Light

[adymitruk]

I bought a Philips 42w Marathon compact fluorescent bulb for my seedlings and cuttings. It is about an inch above the media. It's marked at 2600 lumens. I know this is not ideal, but will it be enough?

Because of space issues, I have room for just one bulb currently. Is there a better single bulb I could get? Anyone have a similar setup? The light also seems too yellow...

Thanks in advance,

Adam

 

[Botanicadenta]

Is there a reason you're keeping it inside? If you have to I'd suggest putting it on a windowsill and use the light as a supplement to natural sunlight.

I have to say I'm a convert, everyone here will tell you to put it outside as long as it's not iced over. I've had my VFT outside for 4 days and the difference is dramatic. I'm getting beautiful red colorings in the trap and the growth of new traps has nearly doubled.

 

[SirKristoff]

....the best light you can get is the sun, you live a little north of where i do, so your temps arent much different...you can grow VFTs outside all year no problem...they need their dormancy anyway....you can skip a seedlings first dormancy and grow em inside, an inch is a little too close for the plants....id move em up atleast 3 inches if you have to grow inside.....imo, once spring rolls around, they should be placed straight outside.

 

[*Barracuda_45*]

Ive noticed that Philips bulbs are outright crappy bulbs i always use GE better quality and better light output.. I agree with SirKristoff if its a very very young plant or seedling deffinately grow it right thru winter, skip dormancy and make sure the light is a few inches above the VFT. Most of my bigger VFTs are already preparing for dormancy due to where i live but my youngest or seedlings will stay under lights growing thruout the winter months.

 

[HyDxSiJiu]

hmm if u try for leaf cutting i suggest u should let the sunlight do the work and its a lot cheaper just keep the soggy media for the cutting, and use a cover dorm it and make sure theres an 1 inch diameter hole on the cover, the carry out food container is what i m using, put it on somewhere that can receive direct morning light, evening light and defused noon light, avoid direct summer noon light, my cutting grow pretty healthy but u have to acclaimate it to low humidity later on when u get it out of the soggy dormed media,, u might experience burnt leaf but thats normal it will grow healthy leafs after just a month, happy growing

 

[adymitruk]

It gets dreary quite quickly where I live this time of year. There is hardly any sun to speak of. Plus, I want to watch some stuff grow while the outside plants are dormant.

 

[adymitruk]

I bought a 14000K blue grow light (it was pricey: $95 CDN). But, wow, what a difference! I've hung aluminum all around and above it. I think this will do for the winter. It's called "Spectrum" and it's made by Hygrow Technologies (hygrow.net). It says "ultra blue for extreme growth".

Anyone use one of these?

Adam