Answers

If you have a window you could use natural sunlight

Supplemental HID lighting would be a different  consideration as the bulbs produce heat and recreational  vehicles usually are quite confined. The alternative is  fluorescent lighting, available in 2', 4' and spot light style,  but are not strong enough to flower or fruit a large plant.  They are however great for herbs and leaf veggies! See these   pages on lighting for more information.

Are you supposed to leave light over the plants 24 hrs a day?

Do not use 24 hours light except during germination. 16 - 18 hours light is best.

 

If a light mover was implemented, how much, if any, could you increase these areas?

2' per end with a linear track. 1000 watt on a sun circle increases to 12' X 12'

 

All I would like to know is how far should I place my 430watt HPS Son Agro lamp from my Tomato plants??? and how about my Flowers??? I read that two feet isn't that safe and that three is best... but I know guys who have theirs hanging 4+ feet away because their plants got burnt!

4' is too far away, the lights have approx. 3' penetration. The plants need to be 'hardened off' to the intensity of the light.

Start by hanging the light from the ceiling on a chain 4' or so away from the top of the plants. The plants will grow while you move the bulb down 6" every few days. When they meet a foot away, stop moving the light down, and start raising it 6" upward every 6" of growth.

Always check for signs of burning and raise the light if necessary. The temperature in the room should be no hotter than 75 deg. F and an occelating fan should be used to move the heat from the leaf area (a gentle leaf movement is all you need).

 

I just bought a 400 Watt metal halide light and I noticed my clones are not liking it very much. The light is about 4'6'' from the clones. Is this too close?

The light is more intense directly under the bulb, try moving the plants off to the side till they are used to the intense light. You can diffuse the light with thin white plastic. To start 4'6" shouldn't really be too close if the light is diffused. Maybe move them and give them a chance to get used to the light.

What lighting would you suggest for the 4' mini kit? I have never done hydroponics before but am very interested in starting. I have limited funds so I need to work as inexpensively as possible.

The 4' mini-kit is designed for the window sill. If you wish to garden in an unlit portion indoors the smallest metal halide light with good value is the 400 watt. This bulb will light a 5' X 5' area quite nicely.

You could certainly use this light for the 4' mini kit and have room for expansion.

As we are just interested in herbs, should we only use MH lights?

Yes. HPS is more suited to flowering. In herb production you rarely flower.

 

 

We will be growing various types of plants and flowers and are trying to figure out the best type of lights for gardening. What would be adequate light for around 10 to 15 full grown plants?

Metal Halide is the best type of light for vegetative growth. HPS is suitable only for flowering and will not sustain a plant through leafing and rooting. We would need to know how large the plants will be at maturity to know if it is adequate for 10-15 plants. Basically, a 250w lamp will illuminate a 3' X 3' area. A 400w would light a 5' X 5' area and is more cost effective.

 

I started my spring flower garden from seed in a fluorescent light growing bed (organically) and my results were less than pleasing. Would a hydroponic system with MH lighting increase my odds of getting better flowers?

Yes, a hydroponic garden with MH lighting would give you outstanding results. Hydroponics supplies the nutrient directly to the root. Plants grow slightly faster and happier. MH lighting is very intense and indoors light always equals yield.

I am on the Caribbean island of Montserrat I have been growing veggies in hydroponics for the past 3 years. After reading your posting on lighting it appears it would increase the quality of my seedling to have supplemental lighting. The seedling I am trying to maximize are, tomato cucumber, sweet pepper and lettuce. I have no lighting data for the above mentioned veggies and would appreciate any recommended intensities and duration. My latitude is 17degrees North and we have an average of 12hrs sunlight daily through the year.

To maximize your seedlings you can increase the daylight hours from 12 hours to 16 - 18 hours per day. A 400W Metal Halide in a 5ft by 5ft area would give 25 Watts per square foot. The seedlings would grow faster and strong with the extended light. Tomato, cucumber, sweet pepper and lettuce have the same light requirements.

 

Any suggestion for light levels at seedling stages would be greatly appreciated. (Light intensity at seedling level is 300 foot candles, distance from lamp to seedlings 9 feet)

Light intensity is slowly similar to nutrient (they have a direct relationship). The more light intensity a plant receives, the more nutrient is can use. Start lowering the bulb a foot a week until the bulb is about a foot away from your plants.

 

Light movers seem to be an inexact science, some say the same number of lights are needed to generate as many watts as without a light mover and others say less lights are needed, any opinion?

I don't believe less lights are needed, a light mover only stretches the light. They are useful in areas that are not square. Light equals yield.