Hi carolyn,
I cannot tell you where to buy what you need in the USA...However, I can give you my feedback in light source, based on my own experience: I also grow indoors. I have tried both T8 and T5 tubes, in both cases trying to have a good balance in Light Temperature: half of the lamps with cool light (e.g. 4000K) and the other half with warm or daylight (e.g. 6000K) - or the closest values you get to these ones. The idea is to get a good balance of the light sptectrum. Normally you get adviced to use the ration 2 or 3 cool to 1 warm light lamp, which is optimal (I have it for the Cattleyas, where I have 4 T5 installed). However, I have found that a ration 1:1 also works fine (have another set-up with only two lamps)
Depending on your plants, I would choose T5 (more light!) or T8 (good for phals and low light plants, however I have one Epicattleya that seems to be happy under T8: see Pic 1 of the calendar 2009 poll)
Normally, I let the lamps on for 8h per day. Mid-Winter I increase it to 10h!
Don't buy those lamps especially made for plants and bla-bla-bla... indeed they are good, but normally quite expensive, and you obtained the same (or better) effect with normal lamps as explainned above.
|