etiolating under LED grow lights?

[Msannic]

Hello,

I moved my plants in for the winter around October and put them in my living room under 40W dual head LED grow lights. They had started stretching out on my patio due to the horribly shaded position my apartment balcony is in. I slowly acclimated them to the lights and they seemed to be doing okay. But certain plants, like my flaming Katy, anacampseros rufecens, and my painted Echeveria continue to stretch out and are barely recognizable. I have tried giving those plants a few extra hours of light at the end of the day (all of my plants get 12 hours typically) and even put the lights closer to the plants but it doesn’t seem to be having too big of an effect. I had cut off the stretched out tops of my anacampseros but they grew back quickly and still too tall and spread out! What could be causing this? Could it be because they were already stretched out? Or am I using the lights wrong? Please help!

[Sarraceniacrazy]

Look into buying a cob led for your cacti. Much stronger light.

[anttisepp]

I think the same. I use stronger lights only to survive my melo- and discocacti, uebelmannia and some sensitive succulents through the winter, without watering. Try not to water succulents in winter and give them full sun in summer.
LED lamps are good for usual plants, e.g. I saved weak rangoon creeper last winter and now it is healthy growing on the window in full sun.

[Pereskiopsisdotcom]

I wouldn't be so fixed on the wattage (related more to your utility bill) of the grow lights but on the lux and lumens outputs. I have never seen this style of light to be efficient at growing any succulent or cactus. It won't matter if you put them right over the plants and turn them on for 18 hours a day. It just won't be the right light to grow them.

T5 HO fixtures and bulbs from 3500 to 6500K will work for quite a few succulents and most cactus seedlings up to the first few years. I've been using T5 HO fixtures for years and have grown from seed to flower, to seed and next generation with those lights.

If you are still concerned with using LED for energy efficiency try looking at a newer class of LED called Quantum Boards. That is the trademark name, but it has also come to dominate the landscape as the LED to imitate. They are going to be more expensive than what you have there but they will last a lot longer and give you far better, more consistent growth on nearly any cactus or succulent.

[Msannic]

I am researching and hunting for better lighting right now! I don’t know why I never thought about the QUALITY of the light! Thank you all for your insight!

[Msannic]

I have more questions now! I ended up ordering a 600W Cob LED from Growstar and got it in the mail yesterday. To avoid mounting it and putting unnecessary holes in my apartment walls, we flipped an old dog kennel on its side and suspended the light from the top, 22 inches over my plants on the bottom (picture below). Now I’m am trying to do research on how to acclimate my plants to this brighter light but can’t find any good info that relates to my situation. I don’t want to scorch them! Before this, they were under a 40W LED light for 12 hours a day. What would you all recommend to acclimate them successfully? Also, if you have suggestions as far as tweaks I can make to this set up that could make it better I would appreciate your input! Thank you!