If the spikes do need light - should I just put a second bulb over my setup? I don't want to raise the whole lamp system because then the leaves of the plant will not get enough light. Tough problems.
BioWheel ]]>
In any case I wanted to start with two Exo-terra Compact Tops (each can hold 2 compact flourescents, so four bulbs total). Normally they are rated for 26w bulbs but I was thining of uping them to common Phillips/Sylvania 42w / 40w bulbs, two eack of 6500k and 2700k with some additional reflective material. I can put a fan in the hoods if they need cooling.
I had planned on putting the two 2700k in one hood and the 6500k in another hood and then having the 2700 come on first and go off last to create a bit of a sunrise/sunset.
In any case, I do have a light meter, but I am wondering what footcandles I should be shooting for, what might be too little and too much (I know it varies in the tank from top to bottom), and what might be ideal for the Neos.
I am wondering what kinds of CFL compact fluorescents other members are using with their Exo_terra Compact or similar hoods and a terrarium this size and any recommendations or advice (other than switch to T5s...that will come in time but a 4 bulb 2 foot fixture is more than $100 from the local "magic crops" hydroponics store). :biggrin:
Thank you all for your help, this board has been invaluable to me! ]]>
I'm looking to construct an orchid shelf preferably with 2 levels, i have attached some sketches of what i'd like to build.
I was wondering if anyone could help me out what kind of light fixtures i'd need to create these shelves.
I want to move my orchids under artificial light because my country has very short times of sunlight except for the summer and the way my house is situated makes my plants get barely any light.
The light they get is enough for most but some of the other species that require more light are progressing very slowly and putting out small bulbs.
I'd also like to point out i'm european so it would be nice if someone from europe could point out where to order.
Thanks.
I grow under a 200 W CF 6700k bulb (added by a reflector),and my orchidarium is 120cm x 100cm.
I bloomed a Vanda and a Cattleya intermedia,both placed at 10 cm from the bulb,and a Phalaenopsis hybr,a Paphiopedilum lowii and a P. nivaeum bloomed at 100 cm far from the light,so I thought the amount of light to be quite good...
but after a year and a half of cultivation,I can see most of my plants being affected by a strange phenomenon:new leaves are dramatically smaller than the old ones;my Phalaenopsis appendiculata (40 cm from the bulb)made two leaves which are 1/2 the old ones' size,and so did my Laelia longipes (10 cm from the light),a Phalaenopsis hybr. and a Kingidium (50 cm from the light).
It seems they are all becoming dwarfs,and I can't figure why.
Have you got any ideas?Did any of you have the same experience?Light?Too much/poor fertilizer?
Thanks ]]>
John ]]>
After a week spent informing myself about lights and changing positions of my plants I think this is the best solution of my new little greenhouse. :blushing:
What you think about it? I have to make 2 addictions:
1- At Phalaenopsis’s shelf: put that green net to better exploit vertical space (so I can hang up Phal schilleriana and mariae that you can see on the ground)
2- At Cattleya’s shelf: put a decent light condition because light is the only problem I have with cattleyas.:((
So I’m here to ask if someone can tell me something about Cattleya lights. I grow Laelia purpurata var tipo, Laelia purpurata var carnea, C dowiana aurea, C maxima, C warneri… they all have new growths
I was thinking to put just one of those energy saving lights like this:
So what do you suggest? What voltage?
thanks to everyone ]]>
I've decided to take the plunge and get some HO T5 fixtures like the TEK or New Wave for growing in my basement. I currently have a grow chamber I built that is 52 inches wide by 24 inches deep and has 2 shelves 26 inches apart.
I also built some 2x4 shelves about the same dimensions for growing winter greens and my ever expanding collection of orchids and houseplants. All are running on T12 shop lights.
I see most people seem to be going with 4-tube fixtures while some people like Ross are going with either 4-tube or 8-tube fixtures. I'm thinking of going with 6-tube fixtures as a compromise.
Knowing for the most part the fixture size depends on available space (11, 15, or 19 inches wide), 8-tube fixtures would fit, but I'm concerned about leaf burn and of course cost. But on the flip side, I don't want to save some money now by getting the 6's and wish I'd gotten the 8's later, or find out I overspent and the 4's would work just fine.
Any advice from those who have been running these for a while would be appreciated.
Cheers.
Jim ]]>
Plant Room Construction - Orchid Board Galleries
We had to pull out the entire 1370 sq ft concrete floor and install an interior weeping tile system to deal with a high ground water problem. Our plans grew include enlargement of windows, relocation of our laundry facilities, upgrade to and relocation of a boiler system, installation of in-floor heating and replacement of all our sewer lines. Since we are going whole-hog on this one, I thought the plant room needed to be re-visited.
Here is the rough in for the floor drain and a larger shot of the room area.
I bought a 48” x 18” x 72” wired shelving unit from Sam’s Club. I’m only using 5 of the 6 shelves. The bottom shelf will hold a 2” deep drip pan, custom made to fit the shelf. The next shelf is right above that and will hold plants. The next two shelves are placed relatively center, with the bottom one for another drip pan and the one right above for plants. I ordered two 4ft, 4 lamp, High Output Fluorescent fixtures. One will hang from the top shelf and the other will hang from the center drip-pan shelf. I ordered two 6” clip-on fans to blow across each of the two plant shelves. I’m wondering if I need to get something to provide additional humidity, like a humidifier/fogger? If so, any recommendations for this type of setup? For ease of watering, I'm thinking of getting a portable, pressure sprayer with a wand. Anything I'm doing wrong or forgetting? Thanks in advance for feedback and suggestions! ]]>
A Practical 150 gal Orchidarium-eBay Cheap..
