Lights Incandescent Plant Grow Lights These Lights example essay topic

Grow Lights bought an incandescent grow-light 60 watt bulb at a hardware store for $7.72 for my indoor early starters. Although I have the grow light 3-4 inches above them, they already look a bit spindly. I watered them thoroughly today, removed the plastic cover, and put the grow light closer to them (about 2 inches above them). I am aware of the recommendation for fluorescent lights for seedlings. That will require help from my husband, who hates my gardening, so I thought I'd try the incandescent bulb first. I am puzzled as to why it doesn't provide enough lumens for a 4's qu are area, though.

If it can't provide the light, then why do they label it 'grow light' and charge $8/bulb for it? This is all experimentation on my part, trying to see what works and what doesn't. Wendy A 60 watt bulb is way too little light to grow strong seedlings. The symptom of low light is weak, spindly seedlings. Fluorescent tubes work better. A workshop fixture with 2 48' grow lights will illuminate your trays properly if you keep the light suspended only a few inches above the seedlings.

George The incandescent lights are marketed to supplement the spectrum for your established house plants. They are just not capable of providing the energy needed to feed seedlings. There is one possible improvement you could try (as an experiment, since you already have the bulb): fashion a parabolic (bowl-shaped) reflector / fixture for the bulb and set it up above your growing area. The parabolic reflector will help concentrate the light and may give you more coverage, or at least deliver better lighting to the coverage of the reflector. You don't need to buy those expensive fluorescent grow lights either. Just regular fluorescent bulbs in a 4 foot fixture will do quite nicely (I can vouch for 20 seasons getting their start this way).

Roger I can vouch for Roger's comments, as I also have almost 30 years experience starting seedlings with regular fluorescent bulbs. You have to get them close, though, about a foot or the seedlings will be spindly. This year, however, I have the opportunity to do something different. The hydroponics equipment, including halogen lighting has arrived. This was purchased by TT Inc. for the hydroponics work here at TT Inc.

Headquarters. When I saw the size of the halogen bulbs I just had to hook one up to see how bright it was. Geez!! The 1000 watt bulb was so bright, at about 15 feet, that you couldn't look at it - like looking directly at the sun and a big blue spot in your vision for an hour afterward! Since we won't be actually starting hydroponic growing until after the gardens are in, I plan to use one of these lights to start the seedlings. The 1000 watt unit with reflector will light an area of 64 sq. feet as bright as the noon sun.

It will be really nice to be able to put healthy plants into the cold frames to get ready for planting. Ron Record: 1 Title: Grow-light up your life! Authors: Long, Cheryl Source: Organic Gardening (2001); Feb 94, Vol. 41 Issue 2, p 68, 2 p, 1 chart, 1 cDocument Type: Article Subject Terms: SEEDLINGS BREEDING Abstract: Tells how to start seedlings under lights for about $25. The advantage of fluorescent lights over a sunny windowsill or incandescent light bulbs; Comparison of types of light bulbs; Number of plants to grow under four-foot long lights; Comment by lighting specialist T.W. Tibbitts (University of Wisconsin); How to set up lights; Distance between plants and light; Watering. Full Text Word Count: 1056 ISSN: 0163-3449 Accession Number: 9401177764 Persistent link to this record: web and Paste: Grow-light up your life!

Database: Academic Search Premier GROW-LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE! Contents Plant light low-down Save money! Choose from a wider variety of varieties! Start your own seedlings under lights! Starting your own vegetable and flower seedlings indoors is just as easy and as much fun as gardening outside. And by starting from seed you can grow plants you would never, ever find at your local garden center; you can get a head start on the season and pick ripe tomatoes, peppers, even sweet corn weeks ahead of your neighbors; and you " ll save money (you can grow dozens and dozens of plants to fill your beds for much less than you'd pay for them at garden centers).

You " ll also be able to avoid starting your garden off with pesticide-drenched nursery plants; you can grow your own happy healthy, organic seedlings instead! Ready to give it a try? Here's a terrific seed-starting set-up you can create yourself for just $25 or so. Two points first. One, a sunny windowsill often isn't sunny enough to start plants, and the temperatures can become too cold very quickly.

