Hi all I was planning on taking all of my seedlings off their tiered stand by the window here this winter and putting them all on a longer folding table 3ft x 6ft. Was thinking about getting some LED growlights to hang above them all. Was wondering if 2 of these would be sufficient?
https://www.amazon.com/Mrhua-Ultra-Thin ... B077ZHXRL2
Or if there is any other recommendations, not looking to break the bank for the 3 mo’s or so that they will be in use here.
Thanks!
Grow light recommendations
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PrickPrickBloom
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 3:15 am
- Location: Arizona, U.S.A.
Re: Grow light recommendations
I've got a couple of very similar lights that I've got probably 20 ziploc bags of seedlings under and they seem to like it, just enough light without being too bright. I'm not sure if they'd be enough when they grow past the seedling stage, but for the time being they work real well
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PrickPrickBloom
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 3:15 am
- Location: Arizona, U.S.A.
Re: Grow light recommendations
Super thanks for the reply, ya most are a few months out of baggies and the rest are in baggies.
Re: Grow light recommendations
if you're in the states these are great. I've had three for a few years now and get good results. they are pretty bright (about 1000 lumens) so you can grow them pretty long as seedlings.
THey say full spectrum but the ones that have now are not full spectrum anymore i havent noticed any difference in growth as seedlings between the two types.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electr ... /302049784
THey say full spectrum but the ones that have now are not full spectrum anymore i havent noticed any difference in growth as seedlings between the two types.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electr ... /302049784
Re: Grow light recommendations
Here is a small article I wrote for our local cactus and succulent society on the topic of grow lights. I don't know if it will help you in your selection or not, but maybe something from it will be of interest.
When it comes to light we should be clear on one thing: there is no better source of light than sunlight. However, for a variety of reasons, compromises must sometimes be made that force us to take our hobby indoors, away from natural light. So, with that first statement in mind, it is always my advice to seek a sunny, southern-facing windowsill over almost any consumer-available grow light option. Now, if this is not an option due to the layout of your indoor area or the climate of your location, you must turn to artificial lighting to supplement. Unfortunately, the majority of cacti and succulents are very light hungry. This means for an artificial light source to provide acceptable spectrum and intensity for growing, they will often be uncomfortably bright for your indoor space. You’ve been warned.
First, an effective grow light must provide the appropriate light spectrum to keep your plants happy. In the simplest terms, what color light does the light source produce? Plants mainly require light in the blue and red color ranges. Both are used in the photosynthesis process. Blue light promotes vegetative growth and is essential for the development of juvenile plants and seedlings. It is the type of light that prevents the stretching of a plant, known as etiolation, which is common with cactus and succulents grown indoors. Red light promotes structure growth as well as flowering. Between the two, it is best to target blue light for your indoor growing.
To understand what colors you’re getting with light source, you need to look at the color temperature of the source. This is measured in kelvin (K) and will typically range from 2700K to 6500K. At the low end of that range, a light will be warmer (more yellow) in appearance. At the high end, it will be cooler (more blue). Sun light is around 5500K for reference. The higher the color temperature, the more blue light output there is. For this reason, I always recommend 6500K color temperature.
Next we can address light intensity. This will typically be reported in lumens. The rule of thumb here is easy; get the highest lumen output you can find (and tolerate) in a form factor that fits your lighting fixture. The exception to this rule would be some rare instances of low-light plants and some of the more sensitive seedlings. In most cases, however, it is very hard to get too much brightness for your plants as even the brightest light sources available at a consumer level cannot come close to equaling the intensity of the sun. For reference, the sun is 100 to 200 times brighter than standard household lighting.
Lastly, incandescent, fluorescent, or LED? Here the choice is clear. Incandescent lights, while having good spectrum reproduction, are too energy inefficient, producing too much heat. Fluorescent lights, while more energy efficient, have relatively poor spectrum reproduction. LED solutions reign supreme at a consumer level with decent spectrum reproduction, especially in the blue color range, while offering long lifespan and high energy efficiency.
