Help me choose a light

[Call_Me_Bob]

hi! so im planning to switch from a shelving units with t12 flouros to a table/bench growing area. currently i have a 4 foot metal shelf that has 4 tiers. however, only 2 are usable because the bottom is basically on the floor and its just too low. and the top tier is 7ft in the air, so too high to take care of things. so i basically only have 2 4ft shelves for all of my plants. it was TIGHT last winter, and im 100% sure they wont all fit back in. So i was thinking about getting a plastic 8' greenhouse bench or just a standard 8' sturdy plastic table. either one would be wider then the what i have now. and they would be at a better height so its easier to take care of the plants and such. and im also planning on adding bleacher light tiers or shelves to put on the bench/table. so it would add more space to grow on and would also give me different light levels. and finally, im planning on hanging a sheet of chicken wire on the wall directly behind the bench/table so i can hang pots as well.

id like to hang 1 or 2 lights from the ceiling over the plants. i want them to be strong enough that they can be a few feet away from the plants. i grow an assortment of things, but the light levels needed range from Phal to Catt

here is a diagram i drew up.. also, if anyone has any good idea on what to do so i can water without taking the plants to the bathtub, PLEASE let me know!


Untitled by orchidman10, on Flickr
any thoughts on what type of light is best? thanks!

[Ray]

Your constraint of light at the ceiling is the issue. You're going to have to provide thousands and thousands of lumens that high up in order to get hundreds or even a few thousands at four feet.

An HPS or MH light on a moving track might do, but that's hardly realistic for a living area.

Better rethink in terms of closer.

[Call_Me_Bob]

i was hoping you'd respond ray!
it doesnt have to be ON the ceiling, it can be susended from the ceiling i guess. i just dont want to have it super close to the plants, like 8 or so inches above the tallest plant would be aceptable... any suggestions??

the table would either be 24 or 36 inches wide by 8 feet long

[Ray]

Like many things related to growing orchids, there are a number of ways to "skin that cat".

For example, you could use a couple of multi-bulb, 4' T5 fixtures (to cover the 8' length of the table), and position them over the back of the table. The higher light plants could be right under them, and the lower-light plants moved to the front, where the light intensity would be lower.

For a 24" table, two, 2-bulb fixtures might be enough if they are kept low enough. If you want to raise the lights, you'd need more bulbs per fixture to increase the light intensity. (If you decide to go with fluorescents, contact me directly, as I can offer a nice discount on Hydrofarm products, giving you a lot of options).

If you're looking for longer life and energy savings, or are looking to supplement some darker "pockets", I have some really good LEDs bulbs that fit into standard incandescent fixtures.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by Ray

Like many things related to growing orchids, there are a number of ways to "skin that cat".

For example, you could use a couple of multi-bulb, 4' T5 fixtures (to cover the 8' length of the table), and position them over the back of the table. The higher light plants could be right under them, and the lower-light plants moved to the front, where the light intensity would be lower.

For a 24" table, two, 2-bulb fixtures might be enough if they are kept low enough. If you want to raise the lights, you'd need more bulbs per fixture to increase the light intensity. (If you decide to go with fluorescents, contact me directly, as I can offer a nice discount on Hydrofarm products, giving you a lot of options).

If you're looking for longer life and energy savings, or are looking to supplement some darker "pockets", I have some really good LEDs bulbs that fit into standard incandescent fixtures.

thanks for the input!

im thinking ill go the flourescent direction. i will send you an email a little later.. maybe we can work it out so its brought to the SOS show instead of having to pay out the wazoo for shipping

ive seen those par 56 leds before.

[Call_Me_Bob]

just sent ya an email

[Call_Me_Bob]

Alright so I think I've decided on a setup!! Yayy! Here are the deets.

/>Build a 3x8 foot stand ( height suggestions?) I'll also maybe something that is tiered like bleacher so I can have plants higher or lower depending on light. I'll also make a frame of wood and stable chicken wire inside of the cram so I can hang lots from the back wall. The stand will be in front of two northeast facing windows.

/>Use "under the bed" storage bins with egg crate on top for the plants to sit on. So I can water without moving them and they don't sit in water and there isn't shared nastiness. Ill drill a hole and connect tubing to the bins so I can drain into a 5g bucket to empty the bins if needed.

/>I'm going to get a Hydrofarm 4 foot 4 bulb fixture ($118 shipped on amazon) and suspend it from the ceiling over the plants. This fixture will adequately light 6 feet of growing space. I'll positions it so that the first 6 feet of the bench from the right side going left are lit. And then I'll rely on the extras light from the fixture along with light from the window for the 2 feet of growing space on the very left of the bench. I also have a dome reflector I can put a CFL in for even more light on that side.

>This should work great! At least that's what I hope. Under the stand I have now, on which the plants are 8 inches away from 4 T12s I get 1800-2000 foot candles of light. So the upgrade will outshine that in most spots and over all of the stand, nothing will have less light then 1800 foot candles for sure!

/>I have a room humidifier that humidifies by a wick and the. Blowing air through it. I used it last winter and it worked great. So I'll use it again this winter.

/>Yayy! I'm so excited!!!!

/>Does anyone have a graph or outline of the best way to build a sturdy bench?

[naoki]

Can't you put T5HO in one side of 8-foot table, and then use your current T12 (maybe 4-6 bulbs) on the other side? You'll get more total light than using spiral CFL bulbs at the ends. Even with 4 feet 4bulb T5HO, you'll need to place them fairly close to the plants (1-2 feet instead of 4+feet as you illustrated in your original post).

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by naoki

Can't you put T5HO in one side of 8-foot table, and then use your current T12 (maybe 4-6 bulbs) on the other side? You'll get more total light than using spiral CFL bulbs at the ends. Even with 4 feet 4bulb T5HO, you'll need to place them fairly close to the plants (1-2 feet instead of 4+feet as you illustrated in your original post).

yeah the drawing i made doesnt really apply anymoer. haha

because the t12s are inefficient, the bulbs go out all the time, and they are too bulky and annoying

[billc]

Originally Posted by Call_Me_Bob

yeah the drawing i made doesnt really apply anymoer. haha

because the t12s are inefficient, the bulbs go out all the time, and they are too bulky and annoying

T12's can bloom phals and paphs. You do have to move them when they spike.
Bulbs going out all the time doesn't sound right. Are you getting them wet?
T12's are about the same size/ bulk as T5HO, although the T5HO gives a heck of a lot more light.

Bill