It's been a long time since I was an under-lights grower, but I don't think
the issue is the growing period as much as the intensity, which is
controlled by the distance from the lights.

A plant needs a certain range of light intensity. From an HPS or MH source
that intensity at the plant can be reached at much greater light distances
than with a fluorescent bulb.

Yes, the flux is also important, so lengthening the "day" can compensate a
bit for lower intensity, but a plant does need some down time to be truly
healthy. In my growing days, PGH (pre-greenhouse), I typically ran the
lights (two, two-bulb fixtures side-by-side) about 14 hours a day, and
simply concerned myself with the distance the plants were from the bulbs.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


wrote in message
oups.com...
I found a reasonably priced 4' four light T8 fluorescent ($50) at home
depot that I'd like to use for the planting/growing/flowering process
and would like to hear from others who have tried this inexpensive
method.I'd also like to compare the growing period using this system
against MH or HPS,I'm trying to save money as you can tell so I can
spend more on other garden issues.