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choosing the right floresent lights
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Posted by freefour 6a (My Page) on Tue, Nov 30, 04 at 11:10
Hi all,
I built an A-frame stand to start my seedlings this spring. I read that floresent lighting is the best to use. So, I bought a 48" shoplight, but what type of bulbs should I use?
I purchased a twin pack of 40 watt residential lighting for a few bucks. They also had 25 watt shop lighting bulbs. Will two 40 watt bulbs be too much lighting?
Also, they had Plant bulbs too. I didn't get them because they were $6 a bulb. Anyone use them? Is it worth the extra $$$?
Thanks so much.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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| the cheapest, reasonably effective setup would be a two-tube T8 work light (or two) for $8 at home depot, equipped with 6500K bulbs - two for $6 at home depot. |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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| You find 6500K bulbs at HD at all, much less for a measly $3 per? Wish my HD had those... |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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- Posted by GaWd z9/10 NorCal (My Page) on
Tue, Nov 30, 04 at 14:47
| Yep. Many times the Philips Alto 6500K bulbs are on sale for $3-5 per pair of bulbs. Other times it's closer to $5-10 per pair. Same thing goes for standard cool white, and warm white bulbs from Philips. Sam |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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| i had to look at the shelves closely... the 2-pack (no label) sells for $6. the 5000K bulbs are $6 each. |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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| My HD has the cheap ALTO 2-bulb packs too, but they aren't 6500K... |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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- Posted by GaWd z9/10 NorCal (My Page) on
Sun, Dec 5, 04 at 5:17
| Philips Alto Daylight Deluxe is 6500K. Not sure what color bulbs the "cheap" ones were. Sam |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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| so would the 6500 be better than using the 4100? james |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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- Posted by GaWd z9/10 NorCal (My Page) on
Sun, Dec 5, 04 at 12:27
| In theory, 6500k is closest to "sunlight". It's is a rather blue light and might not be as pleasing to the eye, but it lights objects up very well, and I have no complaints about how well plants grow. 4100k lights seem to do just about as well, but I prefer 6500K. Sam |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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| look carefully at the shelves. the 6500K twin-pack doesn't have any fancy packaging, but they do say 6500K. |
RE: choosing the right floresent lights
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| I was there again today and did, but all I could find in T8 2-packs was ALTO Cool White Plus, which are 4100K. (These are the plain plastic wrapped lamps with a couple of cardboard endpieces.) But anyway, isn't 5000K the color of noon sun with the sun directly overhead, not 6500K? The 6500K lamps are used a lot for reef tanks since water absorbs relatively more blue light than other colors (so you need greater output in the blues to reach further under water) but this is the first I'm hearing that 6500K is "ideal" for flowering land plants. |
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