Growing lights in the greenhouse
 

Hi
Can anyone tell me what lights/bulbs are used in the greehouse to extend the
growing hours for seeds. I have done a 'Google' and there are a great many
different bulbs out there, and they seem to be mainly for growing plants for
'your own personal use'!!!
I would like to extend the growing hours for my veg seeds so they are well
established possibly for showing this year, fingers crossed.
TIA
Anthony

Growing lights in the greenhouse
 

In message , Chris Hogg
wrote
On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:49:49 -0000, "Anthony"
wrote:

Hi
Can anyone tell me what lights/bulbs are used in the greehouse to extend the
growing hours for seeds. I have done a 'Google' and there are a great many
different bulbs out there, and they seem to be mainly for growing plants for
'your own personal use'!!!
I would like to extend the growing hours for my veg seeds so they are well
established possibly for showing this year, fingers crossed.
TIA
Anthony

You need powerful lights. Most domestic stuff isn't up to it. See
http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSi...W_GROLIGHT.htm



Wouldn't it depend on the distance between the plant and the light.? In
a commercial greenhouse you may use a powerful light to illuminate a
large area. In a small greenhouse, and possible for a smaller area,
couldn't a compromise be made with a lower power bulb placed closer to
the plants?

You can grow quite a lot of algae in a fish tank illuminated with only
40W of strip lights :(
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

Growing lights in the greenhouse
 

Alan wrote:
In message , Chris Hogg
wrote
On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:49:49 -0000, "Anthony"
wrote:

Hi
Can anyone tell me what lights/bulbs are used in the greehouse to
extend the growing hours for seeds. I have done a 'Google' and
there are a great many different bulbs out there, and they seem to
be mainly for growing plants for 'your own personal use'!!!
I would like to extend the growing hours for my veg seeds so they
are well established possibly for showing this year, fingers
crossed. TIA
Anthony

You need powerful lights. Most domestic stuff isn't up to it. See
http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSi...W_GROLIGHT.htm



Wouldn't it depend on the distance between the plant and the light.?
In a commercial greenhouse you may use a powerful light to illuminate
a large area. In a small greenhouse, and possible for a smaller area,
couldn't a compromise be made with a lower power bulb placed closer to
the plants?

You can grow quite a lot of algae in a fish tank illuminated with only
40W of strip lights :(

Quite correct. If you wanted to cook seedlings, then a powerful lamp (250w)
placed close to them will do it nicely. This Gro-lux lamp is the sort of
thing you should be looking at:
http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/var...l.asp?var=3704

Even then, they will add heat to a closed propagator. I use a 25w Gro-lux
and it pushes the temp up by around 10°C when placed directly on the
propagator lid (I put aluminium foil above it to act as a reflector - but of
course that just adds to the heating problem).

Hopefully, in the next couple of years we will see LEDs become available
which are more efficient than fluorescent lamps (eg see
http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/cree-mr16...a2bd8d01c04ed2
for something not too far off). Whether they will have a suitable spectrum
for plant growth is another matter.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

Growing lights in the greenhouse
 

In message , Jeff Layman
wrote
Alan wrote:

Quite correct. If you wanted to cook seedlings, then a powerful lamp (250w)
placed close to them will do it nicely. This Gro-lux lamp is the sort of
thing you should be looking at:
http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/var...l.asp?var=3704

Are these tubes any better than the daylight or tri-phosphor tubes sold
elsewhere at a fifth of that price?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products...6DAYLIGHT.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LAFLT18.html

Referring back to my fish tank example, 40W of special expensive
'aquarium' tubes produce the same amount of algae as £4 of
ordinary white tubes.


--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

Growing lights in the greenhouse
 

Alan wrote:
In message , Jeff Layman
wrote
Alan wrote:

Quite correct. If you wanted to cook seedlings, then a powerful
lamp (250w) placed close to them will do it nicely. This Gro-lux
lamp is the sort of thing you should be looking at:
http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/var...l.asp?var=3704

Are these tubes any better than the daylight or tri-phosphor tubes
sold elsewhere at a fifth of that price?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products...6DAYLIGHT.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LAFLT18.html

I doubt it. Probably a minor difference in spectrum, but nothing
significant (except the price).