First I want to say I am strictly a beginner at this, but have some practical building skills. I have a daughter-in-law and a sister-in-law who have orchids, which I have always admired. So on a visit to Trader’s Joe’s I purchased 3 or so orchids on impulse (Phalaenopsis) at a reasonable price, and I ventured into this hobby as an innocent lamb. Totally unaware of how captivating these flowers would become, I enjoyed these first purchases as they kept their blooms for many weeks. Hey, this was easy! But then, of course, the blooming came to an end. So I started the research on what made these things tick. In the mean time, I bought or was given a few more so then I had at least six. One or two developed the dreaded black spots, brown, and yellow or wrinkled leaves. Others were just not looking well “So, what up with this?” I thought.
Then I discovered “THE ORCHID BOARD”
Temperature, Light, Humidity, Air Movement, Media, Semi-Hydroponics, Diseases
What’s up with this stuff and what do all the initials and abbreviations mean? I never could pronounce long words, so the “nick names” were fine with me if I knew what they applied to. I started reading the board and books, more Internet reading and more books, and basically it came down to this.
Control their environment and I will cure my 6 orchids and bring them back to their glorious beautiful selves! Build an orchidarium!! Sounds easy, lets just do it.
So my venture into orchid growing was started. First I had most of the stuff I needed to build an orchidarium (or so I thought) and I needed another hobby to justify my woodworking shop and I needed to save “My Orchids”. So in Dec’ 08 I started building “my orchidarium”.
Not everyone has a 150 gal empty aquarium lying around, I suppose, but I did! It measures 6 ft long x 18” wide x 24” high. Bought it on eBay for local picked up for $75. Used it as a terrarium for visiting grandkids the past summer. Grandkids left and I returned the captured pollywogs, snake, frog and newts to the wild. I now had the main ingredient and usually the most expensive part. It sits on a strongly built 2x4 framed homebuilt table in a walkout basement near a window. It has 6 glass plates for the top with the ability to adjust them so venting can occur. Basement stays about 55-60 degrees in winter and up to 70 in summer. So not enough light and heat.
I bought a mini box heater on eBay for $18 delivered. It has a fan, heat control (750/1500 watt) and a temperature shutoff. I put it at one end and placed a flat stone in front so would not blow directly on plants. It produces about 135 º heat on the low wattage directly in front of it. The stone was not enough deflection and I burned a few leaves on some other plants. However the orchids were safely at the far end. Heater worked quite well. With some experimentation and a digital timer (Lowe’s $6) I was able to control the heat so it heated the tank to 80º during the day. Starting at 6 AM it took almost 2 hours to heat entire tank, as the heater does not run continuously, it cycles on and off. This is good so that one end of the tank did not get super hot while the other end had not reached the desired heat level, plus the fan was moving air. When the timer shut it off for the night at 9 pm, the tank cooled to the room temp of 55-60º in about 90 min.
Well, this was all fine but not enough air movement to keep tank evenly heated. It varied by as much as 15º from one end to the other and as much as 10º top to bottom. And of course I was reading more stuff on The Orchid Board about humidity, temp variance, light, semi-hydroponics plus etc, etc.
So the project really began in earnest. And, of course, I remembered I was doing this to save these 6 glorious Orchids.
I made a heat plenum chamber by running a 2” high strip of artificial decking material around the inside perimeter of tank and one down the middle. I placed 8”x 8” tile squares ($15 for a box on sale from Home Depot) on top of these and then a florescent light grid on top of tiles so pots would not sit directly on tiles. I left 1/2” to 1” spaces between tiles so there were vents that heat would escape. (See pics.) This gave me a 2” high heat duct running the length of the tank that would run under the pots. I figured that the heater would also heat the tiles, which would retain the heat and more evenly heat the tank. This cut the height of tank by 3” but I reasoned I could increase height later if I needed it.
I made a heat chamber for the heater with a piece of 2ft x 2ft aluminum sheet from local hardware store ($20) I cut it to the width of the tank and bent it with a clamping table into the shape in picture. You don’t need a clamping table, but I own one. Just bend it over a sharp edge of a table. This allowed me to place the heater under it and duct the heated air into the plenum chamber. I supported the ends of the aluminum sheet with more pieces of scrap decking material 6” high. Because I wanted continuous air movement, I also mounted a computer console fan I happen to have in the chamber (no cost for fan). This fan runs all the time, so when the heater shuts off the air still moves. The added benefit of this is that it cools the heater’s chamber so that it does not get super hot. I placed extra tiles on top of and in front of heat chamber for looks and function, as aluminum does get quite hot when heater is running.
I bought a 12” x 48” piece of coated wire rack used in closets and kitchens at Lowe’s ($12). I bent it to make a 6” wide shelf for the back of tank. Supported the ends again with surplus decking material 8” high.
I added a $25 Acu>Rite thermometer with max/min temp, humidity with remote that I could move around so I could measure how much the temperature and humidity varied from location to location within this Orchidarium I had created. (Yes, I had passed the dollar amount I had in mind for the project, so it was now an Orchidarium, not just a tank.)
It was getting too cold during the night as I did not want temp to drop below 60º. I adjusted the timer so the heater would come back on at midnight, 2 am and 4 am and run for 1/2 hr. This gave me the 10-20º drop I wanted for the temperature variance talked about in the books, etc. This is being adjusted for the summer, as the basement doesn’t get so cold.
Humidity was the next issue to be addressed. It was only running about 40%. Even with bowls of water in the “Orchidarium”. I wanted more. After all my six orchids deserved every chance.
We had a cat drinking fountain that the cats refused to use. “I will put it into service” says I. I placed it on top of the heater’s chamber where it was partial heated by the chambers heat so the water would evaporate. To increase this I bought an orchidarium fan on eBay for $18 with a clamp and flexible shaft so I could face it to blow onto the fountain basin and increase air movement and moisture. This worked really well. Humidity levels increased to 70% during the day with 80º-temperature average. At night or after watering with the decreasing temps it was almost raining in there. Humidity was 95-99% This soon decreases with the air movement and venting.
My six orchids could be assured I was not going to let them down.
Lighting was still crude. I was using a 4’ shop light with T-8 daylight tubes and a homemade fixture with T-12 tubes, 1 daylight and 1 plant grow tube. But it would have to do as I only had 6 orchids and I was not going to spend more for a fancy light than I did on this whole thing so far just for six orchids. But things were about to change.
