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Discussions about fluorescent, LED and other types of grow lighting for Venus Flytraps and other plants

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By Fieldofscreams
Posts:  1315
Joined:  Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:14 am
#305589
I live in Michigan so winter dormancy will have to take place in my garage over the winter. The problem is they will get ZERO sunlight, its just the way my garage and windows are positioned. So I have use artificial lights.

So im stuck using these 3 desk lamps (Mainstays from Walmart) and each lamp has a Phillips 6500K 1600 lumen CFL from Home Depot. I also will have them on a Smart Electrician 7-Day Astronomical timer. I have the bulbs (not the housing) 2 inches from the plants.

This is my setup, its in my sons room but i moved them out to the garage already:
Image

Im just little less than impressed. I think i need to take it to the next level. So i was thinking about buying this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XC ... EMWWZ95494

Is it worth it? If it is then how far from the plants should it be?
By KategoricalKarnivore
Posts:  1769
Joined:  Wed Aug 24, 2016 5:00 pm
#305592
I think it should be fine. People put them in the garages for winter with no lights at all. And the fridge dormancy method they get no light either. I have the Marshydro 300 as well but I use it just for sundews. Haven't tried on VFTs yet.
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By Shadowtski
Location: 
Posts:  4720
Joined:  Tue Mar 22, 2016 8:19 am
#305599
Fieldofscreams wrote:Hey shadow do you have any pics of your setup?
Here's an older photo of my main indoor grow rack.
I've changed things around a little since the picture was taken.

The grow rack is covered with an insulated foil covered bubble-wrap.(For light and heat conservation.)
The front covering is rolled up at the top for cooler conditions in Spring and summer.

Good growing,
Mike
Grow tent 002.jpg
Grow tent 002.jpg (142 KiB) Viewed 5582 times
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By KategoricalKarnivore
Posts:  1769
Joined:  Wed Aug 24, 2016 5:00 pm
#305610
You are definitely gonna like that light. I've only had mine about a month and love it.
By Fieldofscreams
Posts:  1315
Joined:  Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:14 am
#305622
Seriously?

I've read nonstop for a month everything I can and everything I have found says 2" at minimum whether it's cfl or tube fluorescents. Basically get them as close as possible.
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By Bob Beer
Posts:  588
Joined:  Sat Jun 04, 2016 7:39 am
#305631
I use HO T5s and don’t keep them anywhere near 4”. Here’s a photo of my setup. I will probably be moving everything closer because I want to work a fourth bank in. I’ll be switching the bulbs to LED tubes as they burn out to save on energy and because of higher bulb life. I like the heat they put out for the plants that want some warmth. (It’s also a perfect place to culture yogurt but I digress...)

I like LEDs but personally I can’t deal with the purple light, and have sort of a pet peeve with photos of gorgeous plants taken under purple light that completely obliterates their natural colors. Image I appreciate the possible advantage it might give to pot geowers :-) but I want to be able to enjoy my plants appearance as well, not just grow them. (I do realize some have a choice of natural light as well).

BTW my bottom tubes are T8 5000K LED tubes, they’re a little closer to the plants. Everything is doing fine there; Nepenthes are growing like crazy pitchering and coloring up well, ditto for Heliamphora. Image


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By Fieldofscreams
Posts:  1315
Joined:  Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:14 am
#305645
Everything I have read, including light charts, you would need the cfl/fluorescents incredibly close. The reason is artificial light dissapates rapidly the further away it is from the plants and these lights aren't strong enough to begin with, at least not to the plants. So what you end up having to do is put the light incredibly close.

As far as taking pictures when using grow LED's just turn them off and then take a picture, don't have to keep them on to take a picture.

I'm only using artificial light for dormancy and the likely rare times that I need a controlled environment so the color of them don't mean much to me. My plants are strictly outdoor plants anyways.
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By Bob Beer
Posts:  588
Joined:  Sat Jun 04, 2016 7:39 am
#305667
The photo part was just a side issue for me; it’s not a color I really want to live with, and there are LEDs that are not purple anyway. For taking plants through dormancy you should be fine; some people in the tropics just put their plants in the crisper and some light has got to be a better situation. I’m not sure you need anything that intense to get plants through dormancy but there are plenty of uses for them, so why not?


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