indoor garden lighting?

[chickenchalupa]

What kind of lighting would you need for an indoor garden without access to natural sunlight without spending too much money?

 

[keljonma]

We've used shop lights with "natural light" bulbs and chicken brooder lamps with "gro" bulbs in them. If you use those aluminum/mylar car windshield reflectors around the plants, it will help reflect the light and make it seem brighter.


edited for spelling

 

[patandchickens]

Definitely just use 4' long shoplights. They're pretty cheap. The 4-tube fixtures are better if you are going to be raising mature plants like houseplants or overwintering peppers, but the 2-tube fixtures are fine for just starting seeds.

I don't buy the more expensive gro-lite bulbs and get fine results anyhow. I seem to recall reading that studies showed no real difference. I do use 1 warm and 1 cool bulb per fixture. And don't use old bulbs -- after 1-2 seasons (depending on your seed-starting habits) they can be retired to some other use around the house, they won't look any different to YOU but will not be as good light quality for plants.

You can fix up white cardboard or whatever around the edges of your seed starting area, to reflect back light that would otherwise escape and make the 'edge' seedlings grow better.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[hobbychickener]

i use them too or atleast plan to this year. Now if I just had power to turn on the light! :/

 

[brandylorton]

There are two options . If you want dam good look than go for the led light and if you want the long lasting results than go for the fluorescent lights. So from that you can choose any one which ever you want.

 

[Joel_BC]

There are two options . If you want dam good look than go for the led light and if you want the long lasting results than go for the fluorescent lights. So from that you can choose any one which ever you want.

We're usng full-spectrum fluorescents on a 4-shelf unit - but just for starts (moving them into the greenhouse and outdoors, afterwards). IOW, just for the seed-to-seedling stage.

brandylorton, what did you mean by "If you want dam good look than go for the led light and if you want the long lasting results than go for the fluorescent lights" ?? I think you've got some good practical experience, just wanted to connect with what you're getting at a little better.

"Dam good look" with LED lights? And "long lasting results"?... do you mean that the fluorescent tubes outlast the LEDs (before they burn out) or what?

 

[hqueen13]

Just a thought, but would there be a way to use the 'daylight tubes' that are used when a skylight can't easily be installed? They can be very long (I've heard they can pipe sunlight through multiple floors without losing the brightness), and wouldn't be burning electricity.

 

[nelson castro]

You can definitely save if you are going to use led light as it consumes less power as compared to fluorescent lights.

 

[Joel_BC]

You can definitely save if you are going to use led light as it consumes less power as compared to fluorescent lights.

Is this based on your personal experience starting plants indoors, nelson?

I know that LEDs use less electricity and cost less to run - even less than fluorescents - but I have no experience growing plants with LEDs. Do you?