anyone use these modern LED lighting in offseason??

hinmo24t

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im not looking to have an expensive of quality lighting setup.
i live in cold-winter area, but my house is south facing, and i have two large bay windows to arrange my tropicals
when the freeze comes.

i noticed these cheap, yet 5 stars out of 4,000 reviews for a lot of these, from same brand...and my plan would be to use this in living room
and dining room where those windows are, when i come home from work (daylight savings itll be dark out at 430 when i get home)
and shutting them off when i go to bed. i like how you can arrange and select light with these setups, and with my blinds shut and these facing outwards,
hopefully not too bright for inside house.



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Eckhoffw

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im not looking to have an expensive of quality lighting setup.
i live in cold-winter area, but my house is south facing, and i have two large bay windows to arrange my tropicals
when the freeze comes.

i noticed these cheap, yet 5 stars out of 4,000 reviews for a lot of these, from same brand...and my plan would be to use this in living room
and dining room where those windows are, when i come home from work (daylight savings itll be dark out at 430 when i get home)
and shutting them off when i go to bed. i like how you can arrange and select light with these setups, and with my blinds shut and these facing outwards,
hopefully not too bright for inside house.



View attachment 318808
I have a couple of these. They definitely helped my plants (especially succulents), through dark winter months. Very convenient for small spaces near windows.
Of he 2 brands I have, -amazon purchases-
I would recommend Bright Labs brand over some others. Higher quality at the same price.
I’ve since purchased t5 grow bulbs to overwinter my tropical plants in basement.
 

cmeg1

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Be better off putting up a little more money.
 

hinmo24t

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I have a couple of these. They definitely helped my plants (especially succulents), through dark winter months. Very convenient for small spaces near windows.
Of he 2 brands I have, -amazon purchases-
I would recommend Bright Labs brand over some others. Higher quality at the same price.
I’ve since purchased t5 grow bulbs to overwinter my tropical plants in basement.
thanks, appreciate that...glad to hear they are even somewhat effective, because i do have great south facing windows...this
would just be supplemental to get to spring
 
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I get better growth in the winter under LED than I do outdoors in nearly full sun. I do constantly fertilize in a wicking hydroponic tank setup during the winter, so there are more variables, but very nice growth from moderate priced LEDs off of amazon. I shopped more on form factor than power, but LED watts go a long way. I don’t keep near a window.
 

HorseloverFat

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All my lights i use In corroboration WITH an 8’x5’ (?) south-facing window... i only have two LED units, though..,
19CF31DF-DFF6-4784-85E6-34404602E94A.jpegF4EF122E-5A26-4104-BE93-D1438339E546.jpeg

Aaaaand like 12 of THESE bad boys..
5B5E07B8-EF22-4F81-B9B5-4BE7E129BB8A.jpeg

And a few full-spec UV replacement bulbs strategically positioned in desk lamps throughout... And air purifier, C02 dispersal (reeeeal crude), and two humidifiers.
 
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hinmo24t

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im just stoked for $20-$30 i can have a safe, decent, light setup to help...

i have a fig, bougainvillea, navel orange, succulents, hibiscus that i need to bring inside.

i have a garage (unheated) and basement for others that ill use if need be. my plan is to keep them behind garage
unless super cold forecast ill drag a few of them into garage a few days or weeks if need be.

NE weather keeps ya on your toes for sure. nothing like CA or AZ, etc.
 

HorseloverFat

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im just stoked for $20-$30 i can have a safe, decent, light setup to help...

i have a fig, bougainvillea, navel orange, succulents, hibiscus that i need to bring inside.

i have a garage (unheated) and basement for others that ill use if need be. my plan is to keep them behind garage
unless super cold forecast ill drag a few of them into garage a few days or weeks if need be.

NE weather keeps ya on your toes for sure. nothing like CA or AZ, etc.
Absolutely!! Piece it together.. WAAAY cheaper.. you have yours.. when/if you need more.. get more. Both of my LED units cost about 78 TOTAL... the “rabbit-looking” dome grow bulbs are only 8-11 a piece... hanging lamps are 7. It’s doable..
 

Harunobu

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I will be buying one this year to grow my seedlings with. There are many more available now and cheaper than 10 years ago. I remember a good one cost about 600 euro. Most of those were marketed on growing cannabis plants here in the Netherlands. But since that time, LEDs have improved and growing cannabis plants is now legal (?) in some parts of NA.

However, I need one that covers more space and doesn't project tons of light in a single area. Different LEDs to cover a broader spectrum is probably something I want as well, but not clear what spectral shape would be optimum for my needs. There are so many now out there, hard to decide what to buy. And hard to be sure about the quality as well.
 

HorseloverFat

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I will be buying one this year to grow my seedlings with. There are many more available now and cheaper than 10 years ago. I remember a good one cost about 600 euro. Most of those were marketed on growing cannabis plants here in the Netherlands. But since that time, LEDs have improved and growing cannabis plants is now legal (?) in some parts of NA.

However, I need one that covers more space and doesn't project tons of light in a single area. Different LEDs to cover a broader spectrum is probably something I want as well, but not clear what spectral shape would be optimum for my needs. There are so many now out there, hard to decide what to buy. And hard to be sure about the quality as well.

You can buy single 10”x12” “panels” of them.. made for “daisy-chaining”.. which you could use to fit Where you need without wasting a larger “bar”...