Looking on the Internet for local Orchid clubs I saw an ad for The Susquehanna Orchid Society. An older member was selling off his 1000 plant orchd collection for the benefit of the club. Open to the public. His green house was not far from me. I bought 20 orchids. Some I gave to my daughter-in-law, but I now had 26 + orchids and many needed to be divided.
Eventually my continuing reading on the Orchid Board about S/H convinced me this was the way to go. With research I chose Dyna-Rok ll as my media. In repotting I split most of the orchids bought at the sale, so I now had close to 40 of various types.
With orchids enough to fill the orchidarium I did more reading on light requirements of the different types. I then purchased a medium priced light meter from Amazon for $30. After measuring the light at various locations in the orchidarium I concluded that the system I had was not up to the task of giving off enough light. Back to eBay. After much searching and waiting out a few auctions that I didn’t win, I discovered Greatlights4less on eBay. I bought a fixture that holds four T-5 bulbs (bulbs included plus 2 extra) for $140 + freight, about $160 total. This was the last big purchase. I also added another timer for the light ($3 from Harbor Freight), so that I could control amount of light for different times of the year. I put a piece of white board I had behind the tank to reflect light back in and to give a better back ground for observing the plants. Total cost on this: tank-$75, heater-$18, tile-$15, plastic grate-$10, aluminum sheet for heat baffle-$17, fan-$18, timers-$10, shelf-$12, max/min thermometer-$25, light meter - $30 and light-$140 was about $370 plus the freight to get some of the components, maybe another $30.
In the end it was worth it. Orchids are doing well and adapting well to semi-hydroponics culture with few problems. Six months since I started this project I have new roots, new shoots, and even some blooms starting on almost all orchids. It contains over 40 pots of various sizes all in S/H. Low light orchids are placed at the ends or under the shelf. High light orchids are place in the middle or if small enough on the shelf. By venting I can maintain a 75 to 80 degree daytime temperature and a drop of 10-15 degrees at night. I do have to raise the height as many of the orchids are starting to exceed the height of the tank. Those that do are place near the venting slots and allowed to grow up through the top. Right now it is no problem as the basement temperature is staying in the 65-70 degree range. But by the winter I will have to increase the height. It is a bit over crowded, but orchids are blooming and being moved upstairs to the living area so the orchidarium is becoming less crowded.
Pictures are attached, it was fun to build it and it is essentially maintenance free. Every 10 days or so all pots are taken out and watered by soaking in a planter box filled with rainwater with the proper amount of Dyna-Gro fertilizer mix then allowed to drain through the side holes of the plastic “pots” to fill the reservoir. As you can see I used any sturdy plastic container for the s/h pots, from juice container, plastic pickle jars and Arizona ice tea containers. Very simple, very effective, many orchids which I thought were goners before this project due to root rot or whatever have been saved and are putting out new healthy roots and shoots. Someday hopefully, they will bloom.
And now with more gifts and donations and splitting I have almost 45 orchids. So what started as a project to save six orchids has turned into a major commitment to the hobby.
As orchids bloom they are brought up into the house proper to be enjoyed.
I have no other system to compare of course but I feel vegetative growth is somewhat slower but my main complaint is that flower size is about 10 to 20% smaller than first blooming when bought (grown under natural light by producer). I fertilize with MSU for demineralized water (wich i use) at 1/8 teaspoon per gallon twice a week with monthly flushing to avoid salt buildup. Have great root systems.
So my question is: is there an absolute best artificial light system that can reproduce natural daylight and really give the same results flower size-wise? ]]>
I wanted to attach a few pictures of my new home-made "orchidarium". I am very proud of how it looks as it really blows my former home-made lighting table out of the water. :biggrin:
This is the now-defunct light table :(
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ight_table.jpg
My collection has grown since the first humble table was built from about five plants to nearly 40 phals and paphs.
However, I am still a total beginner and rank amateur! And so I have some questions.
1. Do I really need to supplement my new fluorescent lights with incandescent lighting? I have read in an orchid book that fluorescents only produce in the "blue" spectrum and that plants need "red" light in order to bloom. Does this still apply with today's fluorescents? I am using 32 watt Philips T8 "Daylight Deluxe" lamps. Color temperature is 6,500K, color rendering index of 85. The light given off looks very pleasant to my eye, at least.
2. Do I now have TOO much light? My old table had a maximum of only 70 FC (about 740 lux) using a "grow light" fluorescent bulb and two small halogen desk lamps. It loooked like a lot of light to me at the time until I bought a light meter. Believe it or not, I actually brought some phals to spike and eventual bloom (albeit meager sprays) under this light. No paphs ever rebloomed, except one spike (still spiking now) that was placed directly under one of the desk lamps.
Each shelf of my new fixture has four 48" inch tubes above it. In the center, it gives of about 560 FC (6,020 lux) at about 16" from the lights and about 950 FC (10,200 lux) in the middle shelf 10" from the lights. According to various orchid books that I have, a minimum of 900-1,000 FC is required even for low-light orchids.
Having read this, I blissfully put as many plants as would fit under the four lights thinking that now I will see some real dramatic growth and blooming. Now comes the problem. Some leaves started pretty quickly to turn purplish-red. I asked a grower at Hausermann's about that and she said that that means they are getting too MUCH light. If I am only getting the minimum published light requirements even on my brightest shelf, why then are the plants reacting like it is too much light?
I have since, removed half of the bulbs, and the plants are starting to respond favorably. They still look happy and some of the reddish hue is draining from the leaves.
I am still very confused, so if anyone can please offer some guidance, it would be appreciated :bowing
THANK YOU!
John ]]>
What type of luck are you having with them?
Where is the best place to get one?
