Halides

[joseph]

It's spring, temperatures are climbing and the sun is bright, must be time to change the 1000W artificial star in the basement.

This year I'm breaking from my normal mid spectrum economical MH bulb and trying a Sunmaster warm spectrum. Let me tell you it is definately warmer, much more red but the spectrum still shows plenty of blues, as a matter of fact, I now realize that some of my plants have yellow in them, a color I couldn't see under the old bulb. On the downside most of the energy is still wasted in the mid ranges where beta-caronine works, this must be to make the human observers happy. Anyone know if Neps make use of Caratanoids?

Anyway my intent is to get a bit more stem elongation on my N. Spec and a few others that really have some close packed nodes and perhaps get my three foot tall N. Miranda to shoot up a flower.

Back to the question. I've always used the normal MHs and have been happy but curiosity must one day kill me, so has anyone tried these warm spectrum tubes and what effects have you seen in growth. Neps, I know you also use MH bulbs, what is your experience?
Last question, anyone ever tried the high K cool bulbs? Perhaps I wil try one next year if I don't care for the warm bulb.

joe

 

[joseph]

OK, scratch the caratanoid question, one look at my more red neps answered my own question.

 

[superimposedhope]

Well, I dont know if I qualify but; I use a compact flour. that is INTENSE WoW that thing is bright, its identical to the 750 wtt MH except its flourescent. Ialso use a ton of the 'chroma 50's' and I get alot more elongation from the chroma's.

Joe

 

[Sean's Ponds]

I wrote an article I titled Luminary Prospects some time ago that you might find useful. I have a copy of it on my own website but you get bounced around on my site, Try this address for my article.
Luminary Prospects

Cheers,
Sean

 

[Tony Paroubek]

The higher levels of red and far red in the warmer bulb should help in promoting flowering and increasing internodal stem length. Plants get a little energy out of light other than the blue Chlorophylla A absorbs but it is fairly insignificant on a comparison basis. The color in your Nepenthes leaves are most likely anthocyanin. Plants produce this when subjected to intense light as a way of protecting themselves from burning. Carotenoids are yellow/orange and you won't normally see them until the chlorophyll breaks down in aging leaves.
Tony

 

[joseph]

Thanks everyone, I suppose it can't be too bad if so many people are using it, I just don't care for the color and a spectral comparison against chlorophylla 'a' made me wonder if the plants would even grow (amazing how much is wasted, I mean it is terrible, but I suppose if they narrowed the bulb down to only emit 430 and 660 it would be pretty ugly).

Tony, your right on the color, after looking again I have only two plants that show thier secondary energy producers, one is a ventricosa in bright light, instead of turning red it just turns off the green so it is nearly yellow, and my Miranda loses the green in its leaves after a few months showing a yellow/orange. I should have realized that the spectabilis was too dark to be beta carotine or anything similar.

I hope this red spectrum works, my Miranda is about to poke a hole in the top of the greenhouse but I refuse to cut it untill I get a flower.

Joe