Artificial Light

[Rosie]

Hello everyone,
I've stuffed all my windowsills with plants and I need to expand!! The problem is that the only room that I can start putting them in is quite dark. I will just put up a few shelves. I want to use artificial lights but I get realy confused when ever I read stuff about it. Could I use normal flouresent tubes? If I can't where can I buy the special ones? Please help, but in a very simple way. I must have more plants, more  hahahahahaha.

(Edited by Rosie at 5:24 pm on May 13, 2002)

 

[RamPuppy]

Rosie,

Normal cool white flourescents will work just fine, even though some of us advocate the use of sun and plant bulbs which you can get at any hardware store. (I say bulbs, I mean tubes.)

Places like Home depo offer very economical flourescent light fixtures for about 20 dollars you get double tube 48" fixtures.

You will probably need help wiring them though...

 

[Rosie]

Brilliant! Thanks Rampuppy that's great.
How far away do you think I should put the lights from the plants?

 

[RamPuppy]

I think about a foot if I remember correctly.... Jeff would be the ultimate authority since he grows thousands of plants this way.

 

[PlantAKiss]

Hi Rosie

I use a mix of one Gro-Lux and one cool white in a shop light (about &#369 for a 4-foot one and &#3612 for a 2-foot one at Lowes). Pretty simple and does the trick for me. Sounds to me like you've fallen into the pit of....PLANT ADDICTION. You have all the signs...running out of space...looking for light fixtures.... Welcome to the club.

Now waaaaait a minute, RAM! Why would you say she might need help wiring them? :shocked: Are you implying a woman can't figure out the instructions on a shoplight? lol I think I need to get out my Sexist Male-Squasher mallet!

Rosie...you go girl!

Suzanne

 

[steveo]

I have two of the Lowe's 2-footers, and two cool white, one Grolux, one "warm white" tubes over one tank.  

One thing about these fixtures--they require chains for hanging, as they do not expel heat very well.  They are not designed to be crammed into a restrictive space, where they could become a fire hazard, IMHO.  You can also set them down on the bulbs, but I don't trust that setup. PVC piping makes a great, cheap framework for hanging them if you have no other choices.

Be careful also about using extension cords--if you do, make sure that they are 15A rated, grounded cords, such as you would use for an air conditioner.  Smaller wires will heat up into the wall.

--Steve

(Edited by steveo at 7:41 pm on May 14, 2002)