I am looking to possible suppliment my 600 watt HPS. :hmm
Jayme ]]>
I am very excited. I have just finished my new indoor growing area for my orchids. I have a collection of about 30 phals and paphs. I am using galvanized shelving from IKEA together with 4' T5 fluorescent bulbs. I have Phillips "deluxe sunlight" bulbs and so far am very happy with the light. It seems pretty natural and doesn't cast a sickly pall on everything. I have about ten times the space of my old light table. Anyway, my questions are:
1. Do you think that I can burn the leaves with these lights? I am getting between 600 and 1,000 FC at various places on the shelves. I know this sounds like not a lot, but it really beats my old system, in which I only got a maximum of 68 fc!!! So I'm getting more than 10 times the light intensity than previously. Believe it or not, I actually got a number of Phals to spike under this light, and at the end had a first-time paph spike!
2. If these orchids are tropical, what sense does it make to vary the "day length"? I mean, in the tropics the days are basically 12 hour light, 12 hour dark. Also, these orchids probably have at least intermittent shade from canopy trees all throughout the day.
I am still new at this, and I would appreciate any guidance.
THANKS!
John ]]>
I recently moved home from college and my terrarium (has 8 minis in it now, mostly Lepanthes) is now in my basement, mostly because it has the most consistant temperature of any part of the house. I am alotted one bookcase for my plants and my aquariums, so my 'chids got moved to the big shelf on the bottom. I have the same light on them as I did at school, a full-spectrum lamp, but the change in location from top shelf and directly across from a very enthusiastic A/C vent to bottom shelf basement with intermittent fans has resulted in a daytime temperature increase of four degrees. (from constant 68 to 68 at night and 72 day)
You wouldn't think that this would change things.
For most of my plants (I had four at school, four are brand new), it hasn't. In fact, my L. manabina seems to like it slightly better. My L. ovalis, however, hasn't been fully opening blooms or having as many blooms since I got home. (It is still growing and putting out flowers, just less intensely than before) I'm wondering if there is a way to decrease the heat they are getting from the lamp without decreasing the amount of light they are getting.
There is also the possibility, of course, that other factors, such as the change in air motion, is the cause of this change, and I will be tinkering with that, too. ]]>
We're in the process of planning the lighting needs for the future orchids in a very dark old home. I was discussing some possibilities with my husband, and well, both of us are clueless as to whether they would work or not.
So here they are:
1. After the bathroom is completed, there is a light on one wall above a mirror with a shelf. This wall is bookended by two windows, the only two windows in the room.
We use fluorescent lamps in the house already, but was thinking about making this specific lamp into a plant light for the mini I plan to put under it. Do they make plant lights that would fit a common household fixture? And if they do, would the common household usage of a bathroom light (on and off during the day - mostly off, and on for several hours at night) be enough or harmful (with the off hours) for an orchid? Or should I leave the light on during the day and change out the bulb for night use? (or unscrew it so that it does not come on)
We have an overhead light and will have a three lamp light over the medicine cabinet on the side wall.
2. With the natural way the sun rises, moves across the sky and sets - would it be reasonable for a set up of lighting to mimic the sun's changing intensity during the day? Would the orchids even notice? (If it could be done?)
Thanks! ]]>
I have 4 phals that I've bought inside for the winter (here in Down Under OZ land) and will be placing them on a shelf under a 150 Watts Metal Halide light fixture.
The surface area of the shelf is 120cm long by 30cm wide and the height from the shelf to the MH fixture about 60cm.
I'm putting them into hydroton/perlite to sit in a shallow tray of water fed by a Smart Valve MK2 and resevoir above (so watering is automated), with a heat mat underneath for supplemental heating and if it reaches the MH ballast will sit under the shelf adding heat too when the lights turned on.
The MH fixture has a globe in it at the moment that produces a very blue light which is not aesthetically pleasing and is over a year old anyway so I thought I'd replace it.
I have a choice between a 6000K or 8000K globe and at the moment I'm leaning towards the 6000K partly because it's cheaper :blushing:, also the store said it had a bit more yellow in it which I thought would look nicer and the 8000K has double getter technology (translate one more getter than normal ?) but I don't know if getters would actually be making any difference long term in the output of the light (that supposedly dimishes over time) or if they would just increase the lifespan of the globe while the effectiveness of it would still decline? :confused:
Without opening a can of worms ;) I'd like opinions on which would be better or even indeed if the 150 MH will be sufficient enough light for the phals to not only grow but also bloom or too much light? ]]>
I have used halides, LEDs, and fluorescents to grow just about everything in my entire living collection for the last 5+ years. I have had my loses in learning but push to turn just as much.
The flame still burns and the fire is bigger for us all. I don't think any grower of all things good should quit in His/Her quest for another great reason to wake up!
However, bulb replacement, bulky ballasts, potential bulb failure, grow-op alteration, cooling/ventalation (waisted heat energy your paying for), and simply accomodating some of the beasts needed to have your very own piece of the sun! tax and discourage me sometimes. Not to mention other up-and-coming growers.
This bring me to my next point and question! Who's With Me!?
Does anyone have a grow-op running completely off LEDs? I am about to get 10, 45w LED panels (250w halide output)in a range of spectrums to switch all of my lighting over. I'm very excited to see what they really look like over the plants as well as their response (While we're at it, we can set up a little CO2/NonCO2 test :) .) This could really change the way i grow, and can grow, in the future with the space i'm given. ]]>
I know to move the hanging plants down and slowly move them back up as they acclimate to the new lights but what to do about the orchids at the bottom already?
I guess I should put the lights on for only short periods at first but I don't know how slow to go.
Any suggestions as to what daylight period I can safely start with? Also, how long should I wait so that I know they are fine before moving up an hour or more?
Please post suggestion and if you have done this before I would especially like to hear from you.
Thanks so much. ]]>
I'll install them and see what I can get out of this new addition to my light setup. :D ]]>
This thread is for all those who have some knowledge on kelvin temps and plant growth and flowering to share that knowledge with us, pro and con, so we can make up our own mind.
I have heard MANY say that they are growing AND blooming plants just great under all higher kelvin (6400k, 6500k, 6700k) bulbs. I hear just as many that swear by mixed lamps (3000k and 6700k.)
