"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
Timothy wrote:

On Fri, 04 Jul 2003 17:19:18 +0000, Joseph Meehan wrote:


Well maybe not near complete spectrum, but better and may well
be
good enough. It depends on the plants and the stage of their
development.


Red light is generaly assoiciated with flowering and blue light is
generally assoiciated vegetative growth. This can be seen in nature with
spring light (more blue) and summer light (more red). Your not really
ever
going to get true 'full spectrum' from any light source, be it
fluorescent, hps or mh. Some get rather close (grow-lux and ag-grows),
but
no affordable light source will replicate the suns spectrum. The only
light which is almost near sun spectrum is the sulphur type bulbs and
the
led lights. The sulphur bulbs are not ready for market (if they ever
will
be) and are increadibly expensive to make. The led lights are very new
and
expensive for the general consumer. They could turn out to be only as
good
as the fluorescents as far as total lummen out put and intensity, but I
can't afford one to find out.

Some reading material on sulphur lights...
http://www.thekrib.com/Lights/sulphur.html


Triphosphor T8 fluorescent lamps are the most efficient light source for
growing plants. I use them, and HPS and MH. The plants seem to like the
3000K fluorescents best, and they are the cheapest way to go.

One thing you have to watch out for with MH is the lumen mainanence. The
lamps get dimmer and dimmer over their lifetime; even worse than
old-technology fluorescents.

Bob

Actually most commercial applications don't use fluorescents. However I
would agree that they are generally best for most home gardeners.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math