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My lights are probably over kill.
I have two sets of these.
Can I suggest a cheap $65-80 LED light from Amazon? "Blurple" lights aren't the best lights you can get but imo when you are on a budget they are great.
180W for $80 is pretty good https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Reflector-Spectrum-Indoor-Plants/dp/B01B4GQ6MO
People have grown great plants with the brand Viparspectra. MarsHydro is also well known and you get get a similar light from them for $65 https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Spectrum-Certification-Hydroponic-Greenhouse/dp/B00XC3LBI2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1507873088&sr=8-4&keywords=mars+hydro
If anyone is interested, these are the grow lights I've been using for the last few years. I only had 1 light in the living room this winter as the others have been placed around the house. Bought 5 and just ordered 2 more.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_J6s4FbH7VAN3K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I mean too much of a waste of electricity. If it’s too bright you just back it up.
Any blurples will do just go by reviews on amazon. I’ll sell you two mars hydros for $50 if you’re interested. I payed $100 each used one grow.
I got this and I swear it did absolutely nothing! :( I ended up buying these: Seachem Flourish Freshwater Plant... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share on Amazon and they worked way better.
It probably needs more light to have enough energy to flower. Assuming a plant isn't sick and isn't parched for water, if they're just scraping by they may be slowly starving from light deprivation.
Orchids can get by without direct sun, but they need really bright indirect light to thrive. My mom has some in a west facing window so they get direct light part of the day and they rebloom nicely. I would err on the side of more light not less, even some direct sun is ok as long as they aren't scorched.
My windows face north so I've got 6 of these on timers covering a variety of plants. I overwintered petunias using them last year and the petunias bloomed throughout winter non-stop.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uNofFbDW90QTQ
After trying other "purple/pink" lights which sucked, I found these lights actually work and you can probably grow anything under them indoors.
I've got 2 pots of 2 orchids each, and on a 9 hour timer plus some ambient window light, they rebloomed beautifully, with one having multiple stems of flowers and another white orchid with flowers lasting 6 months. I couldn't believe it. The light really woke them up.
And with an outlet timer or smart plug, you can set it and forget it. I've got mine set up to turn on before sunrise and off around noon so the bright light isn't bothersome in the evening.
If your orchids won't rebloom, try a grow light.
it’s a pretty standard leg grow light i got on amazon. i’ve attached the exact one below.
LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants, Relassy 15000Lux Sunlike Full Spectrum Grow Lamp, Dual Head Gooseneck Plant Light with Replaceable Bulbs, Professional for Seedling Growing Blooming Fruiting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nnpjFbB1F4T7T
Thank you!! I use the VIPARSPECTRA 300W VIPARSPECTRA grow light from Amazon. This thing is extremely bright but since I don’t really have any outdoor space and my succulents seem to be very much enjoying it, I can’t really complain haha
You know in movies when someone steps on a landmine and hears that *click*?
Lights are a hugely debated topic, there's so much data and so many options, but here's an abridged version since you're specific that you want a light to start seedlings;
-Lights and bulbs that you typically can buy at Wal-Mart or a similar store are pretty bad for all kinds of growing. Standard bulbs or fluorescent "grow" lights are weak and a waste of money. You technically can start seedlings with them, but you'll soon be chucking them in search for better.
-This leaves us with 2 main options (for seedlings/veg state); LED, or MH (metal halide). The prices are close enough to not make much difference, but LEDs are cheaper to run, and generate less heat. MH lights need a ballast and use much more electricity, and you may have to manage your heat.
If you just want to get seedlings started indoors, as a beginner your best bet is probably going to be an LED hanging light. They're easy to set up, fairly cheap to run, and will get your seedlings growing just fine without having to deal with a bigger electric bill or setting up a heat vent system.
Oh no worries, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing an acronym I didn't know or something (or that you were watering it with Tab Soda lol, Sarras prefer whiteclaw).
Seconding /u/RobertRosenfeld below. You can't really over sun them, and long strange growth is they're way of trying to find the light. That being said, at 6mo, have you had normal pitchers grow during that time? Similar if you've had succulents under that light that haven't "stretched" that's a good indication the light is good.
You should definitely swtich to rain water if you can, but my understanding is high-mineral water normally causes yellowing and burning, not this kind of growth. So yes, switch to rain water but that may not be the issue.
Grow light specs can be.... wrong. I've had good luck with these guys and park them about 8cm above my plants.
edit: last thing, make sure you cycle your grow lights. No plant likes light 24/7
That 600W led isn't a horrible option but very likely to be bottom tier chinese stuff considering not a brand in sight. Best possible option for your $100 would be something like 2 x Cree 3070 COBs $~25 each and a meanwell driver ($50-60~) but this is a bit of electronics and soldering which isn't everyone's cup of tea. May take some research but you'll get vastly better results for your money than anything else at this price, period.
