Could I use this grow-light on my plants?

[Wolfn]

Ok, I found this grow-light for sale at one of the carnivorous plant nurseries. Now, I know the majority of carnivorous plants are sun-loving plants and need a more powerful light, but I was thinking of using this on my Cephalotus because they can grow in various degrees of light (bright shade all the way to full-sun)

So what do you think? Could I use this for my Cephalotus?

 

[F R e N c H 3 z]

I doubt this light wouldnt suffice for a Ceph. Though they can grow with less then ideal light levels, that doesnt mean it is best for them. You would need to take a look at the lumen output from this bulb. This setup looks like it's only a single bulb which probably means it doesnt get the minimal 12,000 lumens usually recommended for 'full sun' plants when growing indoors. The Ceph's I have seen love all the light they can get and color up quite well under it. I would only use this for plants that are a bit more shade loving like a Drosera adelae. If you really think a Ceph would do well under it and still want to experiment I would try with a pulling so you dont have to loose the whole plant if worst comes to worst. I'd also see if BigBella has ever tried growing Ceph's under low light levels and see what his results were.

 

[Wolfn]

I doubt this light wouldnt suffice for a Ceph. Though they can grow with less then ideal light levels, that doesnt mean it is best for them. You would need to take a look at the lumen output from this bulb. This setup looks like it's only a single bulb which probably means it doesnt get the minimal 12,000 lumens usually recommended for 'full sun' plants when growing indoors. The Ceph's I have seen love all the light they can get and color up quite well under it. I would only use this for plants that are a bit more shade loving like a Drosera adelae. If you really think a Ceph would do well under it and still want to experiment I would try with a pulling so you dont have to loose the whole plant if worst comes to worst. I'd also see if BigBella has ever tried growing Ceph's under low light levels and see what his results were.

I've grown Cephs under low-light conditions before and they were lush and green (until I accidentally over-watered them)

Personally, I think the green Cephs look best and I read in several sites that shaded Cephs grow larger than Cephs in sunlight.


Edit: I just checked the wattage of the plant light and it says it's a 9 watt bulb. My florescent light in my desk lamp is 14 watts and my Nepenthes Ventricosa colored up nicely under that. I guess I'll stick with the desk lamp I have for now.

 

[F R e N c H 3 z]

I've grown Cephs under low-light conditions before and they were lush and green (until I accidentally over-watered them)

Personally, I think the green Cephs look best and I read in several sites that shaded Cephs grow larger than Cephs in sunlight.


Edit: I just checked the wattage of the plant light and it says it's a 9 watt bulb. My florescent light in my desk lamp is 14 watts and my Nepenthes Ventricosa colored up nicely under that. I guess I'll stick with the desk lamp I have for now.

Many plants may look 'lush and green' but their usually isnt anything lush about them. The green is due to the lack of light to color up. If you prefer the greener Cephs I would seek out a clone that stays greener rather than darker under full light (sort of like an anthocyanin free clone).

The reason why they are bigger under low light is due to etiolation.
In general, most Neps will require less direct light to color up then other plants such as say Sarrs, Cephs, or Helis though that is not always true for all. I dont personally think 9W or 14W is nearly enough light for either of these plants but that's just because I've had success using much more light for all of my collection.

Like I said I would seek out a clone that can stay green with direct sunlight that way you can rest assured that it is getting the necessary light. Once a plant is getting the needed amounts it's much more able to fight off other problems such as root rot or infections if these are caught early enough.

 

[seedjar]

I think these "intelligent plant lights" use small HO T5 U-shaped tubes. It might be bright enough - be emphasis on the might - but those fixtures are a ripoff. You're paying like $40 for a setup that you could get much cheaper for parts. Do the math; it's not a good deal.
~Joe

 

[mobile]

A desk lamp with a CFL, plugged into a timer could do the same job and would give you the option to choose the colour temperature and wattage. Bear in mind that the intensity of light decreases over distance. It follows the 'Inverse Square Law' so if you double the distance from the source then the intensity is quarter of the original value. Using a good reflector, or reflector CFL can significantly increase the intensity too - remember that any stray light that is not hitting the plant is wasted. The Dionaea 'petite dragon' pictured below was grown under a 15W CFL placed 5cm (2") above it and as you can see, the colouration is good.

 

[Hotrod30]

The bulb is a 9 watt bulb listed as PLS 9W 6500K. Part # PLB-1


I had one and it lasted 3 months before it broke and wouldn't turn on. I threw it away.

 

[RL7836]

Bear in mind that the intensity of light decreases over distance. It follows the 'Inverse Square Law' so if you double the distance from the source then the intensity is quarter of the original value.

I think many people overlook this critical tidbit of information regarding light intensity. A little bit of distance makes a big difference.

 

[seedjar]

I think many people overlook this critical tidbit of information regarding light intensity. A little bit of distance makes a big difference.

LOL - I think most people's eyes start to glaze over at "inverse."
~Joe