With the above in mind, I can share my personal indoor setup that I use for all of my seed propagation. Currently I use ballast compatible T8, 6500K, 3000 lumen, LED tubes installed in custom built fixtures. However, these same bulbs can be installed in any T8 compatible fluorescent fixture. With this setup, I rarely find a plant that doesn’t thrive, however, because of the cool color temperature, flowering is not common.
There is no perfect artificial lighting solution. Get online, read some reviews, pick out a light, and get to experimenting! Watch your plants closely to understand if your solution is working for them. Growing under artificial lighting will always bring compromises, but it offers a decent solution if outdoor growing is not an option.
When it comes to light we should be clear on one thing: there is no better source of light than sunlight. However, for a variety of reasons, compromises must sometimes be made that force us to take our hobby indoors, away from natural light. So, with that first statement in mind, it is always my advice to seek a sunny, southern-facing windowsill over almost any consumer-available grow light option. Now, if this is not an option due to the layout of your indoor area or the climate of your location, you must turn to artificial lighting to supplement. Unfortunately, the majority of cacti and succulents are very light hungry. This means for an artificial light source to provide acceptable spectrum and intensity for growing, they will often be uncomfortably bright for your indoor space. You’ve been warned.
First, an effective grow light must provide the appropriate light spectrum to keep your plants happy. In the simplest terms, what color light does the light source produce? Plants mainly require light in the blue and red color ranges. Both are used in the photosynthesis process. Blue light promotes vegetative growth and is essential for the development of juvenile plants and seedlings. It is the type of light that prevents the stretching of a plant, known as etiolation, which is common with cactus and succulents grown indoors. Red light promotes structure growth as well as flowering. Between the two, it is best to target blue light for your indoor growing.
To understand what colors you’re getting with light source, you need to look at the color temperature of the source. This is measured in kelvin (K) and will typically range from 2700K to 6500K. At the low end of that range, a light will be warmer (more yellow) in appearance. At the high end, it will be cooler (more blue). Sun light is around 5500K for reference. The higher the color temperature, the more blue light output there is. For this reason, I always recommend 6500K color temperature.
Next we can address light intensity. This will typically be reported in lumens. The rule of thumb here is easy; get the highest lumen output you can find (and tolerate) in a form factor that fits your lighting fixture. The exception to this rule would be some rare instances of low-light plants and some of the more sensitive seedlings. In most cases, however, it is very hard to get too much brightness for your plants as even the brightest light sources available at a consumer level cannot come close to equaling the intensity of the sun. For reference, the sun is 100 to 200 times brighter than standard household lighting.
Lastly, incandescent, fluorescent, or LED? Here the choice is clear. Incandescent lights, while having good spectrum reproduction, are too energy inefficient, producing too much heat. Fluorescent lights, while more energy efficient, have relatively poor spectrum reproduction. LED solutions reign supreme at a consumer level with decent spectrum reproduction, especially in the blue color range, while offering long lifespan and high energy efficiency.
With the above in mind, I can share my personal indoor setup that I use for all of my seed propagation. Currently I use ballast compatible T8, 6500K, 3000 lumen, LED tubes installed in custom built fixtures. However, these same bulbs can be installed in any T8 compatible fluorescent fixture. With this setup, I rarely find a plant that doesn’t thrive, however, because of the cool color temperature, flowering is not common.
There is no perfect artificial lighting solution. Get online, read some reviews, pick out a light, and get to experimenting! Watch your plants closely to understand if your solution is working for them. Growing under artificial lighting will always bring compromises, but it offers a decent solution if outdoor growing is not an option.
-
PrickPrickBloom
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 3:15 am
- Location: Arizona, U.S.A.
Re: Grow light recommendations
Thanks for all the insight in the replies! I bit the bullet and went with the ones I linked above. Here is a pic of my setup. About 70 different varieties sprouted and under the lights. This is daytime so doesn’t look as bright but I went in and was tinkering last night for a while and left with a headache. These are very bright gonna wear sunglasses at night next time.