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Can Christmas lights work as grow lights?
this may sound a little stupid of me asking... but would white christmas lights work as grow lights? I plan on starting all of my plants as seeds(probably about 300 seedlings) I've gotten a few boxes of christmas lights on clearance a couple days ago. Would it work do you think? I have a plant stand that would be great for seedlings. Let me know what you think!! Thank you
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Are they incandescent or LED's? Incandescent lights are too dim even if you clustered them and too hot to position close enough to the foliage. Not sure about the LEDs -- maybe depends on type? Are some of them brighter than others?
I've seen a DIY instructable somewhere for making a light system by meticulously mounting the tiny lights through closely spaced holes drilled in some kind of a insulating and reflecting board -- I don't remember the details very much because very early on, I decided it was way more detail work than I would have patience for. Did not save the link.
Depending on HOW you propose to use them, they might provide some supplemental light if the plants already get a fair amount of natural direct sunlight through unobstructed windows. This will also depend on what kind of seedlings.
All in all, yeah, there are other, better alternatives. I started out with a fluorescent desk lamp removed from its gooseneck and a freebie aquarium light strapped onto underside of bookshelves.
I've seen a DIY instructable somewhere for making a light system by meticulously mounting the tiny lights through closely spaced holes drilled in some kind of a insulating and reflecting board -- I don't remember the details very much because very early on, I decided it was way more detail work than I would have patience for. Did not save the link.
Depending on HOW you propose to use them, they might provide some supplemental light if the plants already get a fair amount of natural direct sunlight through unobstructed windows. This will also depend on what kind of seedlings.
All in all, yeah, there are other, better alternatives. I started out with a fluorescent desk lamp removed from its gooseneck and a freebie aquarium light strapped onto underside of bookshelves.
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- rainbowgardener
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- rainbowgardener
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T5 are more energy efficient and longer lasting. They also cost anything from half again to twice as much, they are harder to find, they tend to come in odd lengths. You have to have a T5 fixture for them.
For me T8's have always worked fine. Eventually I would like to switch to LED, but I'm not sure the time is yet. I will be buying lights for my new seed starting operation, so I've been looking in to it, but I just find LED very difficult to figure out what I need and what I would be getting.
For me T8's have always worked fine. Eventually I would like to switch to LED, but I'm not sure the time is yet. I will be buying lights for my new seed starting operation, so I've been looking in to it, but I just find LED very difficult to figure out what I need and what I would be getting.
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I bought my light today! I did end up buying a warm and cool(most things I've read say to get a warm AND a cool) I'm not sure if this is a normal thing but, on one of the lightbulbs its dimmer in the middle. The outside is the brightness of the other lightbulb, its just the middle thats dimmer. It happened with a warm bulb on that side as well. I'm not sure if its the light bulbs or the fixture...
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