Indoor Light

Moldy · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:50 am Post subject: Indoor Light

Light levels in Denmark in the winter are pretty low. Does anyone have suggestions for a good indoor light system to use so that my indoor trees get more light?

Thepuzzlemaster · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:57 am Post subject: Re: Indoor Light

The one aspect I know of for lights are you want one that is "Full spectrum" if possible. I know that specific "Grow lights" are pretty expensive, and that there are alternatives out there, that are not quite as good, but still do a relatively good job for the price.

However, I have never used one, so I can't say much more than this small bit of vague info. Hopefullly someone else has something more insightful to add...

Stymie · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:26 pm Post subject: Re: Indoor Light

I personally think that they are an unneccesary extravagence and wouldn't indulge. However, fortunes have been made out of them and if people have money to burn, the trees may get some slight benefit.
Wow, Embarassed

now I've started something but I'm being honest.

Moldy · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:33 pm Post subject: Re: Indoor Light

No worries Stymie!

my only worry is the short daylight in the winter here. Some of my indoor trees (esp. my Sageretia) are showing signs of lack of decent light.

I was just thinking about a 'special' bulb that could be put into a normal lamp and shone on them for a few hours a day. Nothing expensive...I'm a poor student anyway Smile

Maybe it's just a matter of seeing the winter through, then letting them enjoy the long summer daylight hours.

Pappa · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: Indoor Light

If it's just a bit off additional light you need because light levels are low, standard fluorescent lights will do fine. Although you will need to hang them about 6 inches (10 cm above your trees).

If you have a lot of trees to light, you are likely to need a HID lights of some kind (Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium), but they can be quite expensive.

A good alternative/compromise is the new eco-bulb. They are a compact fluorescent tube coiled and compacted into a 'bulb' which can fit into a standard incandescent bulb fitting. They are cheap to run and provide a good quantity blue of balanced light (good for vegetative growth). Yellow and 'full-spectrum' lights are only required if and when plants are to flower.

Pappa

jimothy · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:52 pm Post subject: Re: Indoor Light

Carol · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:53 pm Post subject: Indoor light

I don't know if it would be of any use, but I buy what are called here "daylight bulbs" - they're a mid-blue colour when they're turned off but look clear when they're turned on. I buy them for my embroidery light - colours are truer than when seen with ordinary light, and they're not as hot as ordinary lights are when sitting beside/below them when embroidering. They're supposed to give a light which is almost the same as daylight - don't know if that's true or not. They're quite cheap, although a little dearer than ordinary bulbs.

I really don't know if they'd help or not - I'm just going by the name (daylight). Confused

Cheers
Carol

Looks like Pappa posted while I was typing - if we're talking about the same thing. which it sounds like. Also Jimothy, with a different angle.
Good luck with whatever system you use!

jimothy · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject: Re: Indoor Light

carol - i know the ones you mean, and no, they wouldn't be much of an improvement on standard lightbulbs, as all they do is filter out some of the red wavelengths, to make the light "look" like daylight. Flourescent bulbs are better, because they emit more light at wavelengths that can actually be used by plants for photosynthesis.

Dick · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:01 pm Post subject: Re: Indoor Light

I once read an article on indoor lights for plants. The high density sodium or mercury vapor type lights are very good and provide a very bright light that is beneficial for plants. But they also are expensive to operate for 16 hours per day and they give off a lot of heat. Accidentally bumping into one could prove painful.

The best alternative is to provide flourescent light. All you need is a two or four tube fixture (the cheepest brand you can find). Here in the US thay run about $10-$15 each. As for the light, you need an equal combination of "warm" and "cool" flourescent bulbs which can be usually purchase at any store for $2-$4 for a 2 pack.

Set the fixture about 6 inches above the top of the plant. If you want to get fancy, get a timer and set it for 16-20 hours per day and the plants will do very nicely. Believe me that if I can flower orchids under such a condition, it will be enough for your trees, even the sageretia.

Carol · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:17 pm Post subject: Indoor Light

Interesting, Jimothy. I have to say that the only tree I have indoors is a ficus retusa - it's in a very dark part of the room, nowhere near a window, and the room is pretty warm in summer. The only light it gets is from an ordinary fluorescent ceiling light when we're home (night and weekends), similarly with cooling - the air conditioner is only on at night and weekends when we're home.

It's growing like a bomb - 5 trims in the last couple of months. I also have another 2 ficus (fici?) which spend all their time outside, and the only difference is that they have bigger leaves. It was a bit of an experiment, but the one indoors has been there for about 12 months, so will probably stay there - for the time being, anyway.

Cheers
Carol