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I'm setting up more lights to start seedlings under (flowers and stuff too, not just pumpkins) so I did a little search on here to see what lights people used, and came up with random answers. I used fluorescent lights the last few years and they worked fine. But I'm seeing that people use Gro-Lux, flourescent lights, mixtures of two different bulbs to cover the spectrum, and all kinds of other things. What does everyone use? And can someone that knows something about the spectrum and lumens and stuff explain it to me a little? I'm lost... Thanks guys...

2/29/2004 12:50:11 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Last year was my first year to use any growth lights. For my first try I purchased a 70W High pressure Sodium Lamp as I was told that these (HPS) are supposedly the best type. The 70W lamp will supply about one square meter with sufficient light. The results were just outstanding on those plants that I put under that light.
So, for this year I decided to get lamps that would cover a larger area.
I bought two 400W High Pressure Sodium lamps. Each of them will put out enough light to cover about four square meters. Now I can grow all my annuals, vegetables and any other plants under growth lights until they will be set out.
Martin

PS: I will put some pictures of my growth lights in my Diary. You might want to check it out in a day or so...

2/29/2004 5:04:40 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I agree with Martin that High Pressure Sodium is great. We use a 150 watt fixture here. But I thing the whiter light Metal Halide lamps are supposed to be even better. Yet even more money though.

Florescents are easier to find, cheaper, & run cooler. Their light output varies a bit. Here's a link to a color temperature chart. I won't pretend that I can unravle what it means though LOL! Most folks seem to mix a warm & a cool bulb together. Like throwing poop against a wall, some is bound to stick.

Not true. Really the cooler colors are for vegetative growth & the warmer color tubes favor flowering.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/2637/spectra.html

Someone provided a link to the Phillips lighting site a while back but I can find it & the Mrs wants to check her eBay auctions. More later.

Steve

2/29/2004 8:33:31 AM

Eveleth MN

2 weeks ago I bought a cheap 2 tube flourecent 4ft. fixture and 2 40watt "gro-lux" flourecent tubes, only cost me 25$. I've been playing around with some "bigmax" seed From my pumpkin last year and I have some sitting under the that growlight setup right now. I've NEVER had stronger looking seedlings than this before, even ones I've just planted directly in the ground the first week of june.

2/29/2004 10:54:47 AM

Western Pa.

1000 watt metal halide lamp used here, daylight in the dark!

2/29/2004 2:42:17 PM

Vermont Green MTN State

I use full spectrum Gro Lights they work great! A little more $$$ but worth it if you ask me.
Doeski

3/1/2004 9:32:49 AM

Indiana

I purchased a Metal Halide 1000 Watt system last summer. MH is supposed to be best in areas that have no natural sunlight, and HPS is supposed to be for areas that get some indirect sunlight. Thats just what I was told. I have had a problem in my basement with the MH this winter. I think it is lacking enough of the red spectrum Having 2-60 watt lightbulbs on the last week or 2 has really perked them up.

Tom Beachy

3/1/2004 10:35:24 AM

Thanks Tom, but you know I can't afford that. :-)

Anyway guys, I found lots of info in a plant book from the university library. So here goes... footcandles are the intensity of the light, and lumens are the intensity of the light visible to humans. So if a light has more wavelengths that a human can't see, it has less lumens.

Plants like mostly light on the ends of the visible spectrum...blue and red....AKA lights with lower lumens. BUT these lights are usually the specialized "wide spectrum" or just-for-plant models. They are usually more pricey, and they lost their power faster, so have to be replaced sooner.

The book also said that regular fluorescent lights are suitable for the average gardener, and easier on the pocketbook. They recommended cool white bulbs, a mixture of cool white and white, a mix of cool white and warm white, and a mixture including a "daylight" bulb.

Anyway, I think I'm going to go with the longer lasting regular cool white bulbs, or a cool white combined with another type. The way I figure, if the clocks not broke, don't fix it...the regular old fluorescent shop lights have worked for me in the past.

3/1/2004 9:15:42 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Brig - There are some really good articles out there on the net.


Here is one link:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/lights/

search for one called"inexpensive grow lights 201...."
You might have to read it once or twice but it is worth it.

3/2/2004 1:43:06 AM

Indiana

Brigitte
Check out the "designer" type fluorescents (check Lowes)they have a higher lumen rating. I have used one warm and one cool over planted fish tanks before and they were the best by far the special gro lux lights put out about half the lumen's of the designer bulbs

Tom check out an agrosun gold MH light bulb (Worms Way) they have a better spectrum. the mh bulbs really dont last long reguardless, they change spectrum and loose brightness more than your eyes can detect.
Steve

3/2/2004 10:13:20 AM

that forum link is full of info CEIS!!! Thanks

3/2/2004 3:39:45 PM

Syracuse, NY

i use two fixtures, each with two 4' 40-watt flourescent bulbs in it. one of the two bulbs in each fixture is a Gro-Lite, and the other is a full-spectrum bulb.
they are side-by-side, and i can raise or lower them as i please via nylon ropes attached to the top of each fixture--this is KEY! to hold the adjustment, i tied knots in the ropes at about where they would be secured, like to a cross-board under the floor of the house (this is down in the basement, by the weigh) a few inches apart along the length of the ropes, and put in a VERY strong nail at that point, so if i need it a little higher or lower i just pull on the ropes, hold fast, and slip the knot that is suitable around the head of the nail, and this works great for me. yes, i hafta be real careful with the raise and-lower-process,
but as the plants grow, the height needs to be adjusted to about 4-6 inches above the tops of the plants....
last year i had the best tomato plants ever! but i kinda goofed-up my AGs the first time around...ahh, well...'pal2

3/4/2004 12:30:36 PM