Referring back to my fish tank example, 40W of special expensive
'aquarium' tubes produce the same amount of algae as £4 of
ordinary white tubes.

But are the algae any greener? ;-)

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

A popular use of such grow-lights is for growing, er, "pot plants" in ones wardrobe. Hence the "one's personal use" phrase. But they do work just as well for other plants, assuming that the plants actually want the light, which many of them do. People commonly use them for growing plants indoors or at high latitudes that like high light intensity and/or specific day-lengths, such as early season development of tomato and chilli plants. Growlights are specially designed fluorescents. Fluorescents put out a lot of light without putting out the heat that would cook the plants. But many tight-wads just use ordinary fluorescent tubes, which are considerably better than nothing. Have a look around some chilli-head sites such as www.fatalii.net (a chilli grower in light-deficient Finland).

Growing lights in the greenhouse
 

"Jeff Layman" wrote in message
...
Alan wrote:
In message , Jeff Layman
wrote
Alan wrote:

Quite correct. If you wanted to cook seedlings, then a powerful
lamp (250w) placed close to them will do it nicely. This Gro-lux
lamp is the sort of thing you should be looking at:
http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/var...l.asp?var=3704

Are these tubes any better than the daylight or tri-phosphor tubes
sold elsewhere at a fifth of that price?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products...6DAYLIGHT.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LAFLT18.html

I doubt it. Probably a minor difference in spectrum, but nothing
significant (except the price).

Referring back to my fish tank example, 40W of special expensive
'aquarium' tubes produce the same amount of algae as £4 of
ordinary white tubes.

But are the algae any greener? ;-)

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

Thanks for everyones input, I know what I'm looking for now.
Thanks again
Anthony

Growing lights in the greenhouse
 

Can anyone tell me what lights/bulbs are used in the greehouse to extend
the
growing hours for seeds. I have done a 'Google' and there are a great many
different bulbs out there, and they seem to be mainly for growing plants
for
'your own personal use'!!!
I would like to extend the growing hours for my veg seeds so they are well
established possibly for showing this year, fingers crossed.
TIA
Anthony

There is a mystique about growing lights that should not be neccessary. Last
year I researched the subject and made my own light box. I bought a
beautiful Salvia leucantha from Sacha in the summer and took some cuttings
at the end of October. I put the cuttings and other material in the light
box, where they not only rooted and grew, but they are now in flower as
well.

Any light source will do, you do not need expensive designer bulbs. The most
practical is fluorescent tubes. You do need a high light level - about 2000
lux compared with sitting room lights of 50 lux. To achieve this
economically you must treat light in the same way as you treat heat. If you
heat a room you enclose it and insulate it. If you put the heater on the
patio you waste 95%. If you want a high level of light you must enclose it
and use light insulation (ie reflective surfaces), if you don't you waste
95%. My own light box was made to take a growbag tray, and was completely
enclosed with white reflective walls and ceiling. It only needed three3 foot
fluorescent light to achieve the neccessary light level. A total of 90 watts
costing about £5 per month to run 14 hours a day on a time switch.

If anyone is interested, I wrote a short Word document with details, e-mail
me at Peter L Sutton[at]Ntlworld{dot}com for a copy.

One such investment can grow in the form of an LED light. With the expansion of your indoor garden, and its request for additional lighting. Only so much room next to the window, which is why growth lights need to rescue.

[QUOTECan anyone tell me what lights/bulbs are used in the greehouse to extend
the
growing hours for seeds. I have done a 'Google' and there are a great many
different bulbs out there, and they seem to be mainly for growing plants
for
'your own personal use'!!!
I would like to extend the growing hours for my veg seeds so they are well
established possibly for showing this year, fingers crossed.
TIA
Anthony[/quote]

Has anyone tried contacting their local nick to find out how they dispose of the ones they seize during raids on cannabis factories? You might be able to pick up 2 or 3 cheap.

Outside the greenhouse can be lifted and some extra sun. Small house like this is usually used to start the seeds. However, the plant is a natural small adults may be able to fit. Herbs such as parsley is an example of a small factory, can be included through regular pruning.