Oh, you have "cool" grow lights. Mine get awfully hot. They must be using a lot of electricity. that's why I only use them if I can't avoid it......
Join Us! Seed Swap Seed Starting & Conversation #3
meredith thanks for that link....looks very interesting....will have to check it out :)
tuink, aren't all fluorescent lights cool? mine give off pretty much no heat to speak of, I was hoping for a little. I'm using 48" 40 watt Philips Daylight Deluxe
Seems mine are not! But then, I leave everything technical to DH for I don't understand it at all.....
By the way, thanks for supporting Dutch economy by buying a Philips lamp!
The actual grow light tubes do give off heat. I have some of both in my set up, and last year was amazed when I'd left the plant room door closed at the blast of heat I got when I opened the door.
Wind, Looks like flourescents give off only 30% of the heat that incandescents give off.
I found this information on the "GE Lighting FAQ" page:
How much heat (or infrared radiation) is emitted by regular, halogen, and compact fluorescent light bulbs?
Regular light bulbs, known as incandescent bulbs, create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. Halogen light bulbs create light through the same method. Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100).
Fluorescent light bulbs use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent bulb and emits light. (This makes them far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.) The fluorescent bulbs used in your home emit only around 30% of their energy in heat, making them far cooler.
Here's the link: http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/ask_us/faq_compact.htm#heat_rads
Tuink, I'm a huge supporter of the Dutch economy with my bulb, ...flower bulb that is.., addiction, LOL.
In name of the entire Dutch population: thank you very much! Bowing deep.......
........for me, it's not only the bulbs, but the cut flowers.
Suzy, you humble me.....
Just think, you can say you're doing the job just by talking to us, Tuink :)
hmmm....I think we're all doing our part - flower bulbs, fluorescent lights, cut flowers, not to mention certain cheeses....happy to help in any way I can!!!
Tuink I got an idea from you. The seeds that I don't have enough of to sow a 6 or 9pk of- I am using cups and putting some of them right in a baggy. I have 2 sprouts of Toad Lily now. I am surprised at that because I thought they would need cold first!
Meredith - they probably got all the cold they needed sitting on the mail truck waiting to get to you!
Lol - that's true!
Oh, that's why mine didn't germinate a couple of years back......
C-dawg - I had an idea for you to ponder too. Maybe if you still have more of those unperforated type inserts you could cut them into 6 or 9 cell sections before filling and using them. I like to keep things so I have to transplant as little as possible so I probably would have taken the scissors to that section of seedlings and cut it right out of the pack to stick under lights!
Suzy - Did anyone end up telling you wich way to plant that canna tail? I have one sprouted and I want to be sure I put it right. Usually when I'm not sure I put it side ways, but jsut curious if someone knew? I looked for it in the old thread-but I couldn't find it.
Meredith, tail down I should think!
Okay thank you so much Tuink!
I never got any tails! I gave up and just planted them. They are covered and I have no idea what they are doing, but a bunch of the folks from Indiana are buying from that coop and splitting the postage....75c a piece and I can throw away this darn buckshot. LOL!
I am curious, and you probably know this, Meredith -- would hummers come to a yellow or peach canna or only a red one? Also, and I know you'd know this: Is Jacob Kline still the best butterfly/hummer Monarda? Or do the bees get in the way like on the Allium tuberosum, and Monarda isn't that great afterall? It seems like the flowers are so little compared to the 48" plant, and I htink I'd rather have a shorter one, *if* I need it at all.
Suzy
Suzy,
I don't know much about hummers but I think they will go to pink and yellow ones too. Only they go to the red first! At least I would if I were a hummer....
The tails are the roots growing they go down :)
I would think the hummers would go to the red then the yellow, but eventually they will go to all of them.
I have some mondra in the field but the bees seem to take it over, I don't think I've ever seen a hummer on it, they are the shorter versions though, don't remember which ones I just grew them a few years ago and didn't know where to put them so I stuck them in the field lol They get about 2 1/2' tall, next year I might go for some Jacob Kline, I have so many bees though I've been trying to stay away from it.
Yeah, I think they'd go to any color canna if they were already in your yard. The reds would probably just get there attention from 50 ft up in the sky-lol! About the JC monarda - in my yard this is their fav. I think this varies, because I've heard other people say they don't see hummers at them at all. Mine get at least as tall as me -and I've found the hummers prefer the tallest things in my yard. Maybe it's just because I have kitties though!