Two, incandescent light bulbs, even the ones sold as 'grow lights' don't provide the right kind of light for good plant growth and they can produce too much heat. Your best choice for low-cost seed starting is to use standard fluorescent lights; the perfect starter set-up is one of those extremely inexpensive fluorescent shop light fixtures. You can usually find shop lights that hold two 4 foot long fluorescent tubes on sale for $10. A pair of these (a total of four tubes) will provide all the light you need for two 21 by II inch flats. If you plant your seeds in recycled garden center six-packs, those two flats will hold 10 dozen plants (even more if you double-up on smaller seedlings). If you already have some fixtures, be sure to buy new tubes for them.

These tubes can lose much of their light intensity and still look fine to the naked eye. Write the date on the end of those tubes so you know when to replace them (after about 2,000 hours, or four months of 18-hours-a-day use). There are lots of different kinds of fluorescent tubes on the market: 'cool white,' 'warm white' and expensive 'grow-light' bulbs. Some growers recommend mixing 'warm' white and 'cool' white tubes, thinking that the slightly different colors produced by the two different tubes will provide a more 'full spectrum' of light.

But T.W. Tibbitts, Ph. D., a specialist in lighting and controlled plant environments at the University of Wisconsin, says the differences between cool and warm white tubes are too small to give any real advantage. And he warns that 'warm white tubes actually provide less light intensity and are usually more expensive. ' For seed starting, Dr. Tibbitts recommends just using all regular cool white bulbs, which are widely available and cheap-usually only $1 to $2 apiece! Now, to set up your lights... The Super Simple Set-up: Just prop up each end of the light fixture with cement blocks or a simple wood frame and put your flats beneath it... Hang 'Em High: You can suspend your fixture from the ceiling over a table or the floor or, as our own editor McG does, an old ironing board.

If you use a good table, put a plastic tablecloth on it to protect it from water and scratches... Shelve 'Em: If your floor or table space is limited, you can put up some adjustable metal bookshelf brackets on any available wall. The long, narrow shop lights will sit very nicely on the shelf brackets. Whichever way you choose to set up your lights, be sure that the area is warm enough for germination (McG has three table lamps each with a 100-watt bulb going under his old ironing board for bottom heat; you can also buy nifty devices -- tapes, pads, etc., that provide the perfect under-plant warmth for seed-starting). Also, be sure that your seedlings always stay very close to the lights.

Whatever your set-up, you " ll need to be able to lower the flats or raise the lights as the plants grow. (It's OK to let the tips of the plants touch the tubes-one of the reasons fluorescent's are better for seed-starting than regular incandescent bulbs is that fluorescent's don't get as hot.) Keeping those plants as close as possible to the lights is extremely important. Even though they look really bright, standard fluorescent's are actually only about one-tenth as intense as sunlight. That's just enough light to grow your seedlings, and that light intensity drops off very fast as you move further away from the lights. (That's why you can't grow full-size tomato or other sun-loving plants under standard fluorescent's -- the lower leaves are too far away from the lights.) Should you set your lights to a timer that will mimic day and night? Or should you, as some experts recommend, leave the lights on all the time?

Dr. Tibbitts suggests you play it safe and split the difference. He explains that while research shows that most seedlings don't have to have a daily period of darkness, some seedlings do. (This gets complicated -- some tomato varieties need darkness, others don't.) So set your lights to be on for 18 hours and off for six each day to provide a touch of darkness and maximize the light your starts receive. Oh, and be sure to check that your plants get enough water every day -- especially if you " re providing bottom heat for germination. They can dry out really fast. Plant light low-down.

Incandescent Light Bulbs: These bulbs are generally not suitable for seed starting, even special 'grow light' incandescent's... Standard Fluorescents: Good for seed starting and grow ing small, low-light plants like African violets. Plants must be kept very close to the lights though... Very High Output Fluorescents: More than twice as bright as standard fluorescent's, Vhs cost more, but are excellent for growing sturdy, healthy seedlings and larger plants indoors... Wide Spectrum Fluorescents: Designed to provide a spectrum that most closely matches natural sunlight. Good for growing flowering houseplants but not necessary for seed-starting.

