Compact Florescent Lights - Incandescent replacement Globes any good?

[ipv6ready]

Two similar related questions;
Oh I am in Sydney Australia My first post so if this should be posted else way in the forum feel free to move.

1.A newbie question for sure, but here goes. I live in an apartment in southern hemisphere which gets morning direct sun for only three hours on the balcony facing east west from 7am to 10am. After that it is only shady incidental light (fuzzy shadows only). Though I do get 1 hour from 6 to 7pm afternoon sun reflected off a building in front. Do you think I need to supplement my plants with lights in my balcony?

FYI. All orcids are recent acquisitions, and from what I have read on the web it seems to be getting enought light as the Cyms are giving me an indication that they are getting enough light as they are slight yellow green. I was given one and bought one.

One was dark green (given to me) that never flowed and the other which I bought had light yellow green leaves, which had beautiful flowers. Both the leaves now look the same slight yellowish bright green. So I presume the cyms are getting enough light and by that I hope my Dens and Onc as well. Or should I get some lights installed around the balcony?

PS: the balcony “wall” is clear glass so all the sunlight lights get through while blocking much of the wind normal in a high rise.

2. In my bedroom I want to use CFL -> standard incandescent globe replacement?

Is this very different to T5, T8 etc. I have goggled but all / mostb refer to standard T4 t8 sontnar, high powered lights etc.

In this room I get about 2 hours of early morning direct sunlight after that only incidental light.

So I plan to use three 23watt 125watt equivalent gloves for like 8 hours a day to supplement my Dends Nobiles.
Are CFL any good?

I have a floor lamp that has movable three hoods, I plan to use, one cool white 2700K and warm white 6700K plus one other depending on advice, would this give my dends enough light?

Just in case what I mean by CFL is the standard globe replacement that go into standard light socket, nothing any special.

Thanks in advance from Sydney Aust.

[FinnBar]

Hi there and a warm welcome to the forum!

very few orchids need or want direct sunlight for extended hours and though i'm no expert it sounds like they're happy out there in the balcony.

do the lightbulbs you'v'e looked into have any information on the light output? lumens, lm that is?
2700K doesn't sound like a cool white at all, at least here it's commonly used around the house. i think the light it provides leans too much on the yellow part of the spectrum. plants prefer red and blue, 6700K sounds far better. can you check the colour spectrum on the package as well?

[Undergrounder]

Hey mate yeah it sounds like your balcony orchids are loving that first bit of sunlight, east-facing is perfect. Just keep a watch on that leaf colouring but the balcony sounds fine.

CFL = like a standard indandescent baton light bulb?

If so, the Fluoro tubes are much better, give out better light, use less energy and cost less in the long run. You can pick up a double T8, T5 or T4 fitting at bunnings for pretty cheap. To be honest i'm not sure what the big deal is between the different 'Ts', but i noticed the quad-phosphore ones are brightest and were reccommended by the Hydro guy in Ryde.

If you're looking at a real dedicated area that is a bit more obtrusive, i'd spend a bit more and get a dedicated grow light with a reflector from a Hydroponics shop, but they're bigger, uglier and more expensive and possibly not necessary if you get enough natural light.

[ipv6ready]

Originally Posted by FinnBar

Hi there and a warm welcome to the forum!

very few orchids need or want direct sunlight for extended hours and though i'm no expert it sounds like they're happy out there in the balcony.

do the lightbulbs you'v'e looked into have any information on the light output? lumens, lm that is?
2700K doesn't sound like a cool white at all, at least here it's commonly used around the house. i think the light it provides leans too much on the yellow part of the spectrum. plants prefer red and blue, 6700K sounds far better. can you check the colour spectrum on the package as well?

1450 lumens, 66Im/W
23W 6500K
1255 equivalent
Cool Daylight

the other

23W 2700K 210mA
Warm White

Thanks undergrounder, I'm trying to stay away from "ugly" intrusive
I want it as nice looking as I can get without making my room looking like a "greenhouse"/hydroponic setup.

I'm thinking that 3 x 23W CFL will give it that extra light? Since I already have them and it cost less then running a single 100W inandescent light but I get 375W output or am I wrong?

I am new to orchids but I got the bug hehe. I'm sort of hooked on Dendrobiums.

I have D. Delicatum and D Kingianum (a few alba's and standard purple) from ebay in the balconey with few large cyms and onicidiums from various places.


But in my bedroom 8 Nobiles soft canes plants all aquired in four months. yikes!!!!

[FinnBar]

i'm really having a hard time articulating what i have in mind but here's my best shot

3 x 1450 = 4350 lm
ok, that sounds alright but with 8 Dendrobiums your grow area is pretty large. to cover that area the bulbs would have to hang relatively high, i believe
therefore not enough light reaching the plants

that alone won't be enough but as an addition to daylight they could be of use. since you have the fixture already why not give it a try.. i'd set the timers for 12hrs though and only get some 6500K bulbs.

Antti

[ipv6ready]

Originally Posted by FinnBar

i'm really having a hard time articulating what i have in mind but here's my best shot

3 x 1450 = 4350 lm
ok, that sounds alright but with 8 Dendrobiums your grow area is pretty large. to cover that area the bulbs would have to hang relatively high, i believe
therefore not enough light reaching the plants

that alone won't be enough but as an addition to daylight they could be of use. since you have the fixture already why not give it a try.. i'd set the timers for 12hrs though and only get some 6500K bulbs.

Antti

Thanks. The lights are quite close to the plants.
I should have stated that I have taken the hood off, and the lights are in between the tallest plants but not touching. My floor lamp has those flexible heads (metal coil) that you see in cheap desk lamps so it can be moved to a position.

My eyes could be decieving me or I'm beening way to optimistic but I think my new growth have grown about two cm in one week.

The thing is I don't have prior experiece nor got anything to compare it to?, so tonite I put one plant that I divided outside hehe.

So you think three 125W 6500K is the go? I was thinking either one 2700K and two 6500 or vice versa to expand the spectrum what do you think?

thanks for taking your time.

[John D.]

Try this for more info than you may want.
Indoor Plant Lighting
I would go with the three 6500K bulbs

[FinnBar]

a lot of good info, thanks John D.
i'd go for 3 6500K bulbs too. though 2700K might offer more red i think it wastes a lot of precious lumens into yellow part of the spectrum which is useless for plants.

[Undergrounder]

The new growths on my den kingianums have also grown about an inch in the last week... they get tonnes of light, i have mine in practically full sun all day. They burn slightly to begin with but they get used to it.