growing a small plant with artificial light?

[confused]

ok, i just got this great idea for a birthday gift for my girlfriend but i have no idea how to do it and its kind of crunch time so...

I live in michigan so its winter right now, and her favorite flower is white orchids with purple in the middle, I was thinking i could buy a small plant in a pot and a lamp with the right kind of light for it to grow.

We are in college so the plant will be living in a dorm room, this is why i need the lamp, plus its winter so theres not that much light.

I just have no idea what kind of light i need....i was hoping to just get a small lamp with a special light bulb but everything ive seen online so far tends to be for growing a lot of them, not just for a small plant, and those are way out of my budget.

any ideas? is this even possible? I'm not looking for anything professional, just to be able for the plant to grow and look nice....and since its a small plant I'm hoping for a small light cause this will be in a dorm room and something compact would be ideal.

Thanks!

[Jkelee]

Do you not have any light coming into a Windowsill? Or is there no windows anywhere in that dorm??
As that's where I'd put 1 lil plant

[Ross]

There are several options. First you'll need to locate the plant. Most of the true miniatures are only available from on-line or vendors in areas outside Michigan. I'm more familiar with the lighting issue. Once you find a plant (there are several vendors in the Chigago area) then you'll know how large a light to get. There are lots of compact florescents that will work just fine. Also the lighting sold for counteracting the winter blas (such as Full Spectrum Lighting and Light Therapy) which is bit pricey but really nice esthetic fixtures, can be used effectively, especially for one plant. This time of year you may find Phalenopsis (Moth Orchids) or Paphs (Slipper Orchids) in Meijer stores around Michigan. They are great choices for growing under lights. I would suggest a light something like BlueMaxâ„¢ 70w Dimmable White Desk Lamp. Pricey? Yes, but will fit in just about any decor. Another option might be 105 Watt Compact Fluorescent which is significantly cheaper, but you'll have to provide your own fixture and the base is too fat to fit into most normal lamp housings. The screw base is the standard medium base of most household bulbs. I made a setup that looks like this for mine ->

I think you can see how bright this bulb is, but also how ugly. If you (and she) can live with this setup in the dorm, I'd get one of these, an extension cord and socket from Home Depot as well as a cheap appliance timer. Either of these solutions would work with one of the Phal or Paph choices. Now as for colors...

[confused]

well....there is a window, but its winter here so, theres light, but hardly..theres no direct "sunlight".....

and the sun isnt out for most of the day....

[Ross]

Originally Posted by confused

well....there is a window, but its winter here so, theres light, but hardly..theres no direct "sunlight".....

and the sun isnt out for most of the day....

Where in Michigan are you located?

[confused]

i live in ann arbor.....university of michigan to be specific

i was thinkign of something like BlueMaxâ„¢ 70w Dimmable White Desk Lamp.......but i looked on meijers website and for a $20 plant...thats not worth it, the light hanging ontop seems like it would be distracting.

my idea was to find a cheap small lamp and just replace the lightbulb

[Ross]

Rob (Littlefrog Farms) is a board member not far from you (a bit north as I recall.) He has some stuff at his place and is a great resource on what grows around here. A visit to one of the Meijer stores, though may lead you something you (and she) will like. Let us know what you work out. Good luck and much success in your studies. If you are ever up Cadillac way, look me up.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by confused

i live in ann arbor.....university of michigan to be specific

i was thinkign of something like BlueMaxâ„¢ 70w Dimmable White Desk Lamp.......but i looked on meijers website and for a $20 plant...thats not worth it, the light hanging ontop seems like it would be distracting.

my idea was to find a cheap small lamp and just replace the lightbulb

Until I get some better lights in January for my dorm room, right now I have a 32W daylight compact fluorescent bulb that fits right into my desklamp. I keep a few of my plants under it, pretty close to the bulb and it works. I paid the bulb about 15€. Maybe something like that is what you need?

[camille1585]

Sorry for the double post, OB is doing strange things right now!

[confused]

thanks for all the help, i really appreciate it! didn't think id get so many replies so fast.

I think i know what i need to do now, thanks a lot everyone! I hope she likes it!