HSP v. Flourescent lighting

[Cdmcmonigle]

I am looking into HSP lamps for my orchids. I have no experience with this type of bulb/set up. I know the advantages of it but I'm a little weary on using it inside since they can get hot. Does anyone have any advice on certain brands, watts, tips, etc.? Good or bad experiences?

[Tindomul]

What kind of orchids are you looking to grow under them?
My lab used one for many years. THe light was very bright, and it did produce lots of heat. We had to be careful spraying the plants and make sure the water didn't hit that bulb. That being said, the room was kept cool with either AC or open windows in the winter. So the heat from it was not an issue.
Also, we were not growing light hungry plants, so we never needed to replace the bulb. It turned on every day for 5 years before we took down the system. I have heard that the bulb gets too dim for high light plants after a short time. I don't know this for sure though.

[estación seca]

If you mean high pressure sodium, or HPS... I used one to overwinter cacti in a Midwestern basement. The light it provided served this purpose well.

It generated an enormous amount of heat. If you touch the bulb you will have an instant 3rd degree burn. If you spray water on the bulb it will explode. One day I went into the basement after work and found the lamp had exploded, burning many plants with the shards of glass. I was lucky it didn't set something nearby on fire.

I would never consider using a light like this again. Much safer alternatives are available.

The hydroponics shops here cater to cannabis growers. The shopkeepers tell me the growers switched from HPS to compact fluorescent bulbs long ago, and are now thinking about LED lights.

[Leafmite]

I use T5HO lamps for my orchids and some of the other plants I bring inside for the winter. Here is what I have:

https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Blaze-960...un+Blaze+T5-24

https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-Flu...+t5+grow+light

---------- Post added at 08:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:47 AM ----------

These do generate quite a bit of heat and the environment is drier. I found that I need to water quite a bit more often than I did when I grew in the windows. Good luck!

[rockyfarm]

I was growing under T8 fluorescent tubes but switched to the 'residential' 100 watt equivalent LED bulbs. These are only 12 watts and actually yield about 2000 lumens all around the 10" reflectors I am using, each with a pair of LEDs (one 2700K, one 6400K). My grow room has about 25 square feet of plant growth area under about 500 watts of light. New leaf color on Brassavolas, Cattleyas and Neofinettia is nice medium to reddish green. I like the Leson bulbs I bought via Amazon.com (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1).