Expensive... High Intensity Discharge Lights: This category includes high pressure sodium, metal halide, etc. the ultimate plant lights-for seed-starting to full-scale growing. Brighter and more efficient than fluorescent's. We " ll tell you more in a feature story later this year. PHOTO: With this simple seed-starting set-up you can grow dozens of veggie and flower seedlings for about $25. By CHERYL LONG Copyright of Organic Gardening (2001) is the property of Rodale Inc. and its content may not be copied or e-mailed to multiple sites or posted to a list serv without the copyright holder's express written permission.

However, users may print, download, or e-mail articles for individual use. Source: Organic Gardening (2001), Feb 94, Vol. 41 Issue 2, p 68, 2 pItem: 9401177764 Information about Lamps The plant sensitivity curve for photosynthesis has its peak at the red end of the spectrum (675 nm) (Mccrea). This chart indicated that providing plants with the wavelengths best suited to photosynthesis, is the most efficient use of artificial light. Tests show a mean deviation from the average sensitivity curve of less than 5% for a wide variety of plants. The curve shows that the maximum sensitivity for photosynthesis lies in the far red at approximately 675 nm. The plant sensitivity curve disputes two common misconceptions.

The first is that an 'ideal' plant growing lamp duplicates the spectral energy distribution of the sun. Sunlight has a continual spectrum, radiating energy in wavelengths that contribute less to photosynthesis, and are therefore 'wasted' on the plant. For this reason, many lamps are more efficient than sunlight for plants. Which Lamp is Best for Your Growing Needs? Metal Halide Lamps - This type of light is blue-orientated in the spectrum. It's the best type of light to be used as a primary light source (if little or no natural sunlight is available).

This type of lamp promotes plant growth. High Pressure Sodium Lamps - These lamps are red / orange in the spectrum. They are the best lamps available for secondary or supplemental lighting (used in conjunction with natural sunlight). This type of light promotes flowering / budding in plants. It's ideal for Greenhouse / Commercial growing applications. Conversion Lamps - There are two (2) types of conversion lamps: Sodium Lamps which run on halide ballasts - more common.

Halide Lamps which run on sodium ballasts. This type of lamp allows you to tailor the light source to the growth stage of the plant (again, using halide blue light for growth and sodium red light for flowering / budding) merely by changing lamps. Fluorescent - This type of light is perfect for starts and seedlings but is a poor light source for growth and budding primarily because of low lumen output. Incandescent - Unlike the other lamps, above, this type does NOT require a ballast. These lamps consist of Sylvania Spot Gro R-20 and R-40 flood lamps available in 75 watt and 150 watt sizes. Also good for starts and seedlings.

Good lamp choice for individual plants or small groups of plants. Provides an inexpensive alternative to HID lamps. Note: Halide and High Pressure Sodium are referred to as 'High Intensity Discharge' (HID) Lamps Lamps Metal Halide Metal Halide lamps provide a light that is blue-orientated in the spectrum. It is the best type of light to be used as a primary light source (if little or no natural sunlight is available). This type of light promotes plant growth.

Sunlight provides you with the facts about which type and style of lamp you need to suit your particular home greenhouse or commercial growing application. Our lamps are the highest quality and offer you the flexibility that you want. We can help you choose the best solution for your lighting problem. Lamps High Pressure Sodium Sunlight provides you with the facts about which type and style of lamp you need to suit your particular home greenhouse or commercial growing application. If assistance is needed, we can help you choose. High Pressure Sodium lamps provide a light that is red / orange -orientated in the spectrum.

It is the best type of light to be used as a secondary light source (in conjunction with bluer light or metal halides). This type of light promotes plant fruiting and flowering as it mi micks the natural fall / winter spectral shifts that occur with the changes in the season. It will work as a primary light source, but is more prominently used during the fruiting cycle of you gardens. Conversion lamps are HPS lamps that are operated with standard metal halide ballasts. Enhanced Spectrum Lamps are the number one selling horticultural HPS lamps due to t hier increased output in the Blue spectrum, giving the best combination of light for both growth, and flowering. Ballasts Ballast Housing - Our Sun System TM brand remote ballasts utilize a heavy duty white powder coated extruded aluminum ballast housing.

