Questions
Answers
Q.If
you have a window you could use natural
sunlight
A.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 our lighting page for more information.
Q.Are
you supposed to leave light over the plants 24
hrs a day?
A.Do
not use 24 hours light except during germination. 16 - 18
hours light is best.
Q.If
a light mover was implemented, how much, if any, could you increase
these areas?
A.2'
per end with a linear track. 1000 watt on a sun circle increases
to 12' X 12'
Q.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!
A.4'
is too far away, the lights have approx. 3' penetration. The
plants need to be 'hardened off' to the intensity of the light in order not to burn.
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).
Q.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?
A.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.
Q.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.
A.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.
Q.As
we are just interested in herbs, should we only use MH lights?
A.Yes.
HPS is more suited to flowering. In herb production you rarely want the
flowers.
Q.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?
A.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. there are also bulbs which are considered more of an an all purpose style. Contact a professional who can point you in the best direction. 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.
Q.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?
A.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.
Q.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.
A.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.
Q.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)
A.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.
Q.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?
A. I
don't believe less lights are needed, a light mover only stretches
the light. They are useful in areas that more rectangular than square. Light
equals yield.
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