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Middle TN

Ive been reading about lights... plant and aquarium lights
cool lights, gro-lux, flourescent etc. From what I gather cool white flourescent are just as good as any other lights at least for a newbie. Please correct me if Im wrong.

Now heres my question, are the energy saving light bulbs that look like a twisty swirl considered flourescent light and if so would that work as well as the long tube bulbs?

I have several clip lights and 'twisty' bulbs, I thought I might be able to use those instead purchasing more stuff. Any thoughts on it??

Thanks,
Tammy

3/15/2010 5:52:33 PM

Falls City, NE

Those little lights do not put out ultraviolet light. For seedlings you need an ultraviolet light a few inches above plants or they will get leggy and fall over.

3/15/2010 9:48:33 PM

Macomb County

For best results, use a grow-light. Standard fluorescents are mainly in the blue band, hence "cool white".
Plants need red light also. Home Depot sells plant bulbs that work very well. There usually on the end of the bulb isle and just say "Plant and Aquarium". They're wide spectrum, meaning they emit both blue and red needed for plant growth.

Also, you don't need expensive grow light fixtures. They're shop lights with a bigger hood is all. A 4 tube shop light or 2-2 tube shop lights, if a 4 tube is too heavy for you to work with, will save you money and do the same job.

As Dennis mentioned, keep them close to the tops of your plants or their stems will stretch to reach the light, get thin and fall over.

3/16/2010 1:33:24 AM

Macomb County

I should have said, grow fixtures have bigger hoods and the bulbs are spaced further apart. Which isn't a factor, unless you plan on growing plants 3 feet and taller under them.

3/16/2010 1:42:44 AM

Las Cruces NM

I have both "Aquarium AG/gro" and "gro-lux" and they both work but I like the grow-lux much better (Aq/gro are easier on the eyes though). Neither cool (more blue) nor warm (more red) is sufficient; however a warm and a cool provides wide spectrum and thus works and is cheaper ... but I;ll take a gro-lux anyday. Thoes grow twist-ins have to be right on plant where they cook em = worthless. And same goes for UV heat lamps (except as a heat source). If you study up on growing plants under light, a more blue spectrum is better for early growth (spring like) while a more red is better for maturing/flowering (summer) but at all times they need both (wide spectrum). Duration and intensity are also important ... and other lighting like HID/MV but too much to go into here and you don't need that -- go with gro-lux!

3/16/2010 10:07:38 PM

Middle TN

This is exactly the type of information I needed.
thanks :)
Tammy

3/16/2010 11:45:34 PM