Winter Lighting

just.wing.it

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I brought my tropical trees inside the other day, I'm now seeing mid 40's F at night.

In the past I used simple T5 fluorescent tubes, then switched to an LED "White Grow Lamp" last year.
This year I'm adding full spectrum (the pinkish light) to the white LEDs.

I'm wondering if running the full spectrums with the white LEDs could be usless, could the lights work against one another, or is it better to use one or the other?????
To me, it seems like more light is better, regardless of the type.
What you see here, is 3 white LEDs and 2 full specrums.
20191005_193806.jpg
 

just.wing.it

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I brought my tropical trees inside the other day, I'm now seeing mid 40's F at night.

In the past I used simple T5 fluorescent tubes, then switched to an LED "White Grow Lamp" last year.
This year I'm adding full spectrum (the pinkish light) to the white LEDs.

I'm wondering if running the full spectrums with the white LEDs could be usless, could the lights work against one another, or is it better to use one or the other?????
To me, it seems like more light is better, regardless of the type.
What you see here, is 3 white LEDs and 2 full specrums.
View attachment 265479
I'd like to learn if any others do this ^^^?
 
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@Fishyfish22.

If you want to go the route of HID lamps (high intensity discharge), you'll want to use metal halide for the proper light spectrum.
[/QUOTE]
I always thought that one would want the spectrum that mimics the tail end of summer. I use a single 600w hps hortilux bulb that works great. Spits out the red hue instead of blue.
 

smjmsy00

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I've been using red/blue and full spectrum as supplemental outdoor lighting this year since my bench is shaded a bit. Seems to be "working" as far as I can tell, my JBP is looking dark green and healthy, a sick juniper put out lots of new growth, etc...
 

Mayank

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I've been using red/blue and full spectrum as supplemental outdoor lighting this year since my bench is shaded a bit. Seems to be "working" as far as I can tell, my JBP is looking dark green and healthy, a sick juniper put out lots of new growth, etc...
I brought my tropical trees inside the other day, I'm now seeing mid 40's F at night.

I need to do that soon!!! Been dragging my feet. Mine are still outside, 40s at night but they're still doing good. I'm thinking of getting one of those six ft wide kid soccer goals, remove the netting and use the frame to suspend lights over my trops. I'm planning to buy:


They have been doing OK in a south facing room for years but always get very irritated at being moved in until about after thanksgiving at which point they usually get used to it I guess. I'm still going to keep them in that same room so they get the natural light as well as the artificial.
 
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I just purchased one of these:


To replace two of these:


I'm hoping that will increase a bit of growing on my tropicals once I move them indoors in the next couple weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing the difference!
 

Carol 83

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I need to do that soon!!! Been dragging my feet. Mine are still outside, 40s at night but they're still doing good. I'm thinking of getting one of those six ft wide kid soccer goals, remove the netting and use the frame to suspend lights over my trops. I'm planning to buy:


They have been doing OK in a south facing room for years but always get very irritated at being moved in until about after thanksgiving at which point they usually get used to it I guess. I'm still going to keep them in that same room so they get the natural light as well as the artificial.
Been dragging my feet also. We've been out of town for a couple of days, so I just moved them up as close to the house as I could. So far, so good but it's going into the 30's by the end of the week. So tomorrow I've got to get everything set up indoors. I have a southern exposure also, where the most sun needy trees go, the ones that will put up with less get the eastern exposure, but both sites have grow lights also. I'm sure my elderly neighbors wonder what in the hell I'm doing over here, since the light are very visible through the windows at night.
 

amcoffeegirl

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My willow leaf don’t drop leaves in winter.
The grow can be leggy though.
 

Traken

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So, out of curiosity for those of you with T5HOs, how often do you replace the bulbs? I have one 4' x 4 fixture that worked well last winter, and just added a big, honkin' LED fixture to try that setup out, and it is obscenely bright. lol. So much so, that I'm wondering if it's just that much brighter than my T5s or if they're getting dim.

Been dragging my feet also. We've been out of town for a couple of days, so I just moved them up as close to the house as I could. So far, so good but it's going into the 30's by the end of the week. So tomorrow I've got to get everything set up indoors. I have a southern exposure also, where the most sun needy trees go, the ones that will put up with less get the eastern exposure, but both sites have grow lights also. I'm sure my elderly neighbors wonder what in the hell I'm doing over here, since the light are very visible through the windows at night.

I think a lot of us are being lazy. I haven't had a chance to pull my stuff in, either, but I think I'm going to wait until Thursday, since we have a little warm up until the temp crashes on Friday.
 

amcoffeegirl

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Do you ever get curly leaves coming out on your Willow Leaf Ficus's?
Yes occasionally.
To my knowledge it is a natural occurrence.
If they don’t look normal though it is good to inspect for pests.
 

Mayank

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Been dragging my feet also. We've been out of town for a couple of days, so I just moved them up as close to the house as I could. So far, so good but it's going into the 30's by the end of the week. So tomorrow I've got to get everything set up indoors. I have a southern exposure also, where the most sun needy trees go, the ones that will put up with less get the eastern exposure, but both sites have grow lights also. I'm sure my elderly neighbors wonder what in the hell I'm doing over here, since the light are very visible through the windows at night.
Why are the lights on at night? Oh, you probably mean like 5 pm ish when it is already dark outside.....
 

Mayank

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So, out of curiosity for those of you with T5HOs, how often do you replace the bulbs? I have one 4' x 4 fixture that worked well last winter, and just added a big, honkin' LED fixture to try that setup out, and it is obscenely bright. lol. So much so, that I'm wondering if it's just that much brighter than my T5s or if they're getting dim.



I think a lot of us are being lazy. I haven't had a chance to pull my stuff in, either, but I think I'm going to wait until Thursday, since we have a little warm up until the temp crashes on Friday.
Exactly. It went down to 43 yesterday but they look fine and it was pushing 70 and full sun today so I got greedy...
 

Carol 83

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Why are the lights on at night? Oh, you probably mean like 5 pm ish when it is already dark outside.....
I have the grow lights on from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
 

Mayank

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I have the grow lights on from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
Not during the day? That doesn't throw them off? Shouldn't they be like photosynth all day long and rest and make oxygen all night long?
 

penumbra

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I have the grow lights on from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
I am a bit curious about that also. I have most of my lights on from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm and some until 9:00 pm. I have been doing it this way for about 30 years.
 

Carol 83

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Not during the day? That doesn't throw them off? Shouldn't they be like photosynth all day long and rest and make oxygen all night long?
I don't have them on during the day, no. Probably doing it all wrong.
 
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