Most of those “single-panel” options are fixed spectrums, though.. so you have to pick ONCE.. 🤣

Blue/white or blue/red (the classic) are the directions I would go.. but there ARE more options.
 

hinmo24t

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I will be buying one this year to grow my seedlings with. There are many more available now and cheaper than 10 years ago. I remember a good one cost about 600 euro. Most of those were marketed on growing cannabis plants here in the Netherlands. But since that time, LEDs have improved and growing cannabis plants is now legal (?) in some parts of NA.

However, I need one that covers more space and doesn't project tons of light in a single area. Different LEDs to cover a broader spectrum is probably something I want as well, but not clear what spectral shape would be optimum for my needs. There are so many now out there, hard to decide what to buy. And hard to be sure about the quality as well.

its legal where i am too and i typically get a few clones for outside (currently) but maybe if i buy a few of these lights ill stop bothering that guy for clones (and $50 total and work on the ziplock bag of seeds he gave e instead next year. i have a university closeby, with amazing trees, and i want to work on seeds and cuttings in the spring, perhaps ill try to get them going with these lights too.

ultimately i just want a supplemental light like this to keep my nice plants alive through winter.

i did think about this market now in 2020, like a lot of tech, it moves fast and becomes affordable quickly; seems to be where this market is.
 

Harunobu

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Such a LED light will do much more than give supplemental light. I had just a fluorescent bulb and I grew tomato and chili plants inside that I sowed in January. The chili plants grww extremely compact because they get a lot of high quality light without any risk (like sunburn). And you can even give them 12 or 14 hours of light. My guess is they didn't grow long and leggy because of the relatively lower temperatures (room was unheated). If you get a LED and have a warm room, things will grow quicker in winter than they would otherwise outside. So yeah, if you have rooted cuttings and you grow them all winter inside, you could win a growing season.

As for supplemental light for your actual bonsai, don't they need winter dormancy? Like I said, most of these LEDs are developed to give max yield for cannabis plants. If you want to protect them from frost, best option is a unheated greenhouse. Not inside with a (huge) light.

I have a bottom heat mat as well, so I am already set on growing stuff inside. But thinking about hanging a LED from the sealing or something. I never had issues with the lower humidity, but making a tent (aka keeping the plants in bags) with higher humidity is like the additional option one could take to maximize it even more.
 
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JonW

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I'm planning on getting an HLG 65 V2 this winter to extend the growing season for a few plants in my basement while others will get bay-window space. Next year, I plan to purchase another and make a shelves in my living room to display the trees under the lights - my bay window area will be turned into a play-space for my daughter.

I'll need advice how to make the lights / display look acceptable to my wife in the living room!
 

hinmo24t

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Such a LED light will do much more than give supplemental light. I had just a fluorescent bulb and I grew tomato and chili plants inside that I sowed in January. The chili plants grww extremely compact because they get a lot of high quality light without any risk (like sunburn). And you can even give them 12 or 14 hours of light. My guess is they didn't grow long and leggy because of the relatively lower temperatures (room was unheated). If you get a LED and have a warm room, things will grow quicker in winter than they would otherwise outside. So yeah, if you have rooted cuttings and you grow them all winter inside, you could win a growing season.

As for supplemental light for your actual bonsai, don't they need winter dormancy? Like I said, most of these LEDs are developed to give max yield for cannabis plants. If you want to protect them from frost, best option is a unheated greenhouse. Not inside with a (huge) light.

I have a bottom heat mat as well, so I am already set on growing stuff inside. But thinking about hanging a LED from the sealing or something. I never had issues with the lower humidity, but making a tent (aka keeping the plants in bags) with higher humidity is like the additional option one could take to maximize it even more.


Thanks again, im excited for this light option because at that college i mentioned up the road from me, they have various baldcypress, blue spruce, hornbeam, dogwood, inkberry holly, maples, etc. etc. and i will look to propegate spring cuttings with them (state college and ive been a taxpayer since 14, 20 years ago)

i will be leaving my japaense black pine (4' pre bonsai and 3" base), green oak (small), two beech (small), two dogwood (7' pre bonsai potted and cornus bush dogwood prebonsai), hardy silk mimosa (4' pre bonsai), and acer maple (6' potted pre bonsai), purple crabapple (4', narrow) all outside along back of garage on benches where they will be somewhat sheltered from wind. if we have extreme cold forecasted (which will equate to weeks or a mos worth) i can quickly get them in the unheated garage (but not sub freezing per se, especially with zero wind). a lot of the trees dont need sunlight when dormant except perhaps the pine...they just need no freeze.

unless convinced otherwise i will keep those above behind garage and in garage if very cold (we get single digits and sub 32F about 1/3 days of winter) ill also be packing some mulch on all those as well.


moving inside is pre bonsai are hibiscus, bougainvillea, citrus, ficus, fig (might be winter hardy ill look into it)

the basement and garage dont get much light, but some at least.

heres a look at what i have, the garage
20200721_071937~4_resized.jpg20200719_110447_HDR~2_resized.jpgDogwood and Maple.jpg
house.jpg
 

Harunobu

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Such a LED light will do much more than give supplemental light.

Just to clarify, I meant the large rectangular panels such as cmeg1 linked to. Not the thin gooseneck ones from the OP. Those seem more suitable for some supplemental light for something that is already near a window.
 
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