, fewer flowers and reduced lifespan. Hence, ensuring the optimal light conditions through natural sunlight or artificial lights is important for growing vandas.

vanda, sun, white clouds and blue sky during daytime — *Photo by* *Jonny Clow* / *Unsplash*

Optimal Light Intensity for Vanda Orchids

The optimal light intensity required for growing Vanda orchids ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 lux on the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) scale. This light intensity range corresponds to:

2,000 to 4,000 foot candles
150 to 300 micromoles per square meter per second

Several factors influence the exact light intensity required within this range:

Vanda Type

Hybrids and species with less vigor may need higher light levels up to 3,000 lux.
More robust hybrids can tolerate light levels as low as 1,500 lux.

Temperature

Higher temperatures require greater light intensity to provide enough energy for photosynthesis and growth.

Humidity

Higher humidity allows vandas to handle more light intensity without drying out.

Most vandas thrive under medium to high light conditions and can handle direct sunlight for 2 to 4 hours per day. Growers monitor vanda growth and make adjustments to:

Increase light levels for:
Weak growth
-Drooping foliage
-Decreased flowering
Decrease light levels for:
-Leaf burn or fading
-Excessive upward growth

Maintaining optimal light conditions ensures:

Robust vegetative growth
Dark green and upright leaves
Profuse and continuous flowering all year
Longer Vanda lifespan

By understanding the light requirements of their specific Vanda orchidtypes, growers can choose the right combination of natural light placement and artificial lighting supplements to meet those needs.

vanda, sun, body of water during sunrise — *Photo by* *Niko Romo* / *Unsplash*

Choosing the Right Light Spectrum for Vanda Orchids

The light spectrum refers to the distribution of light wavelengths, with different colors corresponding to specific wavelengths.The light spectrum is important as plant growth depends on absorption of specific wavelengths of light.

Vandas benefit from a full-spectrum light source that provides a balanced distribution of:

Red light (600–700 nm): Promotes stem elongation, leaf expansion and flowering.
Blue light (400–500 nm): Stimulates growth of roots, stems and foliage. Also increases synthesis of pigments like chlorophyll.
Green and yellow (500–600 nm): Needed for basic plant processes like transpiration and photosynthesis.
UV and far-red light: Plays minor roles in Vanda growth.

Natural sunlight provides the complete visible light spectrum of 400 to 700 nm wavelengths. However, artificial grow lights are increasingly used to supplement natural light levels.The ideal light for vandas should mimic the spectrum of natural sunlight.

Some effective options are:

LED Grow Lights

Provide highly controllable full-spectrum light
Individual diodes can emit specific wavelengths
Help optimize red:blue light ratio

Fluorescent T5/T8 Lights

Emit light from both ends of tube for full coverage
Available in full-spectrum and special “Vanda” mixes
Inexpensive option for supplementary lighting

The spectrum and intensity of artificial lighting must be closely monitored for Vandas:

A balanced red:blue ratio around 65:35 to 70:30 promotes balanced growth.
Higher intensity lights need more red light compared to blue.
Green lights help reduce heat stress under high intensity LEDs.

By choosing the right combination of light spectrum and intensity, growers can optimize environmental conditions for vigour,photosynthesis and flowering of their Vanda orchids.

vanda, sun, silhouette of persons hand during sunset — *Photo by* *Alonso Reyes* / *Unsplash*

Supplementing Natural Light with Artificial Lighting

While natural light is ideal for growing Vanda orchids, many growers supplement it with artificial grow lights to ensure optimal light intensity for blooming and flowering. This is especially important during:

Low light seasons
Cloudy or rainy periods
-Low light indoor environments

Supplemental lighting helps overcome insufficient natural light levels to provide Vandas with the:

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)
Intensity
Spectrum

They require for healthy growth and profuse flowering.

Two of the best options for supplemental Vanda lighting are:

1. LED Grow Lights

Advantages:

High efficiency and low heat production
Long lifespan of 50,000-100,000 hours
Highly customizable spectrum
Compact size

Disadvantages:

Higher initial cost

2.Fluorescent T5/T8 Grow Lights

Advantages:

Good spectrum for plant growth
Inexpensive compared to LEDs
Easy availability of replacement tubes

Disadvantages:

Produce more heat
Require regular tube replacements

Key considerations for deploying artificial lights for Vandas include:

Intensity: 1,500 to 3,000 lux required
Duration: 12-16 hours of supplementallighting daily
Spectrum: Full spectrum or “Vanda” specific tubes
Height: Adjust lights as plant grows
-Timing: Lights on when natural light is low

Proper deployment and management of artificial grow lights can help achieve:

Strong vegetative growth
Profuse flowering year-round
Healthier orchids
Better orchid resilience

Many commercial orchid growers now rely on a combination of natural light and artificial lighting systems to maintain optimum growing conditions for Vanda orchids.

vanda, tree branch, a dead tree branch in the middle of a forest — *Photo by* *David Boozer* / *Unsplash*

Monitoring and Adjusting Light Conditions for Vandas

Regular monitoring of Vanda orchid growth is vital to optimize light conditions and make necessary adjustments to light levels and spectrum. Growers should observe:

Growth rate and direction
Foliage color and turgor
Flowering performance
Plant resilience

to determine whether light conditions need adjusting. Signs that indicate:

Insufficient light for Vandas include:

Weak growth
Drooping foliage
-Decreased flowering
-Faded leaf color

To remedy this, growers should:

Increase light intensity
Extend photoperiod by adding artificial lights
Move plants closer to light sources

Excessive light for Vandas results in:

Sunburn or photoinhibition of foliage
Upward growth habit
Leaf tip burn
Decreased flower count

To address this, growers should:

Decrease light intensity
Move plants further from light sources
Filterdirect sunlight
Reduce photoperiod

Monitoring stomatal conductance and foliage color can also help assess the balance between a Vanda’s photosynthetic needs and transpirational water loss. Higher conductance and darker green color indicate:

-Ideal light levels
-Efficientuse of light energy

Most growers monitor and adjust:

Light intensity based on growth
Light duration to optimize flowering
Light spectrum based on foliage color

By paying close attention to their Vanda’s responses, orchid growers can fine-tune the light environment over time to maximize plant health, longevity and aesthetic appeal.