Otherwise there's a brand on Amazon called 'Roleadro' which exist somewhere between Shit-tier chinese and decent quality stuff. The newer ones even use COBs
I had a similar one i used for my plants until they weren't seedlings anymore, anything after is say dont do. They worked good for me. Plants didn't stretch at all, but moved to real lights as soon as I could https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Ok I just finished reading. The tent will make your life easier if you can disguise it well enough. The doors on that cabinet are going to be near impossible to air and light proof. You would probably need to wood glue the two doors together and only bolt the hinges in on one side.
As far as the light, that website you linked is price gouging. Those epistar chips don't have the best reputation. You can get lights on amazon with the same chips for half the price. https://www.amazon.com/Galaxyhydro-Indoor-Lights-Spectrum-Flower/dp/B00PH1MQV8/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1497234269&sr=8-10&keywords=grow+light Galaxyhydro and Mars are the same company.
Heres another one different company but same chips https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Reflector-Spectrum-Indoor-Plants/dp/B01B4GQ6MO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1497234269&sr=8-4&keywords=grow+light
Either of those lights will get you the yield you wanted growing 2 plants in a cabinet. It will take about 4-5 months from seeds, but you could easily pull 3-4 ounces per plant.
If I was really trying to go for the bare-minimum cost setup I'd have it in a closet and here's what I'd do:
- Random large plastic container with drilled holes on the bottom as a pot (3-7 gallons). I would recommend fabric pots from your local Hydro store which cost around $6.
- Cheap soil and nutrients (look for Tomato nutrients) that you can buy at Home Depot/Ace Hardware/Your local Hydro store (FoxFarm Ocean Forest is GREAT and you get 12 gallons for $10).
- PH test strips, for around $5 online (very cost effective, giving your plants the right PH of water will help them a LOT)
The hardest decision would probably be lighting... I'd advise you either go the CFL route (look it up on growweedeasy.com) or a cheap LED light from Amazon. You can get a 180W draw light from Amazon for $66, and it's decent, not the best, but you can surely go from seedling to harvest with them. MarsHydro is a well-known and relatively reliable brand: https://www.amazon.com/MarsHydro-Spectrum-Certification-Hydroponic-Greenhouse/dp/B00XC3LBI2/ref=sr_1_7?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1506140832&sr=1-7&keywords=led+grow+light
The last thing you will really need is ventilation. To start you can just use some small-fan you may have laying around but later the odor will become an issue. You can make your own carbon filter for cheap, or you can buy one. I believe you can get a basic carbon filter/fan combo for around $50 online.
So I posted last week, i have a 3.5 x 3.5 x 48 tent and a 600w MH/HPS setup currently and just flipped the lights last night to 12/12. Did my first grow over the summer and had great results and honestly was very happy with yields however the electric bill was simply too much to continue doing.
Well now i'm on my second grow and got $500 to amazon and originally bought two viparspectra 600w reflectors but plan to return them after learning and researching COB setups, they really seem like the ideal setup as it has better PAR, better output and just better technology with fuller color spectrum so given that, i ordered 2 of these Morsen 600w COB LED Full Spectrum and of course now i'm second guessing myself because it seems like two of these won't be enough.....
i just need anyone who can offer any insight into what they think is ideal for my setup, whether it's two smaller COBS, one larger COB setup or whatever, i need to save on electric and i'm buying through Amazon so as long as it fits that criteria I'd be unbelievably appreciative if anyone can offer up their recommendations ....
THANK YOU!!!
I hate the purple glare of most LED grow lights, to me it ruins the aesthetic of my pretty plants. I think that far north, being too close to the window might be a little risky depending on the plant, some are cold tolerant, some are not. I have a couple smaller setups like on tables and my mantle where I use a little double headed white LED grow light from Amazon. These are the ones I have:
LED Grow Light for Indoor Plant, Relassy 45W Sunlike Full Spectrum Grow Lamp, Dual Head Gooseneck Plant Ligh with Replaceable Bulb,Double Switch, Professional for Seedling Growing Blooming Fruiting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_qArSBbGAK8ZMQ
They're pretty small and easy to move around lol I'll shove plants in every single nook and cranny possible and these are perfect for that. The bummer about having these scattered about is that you have to do a little marathon twice a day flipping them all on and off as opposed to one big rack setup.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074Y32PFZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Got them on amazon a few months ago. They’ve been great for low maintenance houseplants with consistent light schedules. They look fine and are easy to stick to surfaces. They’re relatively cheap and LED low energy cost.
