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

[bonsaiBlake]

Try halogen worklights, cheap waterresistant, replacement bulbs are cheap, we've used them as growlights in the greenhouse to extend length of day for TROPICALS. just be careful not to place to close to the tree as the do put out a considerable amount of radiant heat. Sounds like a good experiment that could yield some interesting results, or you'll just kill your tree, either way you're bound to learn something.

 

[Eric Group]

Some crazy mix of lava, pumice, a touch of charcoal, some cactus mix cuz it's the closest we got to bark mulch and it drains really good.

But I done lotsa bad stuff to the tree itself.
Piecemeal good intentions at wrong times.




And I'm trying like crazy to determine WHAT I might have typed to lead ....anyone...to think I want to grow it indoors!!!!!!!

You said you wanted to use a GRO-LITE on a pine. EVERY other mention in the history of this forum or horticulture in general regarding a gro-lite and plants pertained to using the lite INDOORS... That is what you typed to cause people to think you were going to bring it indoors.... Not until your second or third post in the thread did you ever mention you intended to use the lite as a supplement to natural lite which is completely unnecessary for any location regardless of weather. Pines have been growing naturally outdoors for millions of years in climates all over this world, they do not need artificial lite nor does any other plant kept outdoors. You are more likely to have leaves burn from too much lite- even in a cloudy day- than have a tree whither from lack of sun... Unless there has been some catastrophic chain reaction of super- volcanoes covering our sky with ash that I am unaware of... Your pine will be fine.

 

[Eric Group]

Mike,


K grew a Mugho pine in a mostly North light window for 5 months in Florence, Italy for almost 3
years.Unheated studio.
He would open the window for fresh air during the day.
Also do not allow water to stay on the leaves from 2 p.m. During winter there is no sun in Florence
after 3.30 p.m to 4 p.m.
[ He also had a zelkova, pomegranate, and a cedrus libani, all Bonsai and the zelkova was 10 years from seed.

I would have suggested a test plant before something precious.
BUT it can be done.
Also see Jack Wikle's work on growing conifers under simple fluorescent lights.
Good Day
Anthony

No, no, no Anthony! He was going to use the grow lite OUTDOORS of course! Why on earth would any of us think he meant to use it INSIDE?

 

[Mike Corazzi]

You said you wanted to use a GRO-LITE on a pine. EVERY other mention in the history of this forum or horticulture in general regarding a gro-lite and plants pertained to using the lite INDOORS... That is what you typed to cause people to think you were going to bring it indoors.... Not until your second or third post in the thread did you ever mention you intended to use the lite as a supplement to natural lite which is completely unnecessary for any location regardless of weather. .....

I'm SORRY !!!!!! SORRY, I tellya.... I forgot, yes FORGOT.... snif.... that typically a GRO LITE is for indoor pot growing.
I humbly apologize for sullying the art of bonsai with this slip of the typing finger.
If I caused anyone any permanent angst over this malfeasance, I wish you a speedy recovery.
This will NOT happen again.
I have LEARNED my lesson.
maybe.
However...... since the pine is now outdoors soaking up UV (even through clouds) I was wondering if maybe keeping a candle burning near it would add not only some extra light but also a modicum of heat which could stimulate the roots to start getting ready for an onrushing spring.
If a road flare would be better, please adv proper distance to keep it from tree.



P.S.
In the future I will try to type my second or third post first.

 

[GrimLore]

In the future I will try to type my second or third post first.

No worries happens here more often then one would think. Back to the subject... If you really think about it we try to provide an ideal natural for our plants. We do not try help nature but rather keep our plants safe in an setting that is close to nature while being protected from it as well.
To your question - No an additional outdoor light will not change what your plant does in any positive way. It would show no difference if you are lucky. In other words don't try to change the cycle of the tree.
That is just my thought and observation with indoor plants, I have never tried on outdoor plants...

Grimmy

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

...... since the pine is now outdoors soaking up UV (even through clouds) I was wondering if maybe keeping a candle burning near it would add not only some extra light but also a modicum of heat which could stimulate the roots to start getting ready for an onrushing spring.
If a road flare would be better, please adv proper distance to keep it from tree.



P.S.
In the future I will try to type my second or third post first.

if what you are after is getting roots growing, how about a greenhouse propagator's heat mat. Set the pot on the heat mat, it will keep the pot warmer, wake up and stimulate root growth. The mats are water tight, safe for greenhouse use, and probably safe for outdoors. Less likely to cause harm too.

Due to ''Lake Effect Cooling'' in spring we often do not warm up enough to wake up JBP until June. A heat mat might even be a good idea for me. Bring trees out of storage at normal time. Put JBP on heat mat for the 4 to 8 weeks that we are too cool, Turn the mat off once we start getting above 75F during the day. Might work.

 

[Harunobu]

Biological systems can't use UV energy effictively.
How much a photon would excite an electron and how much of the photons can penetrate water/ignore bonds in liquid H2O is what is important here.
Water is opaque to UV and transparent to the visible spectrum. UV won't reach the thylakoids as well as VIS. There is carotene pigments, but they play a minor role in photosynthesis compared to the other pigments.

There is some speculation about fungi capturing gamma radiation, though. It is said this was discovered in molds found near Chernobyl. Haven't read the paper.

The energy of UV is higher, meaning electrons get excited too much. They need to be excited enough to make certain redox chemistry possible. UV excites electrons too much. It can ionize and break bonds. IR excites them too little. Visible light can be captured exactly.

In theory plants could have pigments that capture high energy photons, release them as low energy photons towards the photosystem. But I guess the dissimilarity of molecules that could do that to what is already present in nature, the absorbance of UV by water and the fact that the sun already peaks in the visible spectrum are reasons this never evolved.


As for using lights outdoors, you need a lot of watts to significantly increase the light intensity that is already there outside. If you go out with a lux meter, you really need a few lamps to make a difference. Unless of course, you want to lengthen the days already, which fiddles with the internal biological clock.

I grow seedlings inside, not trees but plants. But when I move them outside, they can even go into hibernation in the middle of summer. I think I remember a certain signal molecule/hormone builds up and eventually triggers the hibernation. If you flow or speed it up, it can't readjust by skipping a cycle. It has to complete the cycle and adjust by adjusting cycle length.


A candle burning? To produce heat or light?