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By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#307896
I have searched the forums back and forth up and down as I tend to do, this time of year the windowsill spot for seedlings I have going is not getting as much as light as I'd like to be giving them, I don't have much room for a large indoor setup by any means nor do I wish to start one. so my question!

I've seen people posting using simple reflector lamps from the hardware store with CFL bulbs, and read that 6500k is the warm/cool spectrum to aim for.... for a small and simple setup (no more than 10" x 4" wide) using a reflector lamp and CFL bulb(or multiple) what should I be looking for as far as bulbs go? my only note I took a while back when thinking about doing this was

23W/100watt T-2 6500k 1600 lumens CFL

would a single bulb like that and a reflector be sufficient for germination/getting seedlings going? really any tips as to how far away from seedlings, on/off cycle times -- would it be ok to use it to while still supplementing natural light from window where it is currently.

if you have specific examples of what you have done similar, heights, times, etc that is the kind of stuff I'm curious of / would like to build off of. not looking to invest a ton into this at the moment and already have reflectors sitting around from screenprinting days

optionally I wouldn't mind moving a small tub of our live sphagnum indoors to be test subjects for alternate growing conditions for the kid and I to experiment more.
By Hungry Plants
Posts:  1134
Joined:  Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:41 am
#307902
I would go with a couple of led flood lights in those domes. More looms and a brighter light. Depending on you setup I would also get a heat mat off the net. If you do enuf searching you can get them fairly cheap.
By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#307916
Hungry Plants wrote:I would go with a couple of led flood lights in those domes. More looms and a brighter light. Depending on you setup I would also get a heat mat off the net. If you do enuf searching you can get them fairly cheap.
I am looking around hardware stores and amazon at LED flood lights, it looks like most of them are less lumens than the 23W/100W equiv CFL's if you have any links to show for reference maybe I'm looking for the wrong thing but it looks like the 23W CFL's are much cheaper also. if you have any examples of what you are recommending I'll keep digging!

example: https://www.amazon.com/Philips-433557-1 ... s=CFL+bulb

$10 4 bulbs, rated at 1600 lumens

https://www.amazon.com/Luxrite-Equivale ... 7801675011 $50+ for 4 bulbs 14W/85W equiv 1100 lumens (most were less than that)
By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#308086
alright so I'm looking at 100W A19 LED bulbs

would one of these in a round clip-on reflector lamp be sufficient for a small germination chamber / maybe a small plant or two? (no larger than a 12" x 12" growing area, actually closer to 12" x 6"

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-100 ... /206923041

any ideas how far away it would/should be? (if supplementing from a window?)

I've almost read myself stupid with options
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By DeaNyx420
Posts:  81
Joined:  Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:29 am
#310019
I personally have two T12 coolest blue 49 watt (2900 lumens each) paired with one of my 40 watt CFL warm white (2600 lumens). My T12s are about a foot away and have my CFL about 8-10 inches away and my seedlings are coming along quite quickly. My light set up was very cheap and my seeds already have nice pink tendrils as of two days ago (they were sowed Dec 27, 2017) ImageImageImageImage

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By SundewWolf
Posts:  2219
Joined:  Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:38 pm
#310051
Those Philips ones should be perfectly fine for growing them, generally I don't like to go below 1400 Lumens. I've been using Sylvania daylight CFL bulbs from Lowes for years now, and also have tried these bulbs which work much better https://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-Spectrum- ... SwTA9X4laU
I think theres a variety of size options for them. I don't even know what the lumen output on them is, all I know is they work better than my other growlights.

Also if you want to kick up the lumens to 5000 this bulb has been working very well for my sundews for the past month or so https://www.menards.com/main/electrical ... 580526.htm
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By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#310052
SundewWolf wrote:Those Philips ones should be perfectly fine for growing them, generally I don't like to go below 1400 Lumens. I've been using Sylvania daylight CFL bulbs from Lowes for years now, and also have tried these bulbs which work much better https://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-Spectrum- ... SwTA9X4laU
I think theres a variety of size options for them. I don't even know what the lumen output on them is, all I know is they work better than my other growlights.

Also if you want to kick up the lumens to 5000 this bulb has been working very well for my sundews for the past month or so https://www.menards.com/main/electrical ... 580526.htm
awesome, I ended up picking up that one bulb been using it since shortly after the post definitely kicked the seedlings back into growing speedier everything reddening up nicely also not a huge coverage area, so a couple plants around it that like a little less. a good temporary fix, that last bulb you listed looks like a beast!! it is really a shame we don't have Menards down here in NC (not just that light..but in general)

on that last bulb do you have it mounted vertically in a fixture/reflector around the top/sides of it or is it mounted horizontally with reflector?
By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#310053
DeaNyx420 wrote:I personally have two T12 coolest blue 49 watt (2900 lumens each) paired with one of my 40 watt CFL warm white (2600 lumens). My T12s are about a foot away and have my CFL about 8-10 inches away and my seedlings are coming along quite quickly. My light set up was very cheap and my seeds already have nice pink tendrils as of two days ago (they were sowed Dec 27, 2017) ImageImageImageImage

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
wait a minute! I recognize that tinfoil-less setup and window!
User avatar
By DeaNyx420
Posts:  81
Joined:  Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:29 am
#310054
riveraXVX wrote:
DeaNyx420 wrote:I personally have two T12 coolest blue 49 watt (2900 lumens each) paired with one of my 40 watt CFL warm white (2600 lumens). My T12s are about a foot away and have my CFL about 8-10 inches away and my seedlings are coming along quite quickly. My light set up was very cheap and my seeds already have nice pink tendrils as of two days ago (they were sowed Dec 27, 2017) ImageImageImageImage

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
wait a minute! I recognize that tinfoil-less setup and window!
CP community on fb?! Hahah because that's one of two places I've posted updates!! Small small world! Image

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#310055
that it is! that it is! my biggest decision I have left for the indoor setup is where it is going so I can figure out how much space I'll have and making a "final" decision on lights the temporary light over them is doing its thing though!
By SundewWolf
Posts:  2219
Joined:  Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:38 pm
#310060
riveraXVX wrote:
on that last bulb do you have it mounted vertically in a fixture/reflector around the top/sides of it or is it mounted horizontally with reflector?
I unscrewed the reflector off a clamp light and just used the socket, put foil on the shelf I mounted it to, and have it sitting horizontally.
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By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#310061
SundewWolf wrote:
riveraXVX wrote:
on that last bulb do you have it mounted vertically in a fixture/reflector around the top/sides of it or is it mounted horizontally with reflector?
I unscrewed the reflector off a clamp light and just used the socket, put foil on the shelf I mounted it to, and have it sitting horizontally.
easy enough! I figured horizontally would be best for lighting then some type of curved foil to reflect more downward, appreciate the tips there! I had looked at whatever the similar looking bulbs to those when I was looking but wasn't entirely sure on them
By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#310064
hollyhock wrote:Here's something that I made on the cheap.. and it works great...
my-20-diy-fixture-t33664.html?hilit=Light
your post was actually what gave me the first idea of what i wanted to do, easy enough to wire up a vanity to be powered by a plug(I'm an electronics nerd first and foremost!) I'm still debating on something like that -- I just like to build once and hopefully keep that for a while so I'm still weighing options i think its more going to come down to where we put it in the household and how much space we end up with for the plantbabies!
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