You may like the science of light post, also accessible via the sidebar.
Also, no, lumens will not always help you. More is typically better, but they're not what we use to help people find a grow light.
Firstly, i will assume that your sempervivums are definitely etiolating; let you tell you straight out that these are typically outdoor plants and that even under a grow light, unless it is strong, they will become leggy and flared out. If the grow light is good enough, they'll close back up and produce webs(if its an arachnodeium). However, lights these strong tend to be a bit more expensive.
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I have been told that the Feit bulbs available via Amazon work well as grow lights. You'd need a gooseneck lamp or something else to hold them. I've never used said bulbs, so if you purchase them and find them lacking, please let me know so i can stop suggesting them. I use this, but you said you're looking for a supplemental light, not an exclusive light source(Note that this is more then enough for sempervivums and they're happy under it).
Some people use T5 or T8 fluorescent bulbs - if you decide to do this, purchase HO(High Output) bulbs, with a color temperature around 6500K. Typically, you want 3-4 bulbs, and they need to be fairly close. This is typically for a rack of multiple succulents. Lastly, try to avoid purchasing the $20 two/three armed grow lights on Amazon - they are typically VERY weak(not strong enough to prevent echeveria etiolation) and are prone to failure. I'm aware this probably doesn't answer all your questions, but i feel like this post is getting a bit long - if you need further help, feel free to reply and i or someone else can answer!
When I switched to daylight bulbs it was a huge help. I think the first ones I bought were just some cheap 40w to try so they were definitely softer. Had to get a 3rd cheap clamp lamp to put in the middle and then 1 on each side as well. Adding the 3rd lamp really brought everything together perfectly with my setup. It’s just one of these that I took the reflector cone off and most the time now I just hold it in my other hand right under or above my phones camera lenses. Hell I’ve even just clamped it to a febreze bottle a few times when I need it stationary. I’m have 0 concept or knowledge of the art of photography but I am very good at being creative with what I have available instead of wasting money on unnecessary equipment so my first recommendation is to pick up a pack of daylight bulbs to try first. 60w probably. It may not necessarily be MORE light you need but a softer light. Can try building a light diffuser box for your LED bulbs or ever find some white glossy/reflective board to set on the sides of your backdrop to help bounce light into more of your environment.
I just got these after someone else on reddit linked that that was what they had. They came with screws, zip ties, and 3m stickies. I like them so far; but the purple light messes with my head.
Just this small one. I wanted to do a tiny grow with some extra space in the apt but it’s getting bigger than expected! VIPARSPECTRA UL Certified 300W... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B4GQ6MO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
It looks like a blurple, and it seems to be fairly high above the canopy. I've used this light, which you'd think is 600W, but actually draws 260W at the wall. I found it was barely adequate for a 3 x 3 tent, but I noticed a 3 fold increase in bud size when I upgraded to a more efficient light. The efficiency of blurples is about 1.05 umol/w, whereas something like a Mars Hydro is 1.8 umol/w. If you multiply your actual draw wattage by the efficency, and divide by your square footage, you want to be somewhere around 65 umol/sqft (700 umol/m^2).
Ok I didn’t mean to delete it, but yeah I ordered one like 2 weeks ago and it was SUPER bright, but otherwise it seems like a grow light. That was my first time ever buying a grow light so I might not be the person to ask. Also here’s the link again since I deleted my comment https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
>Christmas cactus
Mine flowers maybe every 3 months after I got it some dedicated plant lights ( these LED ones, just an example - lots of options). I keep the lights on a timer, 8am-8pm. Before the lights it was kind of small, not doing well. But it really seems to like the lights. I'm moving it to a larger pot after I read up on what kind of soil they like.
Check that you've got drainage, and that it get a little water. I wait until I see the leaves slightly dimple and then water it (just a little). I also pushed one of those plant-food sticks in the dirt. (No idea of those are the right things to do, but mine seems happier now.)
This isn’t a true 1,000 I think it does around 870 W. A few people in the comments talk about it, and a few growers show their yields in the comments as well.
I really like this light & my girls seem to like it. Little cheaper than 200$ :)
I’ve had the cooperi under the light for 4ish months continuously now- my apartment gets lackluster light most of the year. I have them on a timer for about 10 hours of light a day, and the lights are just full spectrum LED grow lights that i got from amazon. i’ve had them for about a year now and they’re very good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C68N7PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabt1_2FAUFbJDDVGXT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Whoa, that thing is expensive. I use this one from amazon and works really well.