Plant Light Recommendations 2020

General Gardening
#21

If the plants aren’t doing well though,using artificial light and then that is corrected, other reasons can be looked at.bb

#22

Like Bart’s blurple system, this fixture is off my radar screen since it’s not designed for general indoor horticulture.

If you decide to get a meter, the Hydrofarm Active Eye LGBQM has the best quality sensor in the lower price range.
https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-LGBQM-Quantum-Micromol-Sensor/dp/B0055F59LA

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#23

Thanks Richard! That’s the new light(s) I just bought from Costco.

Do you think I should try to return them since they may not be good for plants? Or was that comment only directed at Bradybb?

And to piggyback on Northwoods’ comment, is there a good website that explains this stuff to the layman? Everything I find is either sellers hocking their own stuff or super technical PhD type dissertations!!! There must be some unbiased middle ground somewhere, right?!?!

Thanks again,
Bart

#24

Your Roleadro is designed for cannabis. It’s not a good choice for general indoor propagation I described in the first post.

There’s a lot of bad science out there. Here’s a few guidelines:

  1. For our purposes, we want bulbs or integrated fixtures in the 5500K to 6500K color temperature range. It’s usually listed in the product specifications.
  2. We want something that doesn’t consume a lot of power, driving up the electric bill. Check the “Wattage” in the product specifications (not the claimed output in the title, etc.). Strive for 120W or less.
  3. Avoid fixtures designed for office, shop, or warehouses with a built-in diffuser. Glazed LED lightbulbs have the same problem. You are interested in directed light.
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#25

Thanks Richard.

My Roleadro lights are a few years old, so I can’t return them. I was asking about returning the Costco tube lights. I haven’t broken them out yet.

I’m curious as to why the “cannabis” lights are not good for starting veggies like tomatoes and peppers?

#26

@Bart -
About your Costco lights – if you’re looking for inexpensive then I think you’ll be happier with the Durolux I recommended.

Regarding “cannabis” lights – there are probably a few marketed that fall into the 3 guidelines above but generally they do not.

#27

Wooden towers with a mix of led and fluorescent shop lights, 2 fixtures, about 4" over the plants. Enough heat in a 60 degree basement to get peppers germed and enough light to keep them squat. I start 2-3k plants every year with this “system”.
After they are up and running and temps are adequate, they go outside every day. Royal pita to water until they get outside.

#28

If it works don’t fix it – unless the operating costs (electric bill) is to high.

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#29

I can stand it for the 2 months it takes. Part of doing business.

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#30

Yes. I started this thread for persons considering new purchases.

#31

Are your recommendations still the same? I discovered yesterday that replacement lamps for my existing fixtures have gone away, and LED fixtures are very confusing to me at this point. I just want to start seeds, put light on cuttings leafing out, and put my houseplants under the lights over winter. No flowering or weed, so it’s a bit of a mess to google.