I also know that there are those that say that you need a mix of bulbs because the lower kelvin is for blooming and the higher for growth but if orchid growers can grow AND bloom plants under higher kelvin lamps, why do we need the lower ones?
Is there any solid science to all this?
Ok, lets here it. ]]>
I will be as detailed as I can to help paint the picture for everyone as to get good answers :)
I am new to orchids, and loving every minute of it. I have always been good friends with the owner of the local florist here in my town, and today he out of the blue, gave me a 3 level plant stand with 3 fluorescent fixtures all for free. After thanking him up and down about a million times, I went to the local hydroponics store and told them what I had just received. The local hydroponics guy sold me 4 - 48" / 40 watt Agrosun Full Spectrum Grow Light tubes. I brought them home, set it all up and was off to the races......
Because I have about 25 orchids ( only 3 of which are in bloom ) I put them all on the bottom tray and took out the middle rack. I now have about 15 orchids sitting on the bottom rack exactly 29 inches away from the bulbs. The light ( again, to a complete rookie seems strong and is hitting all the plants ) but should I drop the shade even lower ??
At this point, if you are dying of laughter because it is so far away from where it should be it's a crime, I would like to point out I was dropped on my head as a child and all of this is my mother's fault.
Moving on ... :)
The package says the Agrosun bulbs give off 2450 Lumens - Color rendering Index 93 (Sun: 100) - Color Temp : 5850 Kelvin.
I keep the room regulated with heat by a Noma oil heater that is on a timer, and drops in temperature at night.
Are Agrosun bulbs even good ? Please tell me yes....I spent $120.00 on these bulbs ...
Anyhoo, thanks once again for all of your help and I am glad I found this site. I plan on being as active a member as a newbie can be :)
- KRiM' :) ]]>
I found a 4ft New Wave fixture with 4x54w for $190 with bulbs (all 6700K.) If I replace two of those with 3000K it will only be $15 a lamp compared to $33 or more per PC lamp so going with the T5s will easily pay the difference in the long run and then some.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here has experience with the New Wave brand of fixtures?
Also, Tim here says that he gets good growth AND flowering under all 6700Ks. Do you think I should go with that or should I add the 3000Ks (one or two?)
The unit comes with all 6700Ks so I am excited that Tim states he can grow and flower well under them. ]]>
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...-lighting.html ]]>
I had a 29 gallon aquarium in the garage that needed to be used. The first thing I needed was a light source. Couldn't fit a bank of 4ft T5s in the area and I didn't want to use 24" T5 lights. Hit google to search for some homemade options that would allow me to increase wattage in the minium amount of space. Found a great answer on a site dedicated to of course, marijuana. Those guys get pretty creative. A guy made a simple reflector out of a mailbox. It held one CFL. I wanted one that would hold three. I drew out a quick scetch, got a huge mailbox on sale at Lowes for $10, and another for $3 at a garage sale. Long story short, this is what I came up with. It is not pretty but this sucker works. It can hold up to 750 watts and I mounted a small fan (coralife-on a recomendation by Ross) on the back to pull heat from the lights. When I started out I planned to make it asthetically pleasing as well as functional. However, function took over as the project went along. If I made another one, I think I could make it look more professional with what I have learned. The lights are 85 watt Full Spectrum CFLs that I found at a Northern Tool and Equipment store. If anyone is interested in the details on construction, I can post those later. I bought a bunch of stuff I didn't need and made a few mistakes along the way. Could help you avoid those mistakes. I put a small eye bolt on top so I can hook it to the top shelf which allows me to get in the orchidarium easily. Again it is not pretty I know, but I couldn't find anything like it anywhere at any store.
Neil
Ok heres the deal-- I live in an apartment that faces north with only one window that is facing east. My phals seem ok with things for now but I grow other plants, too. So I have decided to figure out a estimate of cost of what it would take to convert an un-used tub in our bathroom into a grow tub-- as opposed to a grow room!
Since some of my plants can be tall (amaryllis), I'd like to go with a light that doesn't have to be 6 inches away from plant as many of the plants are just too tall for that to work.
So where can I get a HID set up? The bulbs, the ballast etc?
Thanks.
Ryan ]]>
So I thought, "this would be a neat project and experiment." I bought a 5 shelf, Rubber Maid plastic shelf system as the base.
I then wired up and mounted a 3 light, outdoor (water proof) base and fitted 3 GE 6500K 100 watt bulbs on each of the top two shelves. 300 watts per shelf, more if I get the 150 watt bulbs I found the other day. I tested the output of this setup and I am getting 3000 fc in the center of the 3 bulbs at less than the leaf level and then the light level falls off to 500 fc at the edges of the shelves.
I don't own a proper light meter that reads in foot candles, but I did find this wonderful online book that describes how to use the light meter in your SLR camera to get a reading in fc.
Ortho's all about orchids - Google Book Search
Nice resource btw!
The covering is simply a plastic window sealing kit I got from Home Depot. I applied the double sided tape to the shelf unit and then cut the pieces of plastic to fit. I could hit the whole thing with a hair dryer to get the plastic to pull tight. Not sure if I want to do that yet or not. The front cover is loose and can be flipped up to gain access to all the shelves.
I also put a warm mist humidifier on the lowest level and set it to a very low setting. I don't have a humidity gauge yet, but from the amount of moisture on the plastic after about an hour run time I would guess it was in the high 80s to 90s. That will need some messing with to get right. The leaves of the plants I stuck in there were moist as well as every other surface in the inside area.
I next need to fit a small fan inside the unit to get some air circulation. Not sure what I'll use for that yet. My first thought is a cheap 6" clip fan that I saw at Walmart for $10. That and a light dimmer and I'll be able to adjust the airflow perfectly.
I measured the temp inside the unit at the top self level. After about an hour run time the top shelf stablized at 85 degrees F. Nice and toasty. But I know adding a fan will cool things a bit from there. But all these results were taken at night time. The shelf with sit in front of an Easter facing window, so there will be some heat generated from that.
So far things seem to be working out, but I'm sure there will be some sort of hicup out there.
