- Cinquefoil
- Full Member
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:31 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Is this lamp light benefiting or detrimental to my plants?
This is an Ikea LED 600 lumen, 8.6 W, 2700 Kelvin globe. The plants probably don't get enough natural light throughout the day. Is having the lamp on in the evening beneficial, neutral or detrimental to them?
Also, are these special plant light globes that give off the same ambiance as normal lights?
- applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I think probably neutral. Won't hurt it but not particularly bright enough to help much either. The 2700K is similar (yellowish) in color to normal soft white incandescent bulbs if that's what you are asking.
I think it would help the plant more if you were to lean one or more large wall mirror on the floor next to the lamp behind the plant. That way, any light -- from the window as well as the lamp -- will be reflected and doubled. You could get something really decorative, or maybe if you don't mind decorating with odds and ends -- does your IKEA have a "discontinued/bargain" department? (One near me does, and presumably their store designs are all the same.) You might find mirror storage unit doors that were returned, etc.
I think it would help the plant more if you were to lean one or more large wall mirror on the floor next to the lamp behind the plant. That way, any light -- from the window as well as the lamp -- will be reflected and doubled. You could get something really decorative, or maybe if you don't mind decorating with odds and ends -- does your IKEA have a "discontinued/bargain" department? (One near me does, and presumably their store designs are all the same.) You might find mirror storage unit doors that were returned, etc.
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Agreed. Not bright enough or close enough to make much difference. Light intensity varies by the square of the distance. So if you have a light source 2" away from your plant and you move it to 4" away, it is now getting one-quarter the light. If you move it to 8" away, it is getting one-sixteenth the light.
I use this kind of thing for indoor plants:
you can get them cheap and the flexible goosenecks mean you can direct the separate bulbs at different plants. If your plants aren't big/tall enough to be right up close to the bulbs, put them on a table next to the lamp.
Here's a couple examples of lighting for indoor plants:
I use this kind of thing for indoor plants:
you can get them cheap and the flexible goosenecks mean you can direct the separate bulbs at different plants. If your plants aren't big/tall enough to be right up close to the bulbs, put them on a table next to the lamp.
Here's a couple examples of lighting for indoor plants: