LED help for new grow room

[akhenenra]

I've been growing orchids in a grow tent with some other plants and now I want to give them their own tent. Vivosun has a kit I can get that will save some money that includes its own light. I was wondering if anyone has experience with this type of light for orchids. Its the VS 1000, link here:

Amazon.com

I'm thinking since most vivosun products are designed for cannabis this light is probably pretty powerful. I know most people recommend the orchid hobbyist lights and I can do that, it's just this kit would save some cash. Any insight would be appreciated. thank you.

[Dimples]

I haven’t used that light but it does say it’s dimmable so I’d assume you could meet the light needs of almost anything, but you’d be buying an over powered light for (what I’m assuming) your needs are. What types of orchids are you planning on growing under it? Low-moderate or mod-high light plants? A combo?

[akhenenra]

Originally Posted by Dimples

I haven’t used that light but it does say it’s dimmable so I’d assume you could meet the light needs of almost anything, but you’d be buying an over powered light for (what I’m assuming) your needs are. What types of orchids are you planning on growing under it? Low-moderate or mod-high light plants? A combo?

I'm growing mostly phalaenopsis cattleyas and vandas but also have an oncidium, dendrobium and two tolumnias. So a mix haha.

Yeah since the unit is primarily designed for cannabis I'd assume it will be a little overpowered but id rather have that and adjust than the other way around.

[Leisesturm]

Saving cash is always nice, but that is a really nice light regardless. The Cannabis people would probably use a light like that for just one plant. Two at most. You should be able to grow many, many more orchid plants than that with that light.

You won't be able to put everything at the same distance from the light anyway, so, in a way, it's perfect that you can (must) stack plants according to their light needs.

What is the rest of the kit like? Clearly they didn't do the cost savings on the light. I'm a little concerned that the tent will be on the tiny side. I resisted 'orchidariums' and grow tents because of that. But for me personally, if I can't get IN the tent, it's too small. But that's my personal bias.

[Ray]

Take a look at botanicalleds.com (formerly theorchidhobbyist.com). The lamps were engineered with a par meter (intensity) and spectrophotometer (spectrum) with orchids in mind, and are some of the best bang for the buck out there.

I don’t understand the confusion about LEDs. A photon is a photon, and every plant has its volume demand in the correct wavelengths. As long as the spectrum is reasonably complete in the par range, it’s all about watts and distance. A “mega lamp” intended to grow full sun cacti is perfectly fine for deep understory, shade loving plants - all you have to do is increase the lamp to-plant distance so the intensity is reduced to give the plants the correct range of photon volume in a day.

Likewise (within limits) a really weak lamp can be sufficient for a vanda - if it’s kept really close to the plant for an extended time per day.

[akhenenra]

thanks for the help everyone it's appreciated. I did contact botanicalleds and will ask him as well.

[KatzPlantz]

This has been a really helpful post. My HID light setup finally fried (and melted its timer, scary) tonight, so I decided it’s time to go to a led setup. Great link for Amazon, was able to also take advantage of Black Friday sales. Thanks for this post!

[sunfire]

I've used lights like these in a very tall (84") grow tent at full dim with a shelving system with very high light tolerant orchids and air plants at the top and LED strips on the other shelves. I wound up replacing them with strips but set up a shorter tent with this type of light, a few short shelves on the sides and plastic netting for mounted plants.

It really depends on how tall the tent is and how you set it up. Check the light levels at every level you will place a plant with a photometer so you don't burn things. I use the Photone app which yes, is not 100% a high end PAR meter but will get you close. Also watch the heat because the driver/heat sink can get warm. It's a nice way to heat the tent during the day if that's what you need. I aim a fan across the top to disperse the heat through the tent.

I also am of the option you don't really need all the stuff that comes in the full grow tent kits to grow orchids (like the exhaust system).

ETA- didn't realize how old the original post was but I'll leave my 2 cents I guess.