This method is quieter and dissipates heat better than a sheet metal housing. It is also sealed and keeps moisture and debris out of the unit. o High Temp Capacitor - Our ballasts come with a high temperature rated capacitor. Most of our competitors using cheaper 85 or 90 degree caps. If there is a component failure in a ballast, 9 times out of 10 you will find it is the capacitor. 100 degree caps are more expensive, but they can vastly increase the life and reliability of a system. o Transformer - The light systems we manufacture use only the highest quality, domestic name brand ballasts and components. (The Sun System X utilizes a high quality import system, but retains the domestic high temp capacitor as a standard). o UL Listed - We have gone to great lengths to insure our products are safe and reliable.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) sets the standard for fixture testing. They conduct extensive tests before giving their seal of approval on a product, making sure it complies with their strict standards. All systems are UL listed (with the exception of the SS X). o Detachable Lamp Cord Set - Our system offers the convenience of the detachable lamp cord. This allows you to easily separate hood from ballast for mobility and ease of maintenance.

Some competitors have products that are hard wired, and often difficult to work with. o Sockets - Our universal socket assembly offers 2 distinct advantages over conventional sockets: One, it's compatible with our entire line of reflectors, both horizontal and vertical. Two, it's the industry's only custom-made 5 kv / hor socket exclusively made for Sunlight Supply. Reflectors The type and style of reflector that you choose can make the difference between a poor result and a superior growing experience! Sunlight Supply manufactures several different horizontal reflectors to ensure that you get the correct reflector for your particular gardening needs and requirements. We also manufacture eleven different vertical reflectors, ranging in size from 2 feet to 7 feet, with your choice of parabolic, cone or deep cone to maximize plant growth.

Most all of our horizontal reflectors come with a 95% reflective, textured aluminum insert. These hoods will have far better performance than the competitors hoods that use a 87% reflective spectral pebble insert. If you have any questions about grow lights please call Interior Gardens and we will be happy to help. Hydroponic Grow Lights and Accessories INTERIOR GARDENS 2727 Lynda le Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN. Authors: Damsker, Matt Source: Organic Gardening (2001); Sep / Oct 93, Vol. 40 Issue 7, p 18, 1/2 p, 1 cDocument Type: Article Subject Terms: MARIJUANA Geographic Terms: UNITED States Abstract: Warns readers that the purchase of high-intensity grow lights may bring a visit from the police. A 'Wall Street Journal' report of a basement marijuana garden that was raided by the Indiana State Police Department; Death of another gardener in a police raid; Details.

Full Text Word Count: 414 ISSN: 0163-3449 Accession Number: 9308180228 Persistent link to this record: web and Paste: Warning to grow-light owners. Database: Academic Search Premier Section: New Ground; WARNING TO GROW-LIGHT OWNERS If you " re one of the many ORGANIC GARDENING readers who grow plants indoors using high-intensity lights, pay close attention. The Wall Street Journal reports that a couple years back, an Indianapolis man bought a high-intensity fixture from his local garden supply store and began cultivating marijuana in his basement. But this particular garden supply shop was a 'sting' operation run by undercover officers of the Indiana State Police Department, who wrote down the license-plate numbers of all the grow-light buyers. Last April, the Indiana man, his wife and three-year-old son were awakened by police, who seized the pot plants in his basement, arrested the man and led him in handcuffs to a National Guard armory. He was fingerprinted and marched in front of TV news cameras -- along with dozens of other customers of the cop-controlled garden shop.

Don't get us wrong here -- growing marijuana is illegal. Period. End of story. And we here at ORGANIC GARDENING and at Rodale Press do not condone the use of any kind of illegal drug.

