I am going to be growing some jalapeno and cayenne peppers indoors. I'm looking at getting TCP XHL T8 lights. I'm looking at getting eight lights total. My friend and I will each have two fixtures. Anyway I'm thinking about getting 4- 32w 3500k and 4- 32w 4100k. I'm just wondering what you all think I should get that will be great for pepper plants and any other vegetable plants (or any plants for that matter)
Thanks for the help again
I have a setup that's almost identical to this for my Bonsai. The big difference is that I use a 32w 3500k and a 40w 6100k in the same fixture. I started using this setup for growing Bonsai a few weeks ago. I just just barely dropped the 32w bulb in just a minute ago as I've been using 2 6100k bulbs the entire time. Honestly, I can tell you that my Natal Plum and Bougainvillea are responding pretty well to the full spectrum 6100k with new growth everywhere! It'll be interesting to see if the warmer bulb will bring in some more flowering instead of sprouting fresh foliage everywhere.crazy8 wrote:I am going to be growing some jalapeno and cayenne peppers indoors. I'm looking at getting TCP XHL T8 lights. I'm looking at getting eight lights total. My friend and I will each have two fixtures. Anyway I'm thinking about getting 4- 32w 3500k and 4- 32w 4100k. I'm just wondering what you all think I should get that will be great for pepper plants and any other vegetable plants (or any plants for that matter)
Thanks for the help again
Anyway, my suggestion to you is to find what will work for your conditions specifically. The cost of fluorescent lights and fixtures are pretty cheap overall and you have to learn by trying different things. So unless you're on a budget, it shouldn't be too much of a crunch to experiment with different kelvin and lumen ranges.
Actually I stepped down by taking one 6100k bulb from each fixture out and replacing it with a 3500k bulb for experimentation. So far I've gotten some awesome growth on my Natal Plum and a severely pruned Bougainvillea with just the 6500k bulbs only, but these plants are very forgiving and spring back with a vengance from what I've read online. My suggestion for you is to try what you're talking about with the 3500k and 6500k together. This way you've got the cool white and warm white combination which I've read really helps out. I'll give you some results if and when mine come to fruition. Another thing to remember is that what may work for someone in another climate may not work entirely for your's. A lot of factors come into play here, humidity, air circulation etc. It's all trial and error as I'm sure you're aware.crazy8 wrote:Ok thats nice to know. So with trying new things you went from a 3500k to a 6100k bulb. To me that seems like a big jump. Do you recommend bigger steps like that or should I slowly move up and try something like a 4000k type bulb?
I stumbled across this site <a href=https://www.fatalii.net/growing/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=105>https://www.fatalii.net/growing/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=105</a> that could be of some help to you.
So my next question that should complete this topic is where can I buy TCP XHL bulbs in singles, packs of two or even four? I have searched in even the darkest rankest places on the web and it seems I can ONLY find places that carry 25ct packs (if they carry TCP at all) for 60 some dollars. I don't want to buy 25, at most I want to buy 12. Any ideas where to buy them?
Thanks again
Thanks again
Now for THAT I have no idea. I'm using 40 watt, 2 foot long, 2180 Lumens, 88 CRI, 6500k Bulbs which were purchased at our local Lowe's store in a 10 pack for $20.00 I think. I like to keep things budgetable so I could get all into the high tech and outrageous stuff for my plants but I've found what works for me.
My little light experiment has had some adverse effects. A couple of my trees started shedding leaves similarly to them entering a "dormancy" period. So the dimmer lights got popped out and the 6500's are right back in their place.
My little light experiment has had some adverse effects. A couple of my trees started shedding leaves similarly to them entering a "dormancy" period. So the dimmer lights got popped out and the 6500's are right back in their place.
Well over the weekend I went and took a look at my local Lowes stor and found nothing. I found a few boxes of Sylvania bulbs and thats it. I would LOVE to have some TCP XHL bulbs but that aside it seems I'm finding nothing all that good. If anyone in here knows of any good bulb retailers and ones that would keep me from having to buy a box of 25 would be greatly appreciated.
