Would a gro-lite work like sunshine on a pine?

Cadillactaste

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Hey,sounds as if you are going to go for it...keep a journal and photos to document it. Shame you don't have two pine...to see the difference in offering it and the one which soaks up natural sunlight.

Personally all these years of bonsai and ones growing plants in general...that one hasn't marketed one outdoor grow light. Makes me think there is some founding reasoning for that.

I do know...that I read in using strong growth lights (indoors) with bougainvillea one must then ensure total darkness and cover it with a cloth to keep daylight off of it for periods. So curious with natural and grow lights if you might need to offer total darkness for periods.
 

Smoke

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If I were to venture a guess, work was done on the tree and too many pine needles were left in the pot during the work. When pine needles are removed they become dead and begin to mold and collect fungus immediately. I would say that the work done earlier is not as bad a culprit as the tree now exhibits with the moisture. Probably battleing needle cast up the wazoo and OP thinks the tree needs sun to repair itself.

I suppose a picture of sick tree is not forthcoming?
 

ysrgrathe

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you would need 2000 Lux if actively growing

Is that accurate? I keep my citrus through the winter under 4 t4 + 2 t4 lights which is about 12,000 lux. That's barely enough to keep them going and doesn't penetrate the canopy well. Full sun can be more than 100,000 lux. I thought pines needed a LOT of light.
 

sorce

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You're basically ONLY going to create a nice warm spot for pests to get a head start at....

Anything more than ONLY....Will be weak ass, half asleep growth.....

Half asleep because the roots, which haven't had their dormancy needs met either, will remain asleep.
Therefore not giving your tree support.

So back to the weak ass growth pushing all energy stores to Death.

Mike...........

If you do this......

You will have loved this tree to Death by May.

But that doesn't keep me from wanting to see pictures of this
"Hillbilly death rig".

So don't let me stop you!
Mike Carazy!

Sorce
 

Woodland Spirit

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Is that accurate? I keep my citrus through the winter under 4 t4 + 2 t4 lights which is about 12,000 lux. That's barely enough to keep them going and doesn't penetrate the canopy well. Full sun can be more than 100,000 lux. I thought pines needed a LOT of light.
Yep I have 13,000 on my shade tolerant terrarium.
You'd be hard pressed to come close to sunlight with growlights.
Kinda like a keyfob light compared to a stadium light.
It takes a lot to really make a difference outside. It isn't needed though.
 

Anthony

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Ysrgrathe,

I think the idea is to test, as I suggested on an expendable.
Good Day
Anthony
 

ysrgrathe

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I think the idea is to test, as I suggested on an expendable.

Sure, would be interesting to see.

A good source of data would be research focused on commercial greenhouse operations. For example, this link has valuable information. Commercial and research operations usually measure daily light integral (DLI) which is the total light over a period of time. 1000 lux for 16 hours is ~= 1.06 DLI for comparison. Full sun for the purpose of commercial growing is generally between 18 and 60 DLI.

I would suggest that a powerful 400W HID bulb be used, and consider extending the day by providing supplemental light in the morning/evening. This could potentially get you to 50 DLI over a 1m^2 area -- even off-season.
 

Anthony

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Remember to factor in rest periods.

Most folk assume Tropicals grow all year long - they don't.
When the rainfall is too heavy and for long periods say a month - they rest
When it is too dry, say for our six month period, they can go deciduous and the evergreens show no new shoots.
For the period after Christmas until early March, it is too cold and they rest.

The sub-tropicals we have slow with the cold, but do not truly rest.

Citrus on our side are bred for the tropics, not quite the same as in China.
These also rest.

So what I wonder about is, do you guys allow these plants to rest ?

Note some ficus types are from cooler climates most likely zone 9b in China.
Are not plants fascinating.
Good Day
Anthony
 

drew33998

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Sure, would be interesting to see.

A good source of data would be research focused on commercial greenhouse operations. For example, this link has valuable information. Commercial and research operations usually measure daily light integral (DLI) which is the total light over a period of time. 1000 lux for 16 hours is ~= 1.06 DLI for comparison. Full sun for the purpose of commercial growing is generally between 18 and 60 DLI.

I would suggest that a powerful 400W HID bulb be used, and consider extending the day by providing supplemental light in the morning/evening. This could potentially get you to 50 DLI over a 1m^2 area -- even off-season.
Equally important to the tree is the dark cycle. So you end up extending the period of light, so shall you the period of dark. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth.
 

aframe

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Just curious.
Also ulterior motive in that I'd like to accellerate the coming season for a special tree that could use some sun.

?????????
There is a light that almost produces the 'full spectrum' that the sun does. In different intensities through the spectra albeit. It's called plasma, serious. It's rather inefficient though, as are most artificial light source. But if you got the dough you can work around it; but simply putting a pine under a grow light is not gonna cut it. You would have to place the pine so close to the light source to obtain the UVA and UVB photon fluxes that the sun produces that the infrared emissions would cook the needles. Could you get away with placing the pine further from the light? absolutely, but it would be very difficult to get the same results as outdoor growing with proper placement and care. The infrared emissions from artificial light sources drastically increase the relative humidity in a 'grow room' environment. There is a huge discussion on this but basically you don't want your pine in an overly humid environment with excessive heat. I have seen it work great for pine seedlings though when higher humidity and lower intensity is preferable.
I have also seen special greenhouses subsidized with artificial light, large exhaust capabilities and retractable roofs to mitigate humidity...so if you have the 'set up', ya you can do it...is it worth it for pines in CA or at all?
 

sorce

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sock puppets.

That's ok....better than you electricuting yourself......
Therefore creating a "socket pup tent".


That's ok too!
As long as you take the Power of Pinesol.....
And clean up your sock puppet act !

Lol.

Can we see the pine in question?

Sorce
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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@Mike Corazzi - check greenhouse supply places, HID fixtures for commercial greenhouses are ''a little bit more'' waterproof. @ysrgrathe is right about light intensity, at least or possibly more light than marijuana. A 6 hour dark cycle is all you really need. 18 hour day, 6 hour night would maximize light requirement.

If tree has been out all winter, by now JBP in CA have pretty much had winter requirement met. JBP are a ''low chill'' pine.

That said, I think Al Keppler, Smoke, is right. Make sure needle cast is not the problem. Your time might be better spent treating for disease before trying to push growth.

You could just move the tree under an awning to dry it out.

It will be hot and dry soon enough for you out there.

I did one season, 4 years ago, ''wake up'' a JBP in February, and kept it growing ok under 1000 watt HID Sodium lamp, the tree is still alive today. Growth was not as tight as I would have liked but it worked out and I have not done it again.
 
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