Here is a Phragmipedium that has spiked under lights. This is Phrag. Don Wimber.




Don Wimber is Phrag. Eric Young x Phragmipedium besseae. Now what I hope for is a deep, red flowered hybrid. Don Wimber's are mostly dark orange reds or reds but a few are peachy colored. Phragmipedium besseae is typically a red flowered species.
At this stage I can not tell what color this plant will be.
But I am posting this in order to show what can be accomplished under lights. This plant has grown in my light setup about a year. It did go outside from late May until mid September. Outside it grew in bright shade. That area had sun from 10:30 until about 1:30 or 2:00pm.

I realize that this thread has not been particularly active lately but after reading this thread a few years ago, I purchased two of these triple shelf light carts.

It has been quite the learning experience! I am using my carts for Paphiopedilums and the other cart for compact Cattleyas. I got a hold of a light meter recently and have taken some light meter readings. I was looking for light levels around 1,200 footcandles when I purchased the carts. The light meter said 1,148 footcandles 3" below a tube and it drops off to around 1,000 foot candles 8" below. This has proven to be a wonderful level for my Brachypetalum slippers, both species and hybrids. I am going with BigBill's recommendation of 12 hours a day during the summer and 10 hours during the winter months.
With the 2" deep trays supporting the plants, I let water collect in there. My indoor humidity levels all Spring and Summer has been between 70 and 90%. I think that is just exactly what these guys would find in SE Asia over through India.

I see good growth rates and nice clear tessellations on the dorsal leaf surfaces. I am really excited to establish this growing area. I just had a bud pop up on a Paphiopedilum sukhakulii hybrid. Tis' the season going forward.

Nick, I had figured you moved your Orchids outside over Summer? Did you move some, but not all?

Well, 85% are outside, that is true. But what remains inside are about 25 smaller growing slippers like niveum, concolor, bellatulum, delenatii, helenae, sukhakulii hybrids and species. Most are in 3 1/2" or 4" pots.
Mealybugs were taking a toll but I finally turned that corner. And I am constantly tinkering with my culture. The one major change that I made there is that I removed medium grade Orchiata from the mix. It is now 60% fine bark, 20% fine charcoal and perlite. I was getting roots to grow but not particularly well. So I tinker.
And honestly over the last 2 months I think that they look a little better. And I like the increased humidity levels. I now make sure I water every third day.

I bought one three tier, the same Bill did right after he did and followed his directions. I have one level for Paphs and Phrags another for Phals and the third is kind of what catches my eye. Right now some African Violets. Some of all of those, except the Violets get under the Pergola during summer. This year I had to bring some back in because of the crazy heat we have had this year.

I figured for educational purposes I would post a few images of my light meter that I use in order to check light intensity levels.
I can get humidity, temperature, foot candles etc.
This was purchased on e-bay for around $38 or so.
As a quick review, a standard unifoliate Cattleya needs 30,000 footcandles of light per day in order to bloom. My 8 tube fixture currently produces a foot candle reading of roughly 2,900 foot candles, give or take. So dividing 30,000 by 2,900 means to achieve that goal of thirty thousand, my lights need to be on around ten hours.
I check the light out put levels roughly quarterly. My Cattleyas are looking real well. I see several sheaths and can expect a half dozen to bloom this winter. Sweet!!!

A meter like this could determine light levels on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. It certainly takes the guess work out of things.

Nick, I hope that someone with a similar set up reads this. It should be helpful.
I would think my setup under a glass ceiling doesn't quite fit here, but matching specific genera with the necessary amount of light certainly does. I grow in several layers, under the ceiling for the brightest, and so on.

Thanks.
If I feel that there is an educational point to be made, I make it. People who visit the Orchid Forums can do what they want to with each piece of information. But if I don't make the post, as I am sure you know, then no one can learn anything.

Definitely so!

I have some good news to report. I have buds on my large clone of Cattleya walkeriana var. alba.
This is really good news. This is under my new fluorescent fixture that I have posted about above.
Walkeriana can be a really finnicky plant when it comes to blooming but to have it flower mid winter, under lights, is pretty cool.
As a reminder, 2900 footcandles, 10 hours a day, 12' below tubes. And it is about a $200 setup including a Home Depot bench kit.

That is awesome. I have never been able to flower a walkeriana!