Any advice? :bowing :) ]]>
Neil ]]>
I have a T5 unit that takes 4 x 54 watt HO tubes. You must run two tubes in tandem for them to turn on as it only has 2 ballasts. I am getting my light tubes today, 2x 4000K and 2 x 6100K tubes.
Would all 4 tubes in a 60cm tall by 75cm wide wardian case be too much light for my Lepanthes Calodictyon - located on the bottom of the case? My other species are Ceratochilus Biglandosus and Psygmorchis Pusilla. - Or should I just use one tube of the 4000K and one of the 6100K - would it be enough for my other orchids if it is all the Lepanthes needs or can take?
The light unit also uses parabolic reflectors to maximise light concentration. I am hunting for a light meter, but no luck so far in Bangkok. I will have to order one in I think
Brett ]]>
I've got one corner on the patio where, when it rains, will stay dry enough/safe enough to put up shelving with lights.
Can anyone advise me if this following link for some grow lights, would be a good setup for growing on a 3-4ft. wide unit? the right lighting I'd need?
T5 FLUORESCENT FLUOREX GROW LIGHT=400 watt MH HPS floro - eBay (item 120396852436 end time Apr-23-09 11:45:08 PDT) ]]>
Right now I have it by my window and according to my light meter it gets about 800-1200 fc's of light for about 4 hours or so. I'd put it under my rack of t5's but some of the leaves are so long (think 2 ft.+) that it usually knocks over the other plants and takes up way too much room. It's like a monster :lol:
Now this BlueMax floor lamp has a rating of 10k lux which (thanks to google) calculates to 929 fc's at 18". I'm thinking if I put it closer I'd have a much better fc reading? Say closer to my goal of 2000 fc's? I hope I'm calculating this correctly..?
If I had my way I'd put another New Wave ballast and hang it from the ceiling, however my husband doesn't see it my way. :biggrin: Since I live in a condo, space is of course at a premium.
Does anyone have any experience with these? ]]>
Well, my collection has definitely grown but rarely bloomed. I've learned a lot however. And, what my 'chids really need is more humidity. The only way to get that in my house in the desert is to move them into a smaller room where I can control the humidity better. This will mean moving them into the hall bathroom. The only thing is no window. This room has a typical strip of four round lightbulbs and a wall of mirror under it. Are there bulbs that would fit those light sockets that would work for growing orchids? I'll probably also have a shelf in there with a fluorescent hanging over it. Please help. We can't get the humidity over 32 during the day even with a humidifier right next to the orchids and a filled water tray below them. And moving to the coast isn't an option. So, please help!! ]]>
Should I replace one/two of my lights with warm T5? Will blooming be a problem? All plants look healthy and grow plenty of roots/leaves. Thanks for the suggestions.
:groupwave:
*Specific list of plants:
Bulbophyllum frostii
Bulbophyllum moniliforme
Chiloschista usneoides
(Cirr.) Bulb. makoyanum
(Cirr.) Bulb. medusae
Cryptochilus lutea
Dendrobium aberrans
Dendrobium moniliforme (benikida)
Dendrobium moniliforme (shiraaya)
Dendrobium rigidum
Encyclia tampensis
Epidendrum longirepens
Epigenium nakahari
Gastrochilus japonicus
Isabella pulchella
Lepanthes manabina
Lepanthes telipogoniflora
Neofinetia falcata
Paph NOID
Phalaenopsis mini mark 'holm'
Phalaenopsis lobbii
Platystele umbellata
Pleurothallis ornata (schiedei)
Psychopsiella limminghei
Porpax ustulata
Sedirea japonica
Tolumnia red barry
Tolumnia hawkesiana
]]>
Just had time to take a couple of snapshots of three orchids that are blooming just to fill a roll of film.
I'll take better photos when I have time and go digital!
The plants pictured are two recent divisions of:Mediocalcar bifolium (white/red flower),M.versteegianum (green/red flower),and Encyclia vitellina that I have grown for several years now.
All are growing under lights,in cool-int. temps, the Mediocalcars (along with Pleurothallids etc.) near the cool mist of an ultrasonic humidifier.
All summer in a cage outdoors in the shade.[IMG]mediocalcar[/IMG]
Here are my specs, copied from a reply I made to another post in this forum:
- Growing area is 27" deep by 49" wide by 3 foot tall.
- 2 GE Daylight 40watt T12 fluorescent tubes, 6500K, 3050 lumens per bulb.
- 2 GE Kitchen and Bath 40watt T12 fluorescent tubes, 3000K, 3400 lumens per bulb.
- 3 Bright Effects Daylight 26watt compact fluorescent bulbs (the screw-in type), 6500K, 1600 lumens per bulb.
- 3 Bright Effects Soft White 26watt compact fluorescent bulbs, 2700K, 1750 lumens per bulb.
All of this comes to roughly 23,000 lumens in my grow area. My footcandle readings are, in distance from bulbs: 5" = 5000 FC, 10" = 3500 FC, 18" = 1500 FC. I grow standard sized Catts in this setup, their leaves all sit within the 3500-5000 FC range. No scorching, no burning, nice green leaves with some purple edges. Lots of big blooms.
I've included some pictures of my setup. If anyone has specific questions about my setup, please feel free to send me a PM and I'll be happy to discuss it further.
Thanks,
-Tim C.
