cheap and thrifty light for the growth phase

[fredbe]

Hi, can you advice me a cheap light for the growth (seedling and vegetative cycle) phase only. During the flowering stage my plants will be outdoor under the sun.

 

Cheers

Edited August 24, 2022 by fredbe

[robsamui]

Does this mean that you are vegging them indoors then moving them outside? Why do you need to move them?

 

How many plants? What sort of space are they taking up?

 

I've recently bought 3 lots of cheap lights - two of them are quite good . . . 

 

[fredbe]

1 hour ago, robsamui said:

Does this mean that you are vegging them indoors then moving them outside? Why do you need to move them?

 

How many plants? What sort of space are they taking up?

 

I've recently bought 3 lots of cheap lights - two of them are quite good . . . 

 

Hi, because the day duration is too short now. I want to plant about 9 trees (photoperiod)  this month and using a lamp for the veggie phase and move them outside during the flowering phase. Or may be, i let them outside all the time but the during the veggie phase, i add the lamp on evening. For example, i expose them to the light from 18 PM to midnight, so they will get about 18 hours of natural and artificial light. I try to find a cheap solution. The lamp for veggie and blooming is very expensive and i don't want to pay a big electricity bill. Is it a good idea do you think ? Cheers

[robsamui]

On 8/25/2022 at 3:42 PM, fredbe said:

Hi, because the day duration is too short now. I want to plant about 9 trees (photoperiod)  this month and using a lamp for the veggie phase and move them outside during the flowering phase. Or may be, i let them outside all the time but the during the veggie phase, i add the lamp on evening. For example, i expose them to the light from 18 PM to midnight, so they will get about 18 hours of natural and artificial light. I try to find a cheap solution. The lamp for veggie and blooming is very expensive and i don't want to pay a big electricity bill. Is it a good idea do you think ? Cheers

Have you tried lugging a 12-inch plant pot full of plant and wet/moist soil? Nine plants, twice a day?

I've got exactly the same idea - but think I've resolved it by puttng everything in a small plastic greenhouse. (In my case I'm tying it first in a half-size greenhouse - 1 metre high - using autoflowers which only get to about 2 ft or so . . . )

For you, a 2-metre high greenhouse will allow you room for 7 12-inch pots with a central walk-space.  This one is just under 2,000B with shipping, but it has the clear plastic which the cheaper ones don't have.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/kerry-pe-uv-143-x-143-x-195-cm-greenhouse-pe-i2565037542-s9130340113.html?

 

What I THINK might be the best lights for this setup I have ordered and are arriving any day soon. Youll need three, as shown in my plan - 1 x 1,250 and 2 x 1,080 (inc post).

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i3838411038-s14635581025.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1&spm=spm%3Da2o4m.order_details.item_title.1

 

For this to work the plants must get between 4 and 6 hours a day sunlight - the rest will be coming from the lamps - if you run them at night then you don't need  high-wattage lamps to make up the DLI that the plants need. (But if you are growing ordinary photoperiodic (ie non-auto) then take care to not let them get any darkness - if they get less than 12 hours light they'll start to flower.)

The other thing I've discovered is that the advertised wattage and the actual power consumption is miles apart - my present "250 watt" lamps are actuallu using 50 watts between the 2 of them - so I shouldn't worry too much about the electricity cost. (I'm using 280 baht per month - your set-up will be probably double that.)

(You'll also need to site the greenhouse against a wall - so that you can firmly attach it with screws and fittings - mine's survived howling gales . . .)

 

But hang on for a bit until I can report about the new lights I'm getting . . . 

 

Edited August 27, 2022 by robsamui

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, robsamui said:

What I THINK might be the best lights for this setup I have ordered and are arriving any day soon. Youll need three, as shown in my plan - 1 x 1,250 and 2 x 1,080 (inc post).

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i3838411038-s14635581025.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1&spm=spm%3Da2o4m.order_details.item_title.1

I predict these lights will be worthless for growing anything.

Lots of 'fake' grow lights on sale from China.

[stoner]

4 hours ago, robsamui said:

Have you tried lugging a 12-inch plant pot full of plant and wet/moist soil? Nine plants, twice a day?