But we also feel compelled to warn our readers that the purchase of high-intensity grow lights -- from retail outlets or mail-order sources (many of whom are currently engaged in court battles with police trying to gain access to their customer records) -- may well bring the police to your door, even if you " re only growing your own lettuce. And if you are caught growing illegal weed -- even just one marijuana plant -- you risk a massive fine, im and the impoundment of your property. So be warned -- if you use grow lights for any reason, you may incur a visit from the police -- and be careful if they do come. One homeowner -- who turned out not to be growing anything illegal -- has already been shot and killed during a raid by police who are believed to have been anxious to confiscate his home and land. We " re not exaggerating the 'seizure' aspect here. As the ABC News series 20/20 reported recently, the map of the citizen's property that was used by the police strike force had included appraisals of the worth of neighboring property written in the margins.

So don't use your lights to grow anything illegal. And if the police come anyway, do exactly what they say. Your life could depend on it. PHOTO: Beware! Indoor gardening can invite the long arm of the law.

(ROB CAR DILLO) By Matt Damsker Edited by Matt Damsker Copyright of Organic Gardening (2001) is the property of Rodale Inc. and its content may not be copied or e-mailed to multiple sites or posted to a list serv without the copyright holder's express written permission. Source: Organic Gardening (2001), Sep / Oct 93, Vol. 40 Issue 7, p 18, 1 pItem: 9308180228 Search Home Questions About Plant Grow Lighting? About Plant Grow Lighting The most important factor in indoor gardening is the Lighting you use. With adequate light, you can grow plants, flowers or fruits & vegetables in your indoor garden year round. Answers to common indoor plant grow questions can be found below. Choose a Question Here Q What is HID lighting?

A HID stands for High Intensity Discharge, it is one of the most efficient types of lighting available. The two type of HID lights used for plants are Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS). Q Is it safe to run these type of lights in my home? A In general these lights are very safe. You may not realize it but HID lighting systems are being used in warehouses, retail & groceries stores, gas stations, sports stadiums, street lights, and there may even be one in your back yard (security / flood lights). Look for systems that are UL listed to help assure a safe lighting fixture.

UL listing means that the product has been thoroughly tested by the nations top testing labs and passed. They test for proper wire connections, safe components, and proper heat displacement. Q Why should I use HID lights for my indoor plants? A HID is the most intense light source that is available to the general public, it puts out more light than any other grow lamps available. HID is also more efficient than other grow lights in the market, and the lamps last up to 6 times longer than the others. For example: .

Forty-one 40 W fluorescent grow tubes (1640 watts of power) = the output of just one 400 W HPS light (400 watts of power). One 40 W (T 12) Fluorescent gives 1200 lumens compared to a 400 W HPS @ 50,000 lumens. The average 100 W incandescent light bulb produces 1260 lumens Note: Lumens is a term for the measurement of light. Q When should I use fluorescent lamps?

A Fluorescent lighting works best for seedlings. Q What is the difference between MH and HPS? A Metal Halide HID lamps have a balanced light spectrum which offers the most natural light output. Metal Halide's balanced spectrum contains the common blue and red wavelengths needed by plants for the most rapid growth. Plants can be grown from start to finish using metal halide lighting systems. Metal Halide lighting promotes leaf growth.

High Pressure Sodium lamps are more efficient than Metal Halide, producing the highest number of lumens per watt - about 10-15% more than a Metal Halide bulb. HPS emits an orange / yellow color that is similar to the sun's spectrum in the mid day. This type of light promotes flower growth. However, the lack of blue spectrum light can sometimes make a plant stretch during the vegetative growth stage. HPS should be used as a supplemental light in your greenhouse or sunroom.

Q What is the difference between Standard and Enhanced Performance HPS Lamps? A Standard High Pressure Sodium lamps emit an orange / yellow color that is similar to the sun's spectrum in the mid day. However, as mentioned above, the lack of blue spectrum light in Standard HPS bulbs can sometimes make a plant stretch during the vegetative growth stage. Enhanced Performance HPS lamps have a wider blue spectrum, which makes a significant difference in plant growth. Q What is the difference between Universal MH and Super Horizontal MH Lamps? A Super Horizontal lamps provide 12% more light output than Universal, but must be burned in a horizontal position.