I haven't posted for a while (new baby). I am gearing up for the Atlanta Orchid Show at the botanical gardens. I have been using t8s with great success except for my neos. I want to step it up to t5 HOs. My question is......Is it worth the extra $100 to get the 8 bulb over the 4 bulb? My interest are species phals, aerangis, neos, and some other miniature vanda types. There is a local hydroponics store selling the 4 bulb 44" SunBlaze bank for $179 and the 8 bulb 48" for $299. Both include bulbs. Any help you can give would be appreciated and would help me justify the cost to my wife(she doesn't understand my sickness). One more thing, what are your thoughts on the Sunblaze brand and do you think the prices are reasonable at my local store?
thanks,
Neil ]]>
now i have rigged up this thing to try and grow my orchids. i don't know if it's the same or if it will work. hence the post.
i have two GE 42 Watt (150 watt equivalent) bulbs and three GE 26 watt (100 wt equivalent) the two big bulbs burn yellowishy and the three smaller ones burn bright white. there are 5200 lumens total of the yellowish light and 4800 total of the whitish. grand total of 10,000 lumens. i don't know if the spectrum is correct, though or if that is even enough intensity. what is degrees K? i saw others talking about it on another forum. how do i determine that? how long should my lights be on? how close to the plants should they be? etc. etc. there has to be enough light in here to grow SOMETHING. but i heard orchids need red spectrum, which i'm sure is absent in the "daylight" bright white bulbs.
these are all fluorescent that you would screw into an ordinary light bulb socket. like old incandescent. so help me out if you can.
thanks.
LEE ]]>
I choose the GE Flourescent sunchine f32
2800 lumens
5000 k
My question is, Is this a good bulb setup for growing Phals. I am a newbie. ]]>
Laelia purpurata var. carnea
Cattleya aurantiaca
Cattleya bicolor
and
Oncidium ornithorynchum
I am picking them up tonight along with 10 other chids and want to make sure I know where to place them. ]]>
Light & lighting for succulent plants ]]>
My plants are on a shelf right now, 36" in length, 18" depth, about 18" tall per shelf. The shelf is in front of the south facing patio door, so it does get some light, although not a lot especially over our dark winter. I grow mainly papahs and phrags, with a few oncids and vandas (and misc).
so my questions are:
1) how many T5 tubes do I need per shelf?
2) Should I just buy the 2ft tubes? or spend more and buy a 3ft tube? (I've only seen 3 ft tube offered at one store)
3) I am also thinking of getting a 20 - 30 gallon tank for my miltoniopsis. how many tubes I need for those?
Thanks in advance!! any suggestions are much appreciated! :bowing ]]>
scroll down on:
Bestel TL verlichting
Also, all suggestions on wide/full spectrum coolwhite/daylight plantlamps available in Holland are welcome.
Thanks, Hans ]]>
scroll down on:
Bestel TL verlichting
Also, all suggestions on wide/full spectrum coolwhite/daylight plantlamps available in Holland are welcome.
Thanks, Hans ]]>
A week or so ago I posted a thread about my CFL setup which has a 200-watt (5000K) bulb. I posted another picture here....sorry about the pic quality (had to get it to fit the forum limitations). The light carts on either side of the middle unit have standard shop-light type fixtures (2 40watt tubes on each fixture), tubes recently replaced. I have 3 phals under the left one and a pyschopsis. Under the right one I have a couple of phals. Under the middle CFL fixture I have:
Slc. Hsin Buu Lady 'Y.T.'
Blc. Haw Yuan Beaty 'Hong'
A NOID which I suspect to be another small Blc.
My newest acquisition: Pot. Love Passion 'Orange Bird'
Onc. Sugar Baby
2 Onc. NOIDS
I just got a new digital light meter today, recommended to me by Ross. It's the Light Meter Lux & Foot Candle - Sper Scientific 840020. IF I'm using the light meter correctly, the results are a bit disappointing...but confusing also. Under the standard fixtures (where I have the phals) I'm getting leaf-level readings of only 150-200 foot-candles. Under the CFL fixture in the middle, (all leaf-level readings) I'm getting 6-700 foot-candles on the left end and around 500 on the right end (I keep the oncidiums at the ends). In the center, where I want the catts to bloom, the maximum reading I'm getting is about 1200 foot-candles and this is directly below the bulb, about 8 or 10 inches down.
Soooooo........I'm a bit confused because my books say the phals want 1-2000 foot-candles, and Ross is thinking I should want about 1800 or so for the catts. (They run about 13-14 hours per day by the way). But my phals are perfectly happy and have been blooming. I'm wondering if I need to lower the CFL closer to the catts or wait and see.........
Sorry this is so long, and thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments.
Dan in Austin
If you want to read this thread, you will have to join the forum (free). The picture is below.
Brett
Reefing The Australian Way Forums :: Log in
"http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=169483&sid=53dcd93556bef508a248d8c ecbb64bb3"
]]>Thanks! :biggrin: ]]>
I just wanted to share that my new 200 watt CFL (5000K) was delivered today. I posted a picture of it here, and apologize for the quality of the photo. A friend is coming by with a light meter so I can determine how close to the bulb I need to set my catts. But, to put it non-scientifically, this thing is BRIGHT. What I hope to induce to bloom are:
Slc. Hsin Buu Lady 'Y.T.'
Blc. Haw Yuan Beaty 'Hong'
and a NOID which I suspect to be another small Blc.
I know I'm supposed to gradually increase the light so as not to shock the little plants, and may also wrap a clear shower curtain around the shelving unit (starting maybe a foot below the lamp itself) though not sure if that will be necessary. If anybody has any suggestions or has experience with this type of bulb please share....
Just wanted to share because I'm excited!
Thanks!
Dan in Austin
I recently purchased a 200 watt CFL bulb for my orchid set-up. It says it is NOT to be used with a dimmer (which I don't have) OR an automatic timer. Why is this? What if I put it on its own timer?
Thanks in advance for any advice on this.
Dan ]]>
I am new to this forum and am desperate for some advice from you experts!
I have been growing orchids for quite a while now and about a year ago was forced to move my collection under artificial lights when I moved to an apt with a north exposure. My setup consists of several shelves, each with 2xT12 and 2xT8 full spectrum lights (from Verilux) which are on a timer and run for 12 hrs a day. I have a space humidifer in the room to help with humidity.
I was under the impression that you couldn't burn plants under artificial lights but over the past 6 mths or so many of my plants have developed what looks like scalding on the leaves. (Yellowing splotches which eventually turn to black spots- sometimes ending in loss of leaves.) Sometimes the psuebulbs even have the marks-but they still flower.
