Which fluorescent lighting?

I like full spectrum lights. My plants grew much better when I switched from alternating warm and cool.

I have switched to T5 full spectrum (or as close as I could buy) and the plants are growing even better.

Kyle

 

My basement setup has 4 "shop" light fixtures with 8 bulbs and I too have had great sucess so far using both cool and warm lights in my setup.

 

I use t5s. 3x6000 k and 3x10000 k. Everything grows, lots of things bloom. I can bloom bulbos and Epigeneium 30" from the bulbs.

 

Tim

Try to find full spectra fluorescent bulbs with a color temperature eround 5500-6500K. The "old" standard T8 has larger diameter compared to T5. This makes it possibly to have more light per area with T5, the "new" comming standard.

For Phal´s the T8 should be fine but for the mini-catt´s the distance may to the bulbs may need to be reduced!

What distance does you have? Can you meassure the light intensity? There is cheap light meters to buy.

/Magnus

 

Magnus brings up many valid points. Also, if you want to read for a few minutes, try reading this site --> indoor plant lighting.

 

Great link Jon....I did not get a chance ot read the whole thing yet but will make sure I do as the link has been bookmarked.

 

I can bloom most my 100+ species of masd 20" from one 6000K T5.

Not braggin'. Just want to let you know how much brighter they are then T8's. They are great.

Kyle

 

I grow many angraecoid species, species phals and Brassavola species (together with a few oddball oncids) under banks of T8 fixtures fitted with 5000K tubes. Distance varies between 2" and 8". I'll admit to some leaf scorching - mostly on the Brassavolas - but overall the plants thrive and spike with regularity. My only regret is that the banks of fixtures throw enough heat that my growing area's transitioned from intermediate to warm. Gotta work on that.

 

What a cool thread!

 

I'm a HUGE fan of Compact Fluorescent lights, the mini twists. They're cheaper than the t5's, and you can use any old light socket to screw them into, you don't have to buy an expensive fixture. I use 100 watt equivalent lights and switch between regular ones which are a more red color (like warm white) and a sylvania full spectrum which are more blue (those are more expensive than the normal everyday ones you can buy anywhere). If you want more of an explanation let me know.

 

More explanation, please. Can you provide pictures? How many bulbs do you use?

 

My light garden is standard NO fluorescents...I use 3 cool white bulbs to one warm white in each fixture. I gave up on full spectrum bulbs...more expensive, and fewer lumens...cool whites have the most lumens for the standard 48" bulbs. That said, if I was doing a new light garden now, I definitely would be more inclined to get a t5 set-up. I haven't seen them for plants yet, but they have become very popular in reefkeeping....when my PC light fixture finally dies on my reef tank, I'll replace it with a t5 setup......

 

I use these in the greenhouse Great lights cheap initial cost cheap to operate

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