north, south, east or west?

[cathy]

i am putting my orchids out for the summer, which way do they want to grow? i want to make sure the new pseudobulbs are aimed in the right direction so i don't get growths all over each other.
thanks, cathy

[raybark]

In the summer the sun is much closer to straight overhead - especially as you move farther south - so I imagine it really doesn't matter much. Additionally, as you're unlikely to put them in direct sun (to prevent burning), whatever shade you provide may be perceived as the light source, further muddying the orientation issue.

I would still orient them so the expected growth is to the south, and keep an eye on them to adjust as the growth occurs.

[cathy]

i hope this attachment shows up, cathy

[Alice-NJ]

Because most orchids grow on rhyzomes, you might check which end the newest growths are, and orient that end toward the light. This doesn't apply to orchids that don't grow on rhyzomes or are budding at each end.

[cobykarl]

I would orient them primarily to the south.

[jean2]

1) Find a sunny area on the ground. Locate a stick, branch, or other long thin material (such as a tent pole section).

2) Plant the stick or pole firmly in the ground. Mark the top edge of its shadow on the ground. Use a pebble or other item to make the mark.

3) Wait 10-15 minutes, and mark the top edge of its shadow again.

4) Draw a straight line on the ground between the two marks. This is the East-West line.

i) Since the sun rises in the East, our shadow moves in the opposite direction across the ground, so the shadow will move West to East.
ii) The first mark on the ground is West, and the second mark is East. Clockwise from West is North, and clockwise from East is South.

1) Locate the North Star (Northern Hemisphere). Locate the North Star (Polaris) in the night sky. The North Star is the last star in the handle of the Little Dipper constellation. If you have trouble finding it, find the Big Dipper. The two lowest stars in the Big Dipper (the outermost stars of the cup of the dipper) form a straight line that "points" to the bright North Star.

i) Draw an imaginary line down from the North Star to the ground; this is approximately where true north is.

2) Locate the Southern Cross (Southern Hemisphere). The Southern Cross constellation is formed by five stars, and the four brightest stars form a cross that is angled to one side. Identify the two stars that make up the long axis of the cross.

i) Follow an imaginary line down from the two stars five times the distance between them.

ii) Draw an imaginary line from this point to the ground. This direction is south.

3) Find Orion's Belt (at the Equator). Orion's Belt is a permanent constellation on the Equator. The 'belt' (3 stars in a row) runs from East to West. Look for that, it has a 'sword' attached to it.

i) Look in the direction opposite where the belt was. You should be able to make out its 'head' and arms. That is the general direction of North.