At first I panicked, when I saw the black spots-thinking I had a fungus or a virus running rampant through my collection so I started repotting and soaking/spraying with Physan 20. But it made no difference. Now I don't know what to think...
Among those affected include my vandas, dendrobiums, oncindiums, and some of my catts. Almost all of my vandas have flowered despite the splotches and many of my oncinduims with the splotches have also flowered....I've had no success with the catts.
I have attached a few pictures of my setup and the splotches on various affected species. Any help/opinions you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks! (Please excuse my terrible spelling!!)
I have a 400 lumens Megaman Plant bulb, which has concentrated blue and red light.
I also have a general full spectrum bulb that emits 1800 lumens and has a color rendering index of 95. It's supposed to be as close to sunlight as you can get.
Which of the two is better for my orchids?
Thanks,
Sara ]]>
My question is not a "light bulb" question, so I'm hoping that I'm posting to the correct forum. Whatever the case, though, I feel sure you can help me with an answer.
My husband covered all of the counter tops and a portion of the walls of my orchid room with an aluminum foil type insulation material in hopes this would increase my T5s footcandle readings (sorry....I don't know the correct name of the insulation):photo: . Approx. how many additional footcandles can I expect to have gained from the counter tops and walls reflecting light from my T5s?
Thanks in advance.....I would appreciate your help.
Vicki
I have been following the threads on light output of various lighting types. I am getting a 200-watt, 5000k
compact fluourescent for my new orchid setup, and from what I have gathered I need to get a light meter. Does anybody know if these are available at the big box stores, and do I need to calibrate it to 5000k, or buy one that's calibrated that way already?
Thanks for any help...and will be posting pics as I get the shelving unit with the lamp set up.
Thanks,
Dan in Austin ]]>
I was wondering if T5 tubes will fit in the standard "shop light" fixtures? I have one of those Park Gardn Condo plant lights...it has 2 48" fixtures, each can accomodate 2 48" tubes. Right now I just have the standard 40 watt, 48" tubes in them but I would like to increase the light. Do I need to get a whole new fixture if I want to use the T5 tubes or will they fit in my "shop light" fixtures?
Thanks,
Dan ]]>
" i need the goods, the straight goods, and nothing else".. Johnny Dep, Fear and Loathing
I have been going around in circles with this whole indoor lighting "stuff".. from full spectrum, to Kelvins, to CRI's.. from T5's to old school T12's
I don't mean to come off as being rude at all!! ( frustrated yes, rude, no)
I bought a 24" Sunburst T5, basically F24T5, at $35.. (which is basically a 24" cabinet light, with a small ballast inside to run a 24W T5)
Now, I have found a specialty sign lighting place that selling F24T5 .. that come in 3000K, 4100K, 5000K, 5600K and 6500K that are can come in a CRI between 82 to 93
and the 48" T5's in all the same K as the 24" and the same CRI ratings ( 82 to 93)
A light with a CRI rating of 93 is to bright for most of my orchids and from what i have read, for most orchids.
I don't have a lot of coin to drop on lights, and i will be fabicating my own T5 light set up, ballasts and all, nor do i have the coin to drop on replacing my orchids cause i fried the 8 to 9, i do have,
mostly Phal's (Cloud Temples), a Sherry Baby, and a couple other lower temp. orchids. ( and yes i have done enough electrical to do this safely and properly, thank you all though)
all my orchids are now currently under one 48", 5000K, T10, ( yes a T10) all at different heights, by using empty pots turned upside down.
The Phals seems to be doing ok with the 5000K, but are all just growing leaves and roots, with a temp. during the day at 19 to 21 C, down to 16 to 17 at night, with 11hrs of light everyday
Can someone give me a "very" simple answer as to which K ( 3000K, 4100K, 5000K, 5500K, 6500K with CRI's all within 82 to 86) would work best for vegetative growing part
I also have 4, 24" T5 fixtures. Two of the fixtures are Sunburst 24" tubes ( basically a 24W T5, suppositly with 6500K) in them, and i have 2 more 24" T5 fixtures, with no bulbs in them yet,
but all 4 of my 24", T5's will be for trying to get my orchids to flower/ bloom, the whole fixture lookings something like:
_______1______ ______2_______
6 inches of open growing space in the middle
_______3______ _______4_______ ( all the fixtures will be at the same height, pretty cruel drawing i know..lol)
now, would it be better to go with 2 lower K tubes, say.. 5000K or 4100K in the number(s) 1 and 4 fixtures ( see drawing above ), mostly for the reason that 6500K in all the fixtures would
( and i am guessing now) be to bright for a Phal leafs, which might only be 7" tall in total, where as in, my Sherry Baby foliage already stands at 8", plus..
I hope this makes sense to one of you other fellow orchid growers, that has tried different setups.. ]]>
I am in the process of buying a T5 48" 4 bulb grow light system for my orchids. If this system is rated at 20000 lumens how do i convent that to foot candles.
Thanks
Dennis in pensacola ]]>
For the price ($100), its a pretty good deal, however since it is a reef setup, I'm not sure about the lights on it.
The questions I have are:
#1) Normal bulbs (t5 warm/cool) will be able to put into this thing?
#2) How "off" is the spectra of the actinic and the 10k. How much usable light it there for the plants? I know it might not be pretty to look at, but as long as the plants can absorb the light, and I can wait until I have to replace them, then I'll be happy. ]]>
Thanks! :) ]]>
I have around 20 phals, all of them are placed on 2 window shelfs. There is not enough of light for plants so I want to buy 2 lamps. I cannot find anything for plant growing in Estonia, so I will buy it online.
Please, could anyone give me a clue what kind of light to buy and where from... ]]>
Indoor Gardening Supplies
I have two two-bulb fixtures and one 4 blub fixture at present, with standard full specturm flourescent bulbs. What I'd like to know is if there are T5 fixtures that fit the stand, i.e. that have the slide attachments on the end. I haven't been able to locate any. Alternately, is there anyone that sells the slide attachments separately so that a half-way competant person with a power drill could install them? ]]>