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LED Lights
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Posted by
boulderbelt 5/6 (
My Page) on
Wed, Jan 9, 13 at 4:47
| Any of you guys using LEDs for grow lights? I just bought 4 LEDs that fit in T-8/T-12 fixtures (i.e. the normal fluorescent bulb fixture). We have rewired the fixtures (have to take the ballast out of the circuit). And after my DH rewired a couple of fixtures, he realized he had 5 or 6 that were in the "go to the dump" pile because their ballasts had died so when we get more of these, those are the fixtures that will be used. We have no started any seeds yet but I do know 1 of the LEDs is brighter than 2 fluorescent bulbs so we will be using fewer lights and the LEDs do not lose lumens over time so we won't have to replace them every year and they will use something like 80% less energy over the fluorescent bulbs, enough that we can run them off of our small solar array. Oh, and these are white lights. I have used LED grow lights in the past but they were an array red and blue LEDs that when lit up made the room a bright princess pink, which I found hard to work in so I would often turn off those lights while I did work in that room so I didn't go crazy. But the plants do seem to like the pink light from those LED spots and grew well under them. I should know in about 2 weeks if these are going to work and if they don't than we will use them to replace bulbs in our store or barn where we have lots of fluorescent bulbs lighting up the place. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: LED Lights
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| My son uses LED lights in his fish tanks and he likes them. Don't heat up as much as fluorescent ones. |
RE: LED Lights
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| From what I read, plants don't detect white light, or at least do so nearly as well as with blue or red. Leafy growth wants blue, and blooms want red. You might experiment with a blue led and see if they like it better than the white. But on the other hand, seedlings aren't picky. Your setup will probably work just fine. |
RE: LED Lights
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| That's what i figured. none of our seedlings, except the alliums, stay under lights more than 4 weeks. The alliums might have to be under artificial light up to 8 weeks if the weather isn't warm enough to put them outside. |
RE: LED Lights
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| Can you mixed them up, some red some blue? |
RE: LED Lights
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| If they made LED T-8 bulb replacements in red or blue yes. But currently they do not that I know of, at least. |
RE: LED Lights
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| can you use a red/blue film or something like that? Just thinking out loud. Like the seasonal saranwraps???? |
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