Artificial lighting.

[Jeffery]

With the days getting shorter and not much sun these days, I sure miss that California sun . Anyways! I think the use of artificial lighting will soon be needed to help keep my little lovelies lovely, any suggestions?

[quiltergal]

T5s fluoros rock!

[johnblagg]

I favor hid lights myself or high wattags cfls ...I have never used t5s and around here all I can find in t5 flour are low wattage and a high price for them at that. I can get a 85 watt cfl at a great price and a simple standard light socket on a chain and done...this year the hid lights may not get used for the first time ever but its early yet

[grasshopper]

I don't have enough windows with south/west/east exposure, so I have to have lights in the winter when I bring my plants in. I currently have 2 4-foot 2-bulb T8 fixtures that I have my Phals under, and they've served me well. The Phals that didn't summer outside have had excellent leaf and root growth, and a few are putting out bloom spikes. I'm thinking, however, of purchasing a set of T5s for my higher light plants (which I didn't have last year), which will go on a separate set of shelves.

[Jeffery]

I will have to check out those T5's, grasshopper you mention you use T8's for your Phals and going with T5 for the higher light liking plants, is the T5 to much for the Phal? I know T5"s are HO, right now I keep all my plants in a east window, but now with the sun dropping more in to the southern hemisphere, I am getting less sun light coming through, soon it will be a few hours a days.
and what would you use for bulbs? I seen bulbs before that claim to be great for indoor plants.

[johnblagg]

I am not sure that all T5's are HO I have seen some advertised as Ho and some at Home depo just labled T5 12 watt 24 watt ect ....anyone have the facts on this for sure....It is one of the reasons I have not bought t5's at Home depo I dont want t5's of just 12 watts especially if they are simply 12 watt bulbs of a more compact diamiter I just dont see any advantage there compared to 12 watt cfls which would actualy allow me to put more light in a even smaller area increasing the total compared to t5's 2 foot long

[Call_Me_Bob]

The t5s shouldnt be too Much light for the phals. If they are placed accordingly. And not as close as the catts

[grasshopper]

I started out with just Phals and read several comments on OB that T8s were sufficient light to bloom them. Then, over the course of this year I've acquired a few oncidiums and catts, which definitely require more light, thus my need to re-think my lighting set up.

And not all T5 bulbs are HO. I think they have to specifically state "HO" on the packaging, otherwise you're just buying a smaller bulb. And I haven't seen HO T5 bulbsat Home Depot or any of the other big box stores. I have seen them at an electrical supply store - either in their catalog or in their shop. Hydroponic shops also sell them.

[Call_Me_Bob]

what is the difference between t12s and t8s? i have one, but im not sure if they are t8s or t12s. i got them from a guy in the local OS. he upgraded to a GH and gave me his lights. he grows mostly catts. so i think mine should be enough, but i have my doubts sometimes. i might get a round shoplight and put an HO cfl in it, to supplement the catt shelf.

[Jeffery]

ohhh!! I thought automatically T5's were HO, the reason for the T5's in the first place, good thing I mentioned that or I would had just assumed they were HO.