Metal Halide lamps provide a light that is blue-orientated in the spectrum. Q Which type of light should I choose? A Metal Halide (MH) works best for vegetative growth, and as a primary light source for any plants. High Pressure Sodium (HPS) works best for fruiting and flowering plants, and will work best if you have another light source, like a window, greenhouse, or sunroof. Fluorescent works best for seedlings.

Q Which wattage should I use? A Optimum wattage depends on several factors including the size of the grow area and the type of plants. If you have a plant that requires more light (i.e. tomatoes), choose a higher wattage. If you are using HID lights as a primary light source, use a higher wattage system with a smaller grow area for best results. Use the charts below as a general rule of thumb when choosing which wattage you will need: Area Size Use 2' x 2' 250 W & under 4' x 4' 400 W and 600 W 8' x 8' 1000 WQ How high should I hang these grow lights from the tops of my plants?

AThe answer depends on several factors. First, your wattage of the light, higher wattage lights put out more heat. Therefore, you should hang them so your plants don't burn. For example, 1000 watts should not be any closer than 2 feet from the tops of the plants. Another factor is how large the coverage area is, if you need a larger grow area then you should raise the light. Doing this will increase the coverage area, but decrease the intensity of the light.

The last factor is what type of plants you are growing; if it is a plant that require more intense light than you will want to keep the lights lower. The chart below should help you get started. Lamp Type Lumens (light output) Sq. A This depends on your type of plants. Most plants do well with up to 12 hours of light a day.

Long day plants may require up to 16 hours. Once again for best results you may have to adjust the run length according to how your plants react. Q How often should I replace my lamp / light bulb? A Unlike the lamps in your home, HID lamps should be replaced before they burn out. HPS lamps should be replaced at least every 2 to 2 1/2 years.

MH should be replaced at least once every year. Although these lamps may look like they are fine and could likely light up for up to six years you are not getting the most of your lamp. After one year (12-14 hours a day) of use your MH lamp should be putting out around 65% to 70% of the initial lumen output. For example, your 1000 W MH lamp puts out 110,000 lumens after one year of use it's down to around 71,500 lumens. You are still using 1000 watts of power to generate 65% of the light. The life of the HPS lamps is greater, after 1 year most HPS lamps give about 85 to 90% of the initial light output.

Click a link below for a wide selection of Metal Halide & HPS Bulbs: Metal Halide Light Bulbs HPS Light Bulbs Note: It is impossible to see with the naked eye if a lamp is dimmer or has lost a good percent of its initial life. Q Should I use specialty lamps and do they work? A If you can afford them, you should use them. Specialty grow lamps like the Eye Lighting's "Hortilux" and the Sun Master's "Warm Deluxe" are HID lamps engineered for plant growth. Eye Lighting is the industry leader in HPS grow lamps and Sun Master is the industry leader in MH grow lamps. They both work on a similar concept, MH lamps that have redder spectrum and HPS lamps that have bluer spectrum.

The "Hortilux" lamps offer up to 25% bluer light than a standard HPS. This helps with green vegetative growth, and to build stronger stems. The "Warm Deluxe" lamps offer up to 25% redder spectrum than standard MH lamps. This helps with flowering and fruiting in plants.

Both lamps also provide more lumens than standard HID lamps. Q What do I need to get started? A You can purchase complete fixtures with ballast, reflector & lamp here! Note: Glass is optional on most horizontal hoods, and is required on MH systems for UL listing.

Q What reflector should I buy? A Horizontal reflectors are by far the most common reflector used for plant lighting. They do an excellent job concentrating the light in a downward direction (where the plants are), giving your plants a more intense coverage. The only disadvantage to horizontal hoods is the amount of heat that is directed downward. You can overcome the heat problem with fans, and blowers as long the reflector is 'air-cool able'. Maximizer Reflector Mid Size Super Reflector Sun Gro Reflector Large Horiz.