Sorry I meant to say that I also have mixed color monardas but no hummer action. The butterflies love those though!
.....And....my darn brain farts!.........I don't see any bees on the JC's.
This message was edited Feb 21, 2008 10:13 AM
This message was edited Feb 21, 2008 10:35 AM
has anyone tried the chocolate lily fritillaria camschatcensis? I have to decide where and how to plant it and it looks like it takes up to 4 years from seed and when it finally blooms the blooms smell 'skunky'. Not sure if I could WS it or not?
I'm wondering how 'skunky' do they smell? Often times I don't smell flowers that are described like this just walking by, you have to stick your nose right up to the blossom. I want to plant them by our front porch but won't if they really stink!
Weez made this comment in the plantfiles "They are often fondly referred to as sh*t lilies due to the flower's aroma that rivals fresh manure." about them, I think I'd take her word for it and plant them away from the front of the house LOL
I posted a photo at another thread here it is http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4548484
and heres one of my pink and purples -that the hb's ignore http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/160162/
I remember taking that picture very well. - Their were 3 of them buzzing around my head while I was trying to plant in that area.
If you don't already grow monarda check out the last entry here: http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/viewentry/176308/
This message was edited Feb 21, 2008 10:28 AM
Oh, If I had known they were called sh*t lily I would've wanted some-LOL that is hilarious!!!
Wind if I were you, I would decide which neighbor I liked least & plant on thier side!!! Or if 1 pees you off, just move it to their side!!!
I have a neighbor like that but he lives across the street!
I see hummers at red and orange cannas, but since they have a choice they seem to ignore other colors. I have lots of hummer activity around red monarda, but haven't noticed them around the other colors. Suzy, you may want to try Cambridge Scarlet; its shorter than Jacob Kline, but my JK had big, long lasting blooms and made a great statement in the garden.
Ok, that's it someone save me some seeds to that JK please for next year LOL Can we start making lists now Suzy? LOL
Hate to change the subject but...did someone say that gazania is hard to start from seed? If it is I'm going to start two trays of them, I'm growing them for a neighbor :)
I discovered some more germinating babies a few minutes ago, and some things that are novel (to me) to boot! 2 varieties of Agapanthus, and some species Gladiolus are up!
Lebug forgive my laziness but check this out http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4548603 and the one roght under it. Not to say I won't try though!
Added- I need to check things I've posted in the past before I post new stuff. - I wanted to see why I was spelling Jacob Kline with a C and found an entry in plant files from me! Dah! And the same pic as in that thread ! Double dah!http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55390/
This message was edited Feb 21, 2008 10:58 AM
I have the same problem but I think the finches get the seeds or some other kind of bird, I have a lot of trouble with seeds because of all of the finches here, thanks Meridith :) I have the ox eye planted there too and they do leave me a few seeds on those but when I look up there after they go to seed the finches are all over them!
I agree about the finches and it's because I noticed them out there when I was waiting for the seed heads to mature. And some of the stems were bent over! Plus when I would check the seed heads for seeds I would get a ton of little beetles that looked like little black seeds (except they crawl-ew!) This year I will try some panty hose over them! This will be a good candidate for trading starts - because the clumps get quite a bit larger in a season!
Now that I am thinking about Monarda, I am getting anxious to see what my winter sown bradburiana and fistulosa bring this year. Hopefully lots of flowers! I am extremely anxious about the bradburiana- this one is supposed to bloom a month earlier than other monardas. I will share the wealth if I get seeds!
I'm anxious to see if the Castilleja coccinea, Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, germinates for me. I heard it is a good hummer plant too. I sowed these on top of damp sand in a baggie that's been in my refridgerator since January.. Yesterday, I wet newspaper down in my wild area and dumped a bag of garden soil on top of the newpaper, carefully took out the clump of damp sown seeds then lightly covered it all up with pine straw. Reckon this will work? Does anyone have this growing in their wildflower meadow or a section of their gardens?
Just like WS Cordeledawg, looks to me like it'll work, I'm WS some to put in my wild bird garden, hope mine germinate too!
I did Indian Paintbrush last year in a container outside. I had great germination, then one day it was all dead! It was either left dry for too long or possibly because it was lacking a host plant. I think it was the lack of host plant because my other stuff pulled through. (I can't remember exactly how dry it got.) Next time I try this I will seed something else right in with it or try direct sowing.
What do you mean you didn't plant a host plant in with it, does it need one or something else planted with it?