Growing Under Lights

Could someone point me in the direction of a thread or website where I would find information on growing plants under lights. I need specs, foot candles, hours per day etc. for a wide range of plants.

Thanks so much!

Jonetta

Jonetta,
It would probably be easier if you looked up the plants individually for their light requirements. You might also try the container gardening forum.
Tina

Thanks! Tina - Do you grow plants under lights? We did years ago and I have forgotten just about everything I knew back then.....have slept too many times.

I overwinter some of my plants under lights. I lived in North Dakota and didn't have a cold room that was warm enough to winter plants in so I extended their growing season by using the lights and humidifiers.

Hi Jonetta, I grow many plants under lights year round. I grow hoyas, succulents, begonias and gesneriads. They grow very well and even bloom. I do not know anything about foot candles. I use 2 flourscent tubes per shelf and have the tubes suspended 6-12 inches above the plants. My plants sit on saucers on a bed of gravel for humidity, this seems to work very well. I have been growing like this for about 10 years. Since I live in an Apartment window space is limited. I have over 100 plants and about 30% are grown under lights. Hope this helps. Jackie

Thanks Jackie, that does help. I am still waiting on the gro lights. We ordered the verilux, they were higher, but sounded like what we wanted. I know a lot of people grow their plants under regular flourescent lighting and they say it works fine, and some like the wide spectrum lighting. We will see how these work. We may have spent extra money for nothing. DH put up nine fixtures in the basement for me and we had 7 tubes already. Hopefully they will be in sometime this week.

That is good to know about the begonias, I have a few that will be put under the lights.

How many hours a day do you leave the gro lights on??

Tina_A - What all do you grow under your lights?

Jonetta, your lights sound like they they will be great. I leave my lights on 14-16 hours per day. I use regular lights, so with grow lights or wide spectrum your plants should do great.

Newest high tech (kinda a joke) thing to try - CF daylight bulbs. I have some 42w. spirals that work very well for plants.

gasrocks - Thanks for your input also. I have no idea how many plants I have. I may have to try some of the 42w. They are all sitting out in the garage (while the vehicles sit outside) both bays are FULL. - Did not get the tubes today...wish they would hurry up and get here.
Everyday they sit out there they are going downhill :(.

Jonetta,
I usually grow tropicals under lights during the winter. 2 winters ago I even got a palm to flower under lights, with some extra sunlight coming in too. I have brugs, and in my aerogarden I had herbs. Tina