Reflector Super Sun Reflector Vertical reflectors look like a large umbrella, these types of reflectors do a good job spreading light in a large area. They also have more room for heat to dissipate so you can place them closer to your plants. The disadvantages of the vertical hoods are they throw light everywhere and you have plenty of wasted light where the plants aren't. We will have these vertical reflectors available for purchase soon! See Below for Plant Grow Lighting Products Available Here Maximizer Reflector Grow Lights MH or HPS 400 & 1000 W Large Horizontal Reflector Remote Ballast MH & HPS 400 & 1000 W Super Sun Reflector 400 & 1000 W MH & HPS Grow Lights 400 W Metal Halide Plant Grow Systems 1000 W Metal Halide Plant Grow Systems 1000 W HPS Plant Grow Light Systems Sun Gro Reflector 400 & 1000 W HPS & MH Grow Lights 400 W HPS Plant Grow Lighting Systems Wall Mount 175 W Metal Halide Grow Light Economy Ballast Grow Lights 400 & 1000 W MH & HPS Mid-Size Reflector Plant Grow Lights MH & HPS Enclosed Ballast Mini System MH or HPS 100 & 250 W Switchable Ballast Grow Light Systems Dual Lamp Super Spectrum 800 & 1000 W Grow Lights Heavy Duty 250 & 400 W MH & HPS Floodlights Wall Mount HPS & MH Grow Lights 35-400 Watts Fluorescent Grow Lights 18' Mounting Height 400 W Metal Halide Grow Light 18' Mounting Height 250 & 400 W MH & HPS 15' Mounting Height Grow Lights Metal Halide Lamps / Light Bulbs High Pressure Sodium Lamps / Light Bulbs Metal Halide Ballasts High Pressure Sodium Ballasts We respect your privacy & security Visit our partner site Hardware Hut Search for Lighting: home | about us | sale | search | contact | shopping cart |quotes product availability & shipping | customer care | affiliates | manufacturers | link to us Copyright (c) 1999-2004, e Lights. com, Inc. All Rights Reserved Privacy Notice Incandescent Lights | Fluorescent Lights | 100-400 watt HID Lights | 400-1000 watt HID Lights | Light Supplies Indoor Plant Grow Light Guide HID Grow Lights | Fluorescent Grow Lights | Incandescent Grow Lights Electrical Cost | Sunlight's Effect on Plant Growth Horticultural lighting systems allow you to extend the growing season by providing your plants with an indoor equivalent to sunlight.

This is a great advantage for those of you who appreciate having a year-round supply of fresh flowers, veggies and herbs. Artificial lighting is also a great way to jump-start spring by starting your seedlings months ahead of the last frost. There are three main types of horticultural lighting systems. HID (High Intensity Discharge) Plant Grow Lights HID lighting is the most efficient way to convert electricity into light that is available to the consumer. There are two types of HID grow lights used for horticultural lighting: HID Grow Light Efficiency One 1000 watt HPS bulb puts out as much light as 111 incandescent 100 watt bulbs.

One 400 watt MH bulb puts out as much light as 20 fluorescent 40 watt tubes. Metal Halide - MH Metal halide bulbs produce an abundance of light in the blue spectrum. This color of light promotes plant growth and is excellent for green leafy growth and keeping plants compact. It is the best type of light to be used as a primary light source (if no or little natural sunlight is available). The average lifespan is about 10,000 cumulative hours. The bulb will light up beyond this time but due to the gradual decline of light, it is not worth your while to wait for the bulb to finally burn out.

If you compare their lumen (brightness) per unit of energy consumed, metal halides produce up to 125 lumens per watt compared to 39 lumens per watt with standard fluorescent lights and 18 lumens per watt for standard incandescent bulbs. View 100 to 400 watt HID grow lights, View 400 to 1000 watt HID grow lights High Pressure Sodium - HPS High pressure sodium bulbs emit an orange-red glow. This band of light triggers hormones in plants to increase flowering / budding in plants. They are the best grow lights available for secondary or supplemental lighting (used in conjunction with natural sunlight). This is ideal for greenhouse growing applications. Not only is this a great flowering light, it has two features that make it a more economical choice.

Their average lifespan is twice that of metal halides, but after 18,000 hours of use, they will start to draw more electricity than their rated watts while gradually producing less light. HPS bulbs are very efficient. They produce up to 140 lumens per watt. Their disadvantage is they are deficient in the blue spectrum. If a gardener were to start a young plant under a HPS bulb, she / he would see impressive vertical growth. In fact, probably too impressive.

