The bulbs I have (maybe they are 40w, I forget) don't put off much heat so I have the plants very close and am not worried about burning. Though none of the growth has been awe-inspiring, most plants WILL grow and I have had a few flowering tropicals, including hoyas, bloom under these lights. I'll be adding another set this month.

If you go to the "growing under lights" forum here, you should be able to get more specifics than I can give you..good luck, it is nice to know I am not the only one living "in the dark", trying to grow plants that need so much light! If I were staying where I live right now, more skylights would be a must, no matter the cost, but this is a temporary home and me and the plants will only have to suffer another year or two at the most.

TRacy

That said, I just want to caution you about one other thing---feel free to disregard it as you see fit. About a year ago I gave up growing orchids (they are PRISSY plants and I've had enough of priss these days) and did not alter my lighting set up---I just plopped my houseplants under the same intensely bright lights. Some of the plants were clearly burned and I knew enough to move them, but others did not show obvious signs of trouble. Some languished under the bright light, but I thought it was was normal growth until I removed them from the shelf and they really took off.

Metal halide lights are usually meant for blooming orchids, shrubs and veggies---though in your neck of the woods I imagine plants would love to have that extra light. So get your groove on in your bright dining room and just be on the lookout for any problems. :)

My current light set-up is 4 four-foot t8 bulbs (two warm, two cool) over each shelf---this is what I bloomed orchids under. These lights are *significantly* more powerful than your average shop lights, but less powerful that Tracy's metal halide. It's too bright for a LOT of plants. I have only recently acquired some gorgeous hoya cuttings---while they are starting to grow nicely under the lights, it's really too early for me to tell if problems are cooking up below the surface. I may have to move the shelf further from the lights to decrease the intensity. If any problems arise I'll keep you guys posted.

Shiver....no offense taken, I have been told even by some local people that I went way over the top, but thats okay.....it was a treat to me, and I agree some grow better than others under the light, the ones that dont like the intense light go a little further away. My AV's hate it, even a few feet away, they still grow tight, but I am working on that.

Tracy

I went online and found two hydroponic stores within a half hour of where I live, and not like the orchid store in Surf City that only sells the clay aggregate and one style of pot. Both of these stores are big and have it all, including all kinds of lighting stuff. And I may also be able to check out the coir.

A few days ago I recieved as a surprise with some hoya cutting trades the cutest little hydro heart shaped pot! The woman who sent it owns the company in Canada. But I need something bigger for the linearis, I have some ariadna cuttings rooting for the heart pot. As for lights, I had to go out and buy a new "cool" bulb and, being pressed for time, just stopped at the local Lowes, something I have been putting off for weeks, felt so good that I finally got the bulb, then came home and dropped it on my kitchen floor!!! Grrrr....

Anyway, I do plan on heading to the hydro store, I talked to them on the phone and they have everything I could be looking for as far as lights/hydro supplies go. I had wanted to go this week, but..if not, next weekend for sure....IF I don't go camping....sigh...

Then of course there is the question of money...and I know nobody wants to hear this but I need to vent!! Yesterday my parrot bit my 5 year old niece. Now I don't know if any of you have ever been bit by a parrot, but it hurts, and she IS only 5 so there was much hysterical crying and screaming. The only way I could get her to stop was by making much fuss over the new fairy statue my mom had just gotten her at a local gift shop. So, while I was bandaging her hand and marvelling over the $42 statue - I knocked the statue off the table and onto the floor - crash! Both wings snapped off. Fresh screaming and hysterics. The ONLY way to console her was to bundle her into the car and drive to the store where Aunt Jennifer will buy her another fairy statue....well, guess what....the one I broke was the only one of that kind that they had. Another bout of hysterics, this time in public...but hey look, they have this OTHER beautiful fairy statue that is ONLY $20 more!! So, Aunt Jennifer gets to fork out $65 for a fairy statue.
And, mind you, Aunt Jennifer is on a very tight budget, there is barely money left over for neceessities like food and toilet paper and hoyas, let alone $65 fairy statues. Sooo....the hydro store may have to wait a few weeks.

Thanks for listening.

Clearly four "T8" bulbs (32 watts a piece) are waaaayyyyy to much light for hoyas. I've had my cuttings under them for about 3 weeks, and at first they took off in growth and seemed quite happy. Then BAM! All the new foilage turned very dark red (nearly black)----the polyneura was the only one who's leaves bleached out white. For those inexperienced with growing under lights, please do heed warning signs like these. When you get a fast burn like that you *must* move your plants quickly, or the leaves will turn into brown ash within a few days. I caught it right away and moved my babies back by the windows---all are now recovering nicely and still growing.

Ines_99 sent me an email about how her hoyas are doing pretty well under 2 bulbs of regular old shop lights (40 watts or lower), so that may be an option for some. That's about the same intensity of light that AVs grow well under. If window light isn't enough over the winter for my hoya babies I'll try putting them under *two* T8 bulbs and see how that works. For other people new to growing hoyas in a norhtern climate, just know that these plants don't need as much light as orchids or other blooming plants---good news for the average home owner. :)

My boyfriend will think I'm nuts though ("Why are you shining lights at your plants? Can I turn them off?")

I also noticed that those light bulbs with the "tubes" come in flourescent now. And I THINK you can pop those into a regular lamp.