I've got exactly the same idea - but think I've resolved it by puttng everything in a small plastic greenhouse. (In my case I'm tying it first in a half-size greenhouse - 1 metre high - using autoflowers which only get to about 2 ft or so . . . )

For you, a 2-metre high greenhouse will allow you room for 7 12-inch pots with a central walk-space.  This one is just under 2,000B with shipping, but it has the clear plastic which the cheaper ones don't have.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/kerry-pe-uv-143-x-143-x-195-cm-greenhouse-pe-i2565037542-s9130340113.html?

 

What I THINK might be the best lights for this setup I have ordered and are arriving any day soon. Youll need three, as shown in my plan - 1 x 1,250 and 2 x 1,080 (inc post).

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i3838411038-s14635581025.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1&spm=spm%3Da2o4m.order_details.item_title.1

 

For this to work the plants must get between 4 and 6 hours a day sunlight - the rest will be coming from the lamps - if you run them at night then you don't need  high-wattage lamps to make up the DLI that the plants need. (But if you are growing ordinary photoperiodic (ie non-auto) then take care to not let them get any darkness - if they get less than 12 hours light they'll start to flower.)

The other thing I've discovered is that the advertised wattage and the actual power consumption is miles apart - my present "250 watt" lamps are actuallu using 50 watts between the 2 of them - so I shouldn't worry too much about the electricity cost. (I'm using 280 baht per month - your set-up will be probably double that.)

(You'll also need to site the greenhouse against a wall - so that you can firmly attach it with screws and fittings - mine's survived howling gales . . .)

 

But hang on for a bit until I can report about the new lights I'm getting . . . 

 

is your tent set up like this pic and a light ?  the middle is empty where the light is strongest ?

[robsamui]

6 hours ago, stoner said:

is your tent set up like this pic and a light ?  the middle is empty where the light is strongest ?

Four lights - with the middle part the furthest away from the lights - how can it be the strongest? And it's not a tent.

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by robsamui

[stoner]

14 minutes ago, robsamui said:

Four lights - with the middle part the furthest away from the lights - how can it be the strongest? And it's not a tent.

 

the orange boxes are the lights. ok got it. 

 

i was thinking spyders with the middle empty. 

 

[robsamui]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I predict these lights will be worthless for growing anything.

Lots of 'fake' grow lights on sale from China.

Well, they won't be growing anything - they'll be supplementing the natural daylight - that's the whole point. ????

Edited August 28, 2022 by robsamui

[zyphodb]

On 8/28/2022 at 6:26 AM, BritManToo said:

I predict these lights will be worthless for growing anything.

Lots of 'fake' grow lights on sale from China.

I bought similar lights, not from overseas but similar to these for 600 odd Bhts and they work fine,

[fredbe]

On 8/28/2022 at 2:27 AM, robsamui said:

Have you tried lugging a 12-inch plant pot full of plant and wet/moist soil? Nine plants, twice a day?

I've got exactly the same idea - but think I've resolved it by puttng everything in a small plastic greenhouse. (In my case I'm tying it first in a half-size greenhouse - 1 metre high - using autoflowers which only get to about 2 ft or so . . . )

For you, a 2-metre high greenhouse will allow you room for 7 12-inch pots with a central walk-space.  This one is just under 2,000B with shipping, but it has the clear plastic which the cheaper ones don't have.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/kerry-pe-uv-143-x-143-x-195-cm-greenhouse-pe-i2565037542-s9130340113.html?

 

What I THINK might be the best lights for this setup I have ordered and are arriving any day soon. Youll need three, as shown in my plan - 1 x 1,250 and 2 x 1,080 (inc post).

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i3838411038-s14635581025.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1&spm=spm%3Da2o4m.order_details.item_title.1

 

For this to work the plants must get between 4 and 6 hours a day sunlight - the rest will be coming from the lamps - if you run them at night then you don't need  high-wattage lamps to make up the DLI that the plants need. (But if you are growing ordinary photoperiodic (ie non-auto) then take care to not let them get any darkness - if they get less than 12 hours light they'll start to flower.)

The other thing I've discovered is that the advertised wattage and the actual power consumption is miles apart - my present "250 watt" lamps are actuallu using 50 watts between the 2 of them - so I shouldn't worry too much about the electricity cost. (I'm using 280 baht per month - your set-up will be probably double that.)

(You'll also need to site the greenhouse against a wall - so that you can firmly attach it with screws and fittings - mine's survived howling gales . . .)

 

But hang on for a bit until I can report about the new lights I'm getting . . . 

 

Thanks for your good advices, that's very interesting !