Most plants would grow up thin and lanky and in no time you will have to prune your plant back before it grows into the light fixture. The exception to this is using a HPS light in a greenhouse. Sunlight is high in the blue spectrum which would offset any stretching caused by HPS bulbs. View 100 to 400 watt HID grow lights, View 400 to 1000 watt HID grow lights HID Light Output Primary Growing Area Supplemental Growing Area 100 watts 2' x 2' 3' x 3' 250 watts 3' x 3' 5' x 5' 400 watts 5' x 5' 8' x 8' 600 watts 6' x 6' 10' x 10' 1000 watts 8' x 8' 12' x 12' HID Lighting Helpful Tips. Hanging height: Due to the heat that is emitted from these types of fixtures, you should hang them according to size. Smaller wattage systems (100 and 250) should be hung about 2 to 3 feet from the top of the plants.

Medium wattage systems (400 and 600) should be hung around 4 feet from the top of the plants. High wattage systems (1000 and up) should be placed at least 4 to 6 feet from the plant tops... How long should lights run? This depends on the type of plant. Most plants and vegetables need about 10 to 12 hours of light to promote growth. Plants that produce fruits or flowers will show improvement with up to 16 hours a day of supplemental light.

Fluorescent Plant Grow Lights Until recently, fluorescent grow lights have had a low output and have been too big and bulky to be of much use as a grow light for anything more than starting seedlings. These new compact full spectrum fluorescent lights have changed that. At over 70 lumens per watt, these lights are energy efficient and extremely effective especially when used in numbers. Fluorescent grow lights also have better color rendering properties incandescent and HID grow lights (more of the light emitted is used by the plant) and produce much less heat when compared to HID grow lights. This allows them to be placed closer to plants (within a few inches) greatly decreasing lumen loss from the bulb to the plant. These compact lights also have a built-in ballast unlike traditional fluorescent and HID grow lights.

View compact fluorescent grow lights The standard 4' and 2' full spectrum tubes are great for starts and seedlings. They are also popular for growing low-light plants like herbs and African violets. These lights are low intensity and need to be placed within 6' (up to 12' for shade loving plants) of the plants to be effective. They are a poor light source for flowering and budding primarily because of their low lumen output. View fluorescent grow lights Incandescent Plant Grow Lights These lights are good for providing supplemental light to individual house plants or small groups of plants and provide an inexpensive alternative to other grow lights, because they do not require a ballast. Incandescent lights have a low lumen output per watt compared to HID and fluorescent grow lights.

View incandescent grow lights The Cost to Run a Lighting System To get the operating cost per hour for a light, take the lights combined wattage, and divide it by 1000 to get the kilowatts used. Then multiply that number by the amount your electric company charges per kilowatt hour. HID lights will use the number of watts it emits per hour, ie; 600 w system will use 600 watts per hour (regardless of spectrum). (light wattage output / 1000) x electricity cost per kilowatt hour = Operating cost per hour operating cost per hour x hours used per month = Operating cost per month How the Sunlight Effects Plant Growth 200-280 nm UVC ultraviolet range which is extremely harmful to plants because it is highly toxic. 280-315 nm Includes harmful UVB ultraviolet light which causes plants colors to fade.

315-380 nm Range of UVA ultraviolet light which is neither harmful nor beneficial to plant growth. 380-400 nm Start of visible light spectrum. Process of chlorophyll absorption begins. UV protected plastics ideally block out any light below this range. 400-520 nm This range includes violet, blue, and green bands. Peak absorption by chlorophyll occurs, and a strong influence on photosynthesis. (promotes vegetative growth) 520-610 nm This range includes the green, yellow, and orange bands and has less absorption by pigments.

610-720 nm This is the red band. Large amount of absorption by chlorophyll occurs, and most significant influence on photosynthesis. (promotes flowering and budding) 720-1000 nm There is little absorption by chlorophyll here. Flowering and germination is influenced. At the high end of the band is infrared, which is heat. 1000+ nm Totally infrared range. All energy absorbed at this point is converted to heat.

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