So worst case scenario lets say I have to buy a box of 25 from some place online. What do you recommend I use as a good overall bulb that will also produce fruit, 3500 or 6100 or other?
Thanks for your help
So worst case scenario lets say I have to buy a box of 25 from some place online. What do you recommend I use as a good overall bulb that will also produce fruit, 3500 or 6100 or other?
Thanks for your help
I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but things have been busy lately. Shortly after my last post I walked out and invested in a 4ft W x 1.5ft D x 6.5ft H steel wire shelf unit. Attached to this are 8 individual shop lights that are running 16 total bulbs of electricity. They're wired with 1 6500k bulb and 1 3500k bulb in each one and all of the plants are within 1-4 inches or so away from the lights. The advantages to fluorescents are burning a lot cooler which allows me to mist my plants everyday and not having to worry about making the bulbs explode when dousing them with cold water. Now that all of my tropical plants are exploding with new groth I've found a nitch that works for the trees I have. I even went so far as to pick up some 5 and 1.5 Gallon Bougenvalleas (75% as they were going out of season and beginning to die back), hacked and chopped them down to just a few main branches, and they're exploding with new groth even now that it's the start of FALL in the pacific northwest!crazy8 wrote:Well over the weekend I went and took a look at my local Lowes stor and found nothing. I found a few boxes of Sylvania bulbs and thats it. I would LOVE to have some TCP XHL bulbs but that aside it seems I'm finding nothing all that good. If anyone in here knows of any good bulb retailers and ones that would keep me from having to buy a box of 25 would be greatly appreciated.
So worst case scenario lets say I have to buy a box of 25 from some place online. What do you recommend I use as a good overall bulb that will also produce fruit, 3500 or 6100 or other?
Thanks for your help
Now, in my opinion you're trying to grow plants that may be more acclimated toward warmer environments etc? Have you researched the individual plant needs such as minimum temperature requirements, food, watering, humidity needs etc? I was also wondering if you have ever entertained the idea of a grow lighting system but also building a cheap hydroponic setup? You can construct one out of a rubbermaid tub, fish tank tube, a fish tank airpump, a minor valve system for a fish tank, and some air stones. This should possibly set you back roughly $50+ or so. It's a pretty cheap route to go in hindsight because you will be giving your plants the vital nutrients they need (water, light, air, and nutrients) in a timed environment that gives you more control over their growth etc.
In regard to your delimma of getting 20+ bulbs, there's just no way around it that I've been able to find. I will admit to having 3 boxes of the 20 bulb per box packages laying around our 1 bedroom apartment. When I was hanging my shelf system up I inadvertently broke a fluorescent light that emitted some kind of dust particles into my face and I breathed that stuff in (doh!). My suggestion to you is to try going the route that I did on your light wattage etc. Get a 3500k bulb and a 6500k bulb to put into a 2 bulb shop light fixture. I would try getting 2 fixtures if you have any kind of success the first time around. Try 3 bulbs of 6500k with 1 3500k first with your fixtures strung side by side. So if you notice some good growth and you think you're on the right path while maybe you're feeling a little trial and error, go forward with just trying out 1 6500k and 1 3500k bulb in each of the 2 fixtures.
I've looked at some of those "grow fluorescent lamps" online that run in excess of $150 for one freaking light!!! That's insane and not to mention those things probably burn a lot hotter because of not being fluorescent only but some kind of HID system (I think that's the term?).! The way I figure it is why in the "h" do I want to spend all of that money on something I can just buy for $50-$70 (2 fluorescent shoplight fixtures from Wal-Mart $5.00 a piece, 2 packages of bulbs at $20 a piece, lamp timer $10-$15 maybe).
Trial and error my friend. Another option you can try is to find a greenhouse in your area that has fluorescent lighting indoors and ask them how they do it. Remember the saying that goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day". Neither is your indoor gardening experiences. It'll take you some time to grasp onto things such as feeding, watering requirements, lighting (I go 16 hours per day on 360 watts of power in use!!), humidity levels, air circuilation etc. I think once you're in though, you'll never get out.