Do standard room lights help if left on?
Login
User Name
Password   


Registration is FREE. Click to become a member of OrchidBoard community
(You're NOT logged in)

menu menu

Sponsor
Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.

Do standard room lights help if left on?
Many perks!
<...more...>


Sponsor
 

Google


Fauna Top Sites
Register Do standard room lights help if left on? Members Do standard room lights help if left on? Do standard room lights help if left on? Today's PostsDo standard room lights help if left on? Do standard room lights help if left on? Do standard room lights help if left on?
LOG IN/REGISTER TO CLOSE THIS ADVERTISEMENT
Go Back   Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web ! > >
Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-01-2013, 08:16 AM
RosieC RosieC is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2008
Zone: 8a
Location: West Midlands, UK
Age: 49
Posts: 25,462
Default Do standard room lights help if left on?

I don't grow under lights as such, I try and make do with daylight on the windowsills. But at this time of year it's so dark and dingy every day I worry about my orchids, my greenhouse is still pretty bright with light from all sides, but the windowsill ones don't seem to get much.

So I'm just wondering if having the room lights on helps in any way, or is it the wrong sort of light. I mostly have compact florescent lights in the centre of each room. Mostly nowhere near the orchids, but the orchids are lit by them.

Anyone know if this helps even a little
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes No-Pro-mwa liked this post
  #2  
Old 11-01-2013, 09:04 AM
katrina katrina is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2009
Zone: 6a
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 2,452
Do standard room lights help if left on? Female
Default

It'll make the room brighter but chances are it won't help the plants all that much...especially if the plants are on the windowsill and the light is on the other side of the room.

On the other hand...if the bulbs are "daylight" or full spectrum bulbs (even lower wattages) and the plants are right under those bulbs...then, sure, it can be helpful to some extent. It won't bloom high light plants...but it'll bolster the lower light plants. The longer you can leave the lights on...upwards of 14-16hrs...the more benefit you'll see. When dealing w/lower wattage/less intense bulbs...the longer run time adds impact by being cumulative in their effect.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-01-2013, 11:17 AM
RosieC RosieC is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2008
Zone: 8a
Location: West Midlands, UK
Age: 49
Posts: 25,462
Default

Thanks Katrina,

That's about what I thought. I'm mainly concerned with stopping plants going downhill as a result of several months low light through the winter. Winter is always my troublesome time of year for many reasons, and I think the low light levels are just part of that.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-01-2013, 11:42 PM
Laserbeak Laserbeak is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Sep 2013
Zone: 7b
Location: New York
Age: 51
Posts: 384
Do standard room lights help if left on? Male
Default

Probably not, in fact it could be harmful if your plants need a dark period to thrive. The number of photons reaching your plants are not going to be enough to have a significant effect on photosynthesis, but could interrupt the processes some plants need to do in the dark.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-02-2013, 05:20 AM
RosieC RosieC is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2008
Zone: 8a
Location: West Midlands, UK
Age: 49
Posts: 25,462
Default

Thanks Laserbeak,

I wasn't thinking of day & night, just more than only when I need the light. But I thought it was probably the case as you say that it wouldn't provide enough photons to make any improvement so I'm not going to waste energy on leaving them on.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-02-2013, 09:51 AM
Ray's Avatar
Ray Ray is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: May 2005
Member of:AOS
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,204
Do standard room lights help if left on? Male
Default

I think they will be of no value whatsoever, simply because they are probably too far from the plants - remember the inverse square rule. The human eye can adjust, so perceives the light as bright, but chlorophyll has no such adjustment capability.

I measured the output of a 24w, 2' T5 fluorescent fixture with a polished aluminum reflector. The intensity 1" from it was 2000 fc, but 12" away had dropped to only 400. How far are the plants from what wattage bulbs, and are they bare or shaded?


Ray Barkalow
Sent using Tapatalk
__________________
Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast
FIRSTRAYS.COM
Try Kelpak - you won't be sorry!
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes LovePhals liked this post
  #7  
Old 11-02-2013, 10:38 AM
RosieC RosieC is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2008
Zone: 8a
Location: West Midlands, UK
Age: 49
Posts: 25,462
Default

Thanks Ray, that makes sense. I had not thought about how the eye adjusts so we perceive it lighter.

In my living room they are probably about 2m from the lights, there is 5 x 12W compact florescents in a single light fitting (a second fitting the same on the other side of the room). They are shaded with frosted glass shades.

This room is pretty bright for human perception and the center of the room between the two light fittings is a great place for photographing the orchids, but I think you are right that it won't be enough to help the orchids.

Last edited by RosieC; 11-02-2013 at 10:50 AM..
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-02-2013, 10:46 AM
LovePhals LovePhals is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Oct 2013
Zone: 7b
Posts: 981
Do standard room lights help if left on? Female
Default

This is very informative! If you wanted to add some light you could put a lamp with high wattage in close proximity to the plant without the shade and add good light instead of grow lights.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-02-2013, 11:44 AM
Paphluvr's Avatar
Paphluvr Paphluvr is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Mar 2011
Zone: 5a
Location: Base of the "Thumb", MI, USA
Posts: 1,444
Do standard room lights help if left on? Male
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RosieC View Post
I don't grow under lights as such, I try and make do with daylight on the windowsills. But at this time of year it's so dark and dingy every day I worry about my orchids, my greenhouse is still pretty bright with light from all sides, but the windowsill ones don't seem to get much.

So I'm just wondering if having the room lights on helps in any way, or is it the wrong sort of light. I mostly have compact florescent lights in the centre of each room. Mostly nowhere near the orchids, but the orchids are lit by them.

Anyone know if this helps even a little
I think it might actually be a detriment if left on too long. Many plants use photoperiodism (changes in the duration of daylight) in order to initiate bloom. Of course, at the distances you're talking about, the intensity is minimal so I'm not sure how much photoperiodism would be effected.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
helps, light, lights, orchids, wrong, left, standard


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Lights...again. Bradfo69 Growing Under Lights 32 10-08-2013 08:57 PM
Relying solely on lights - advice for my next setup? calvin_orchidL Growing Under Lights 27 02-07-2008 11:14 AM
Compact Florescent Lights - Incandescent replacement Globes any good? ipv6ready Growing Under Lights 8 11-27-2007 03:43 AM
New Orchidarium Chat Room cb977 Terrarium Gardening 25 02-22-2007 11:49 AM
My grow room Wendy Members' Displays 4 10-30-2006 12:09 AM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:17 PM.

© 2007 OrchidBoard.com
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.37 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

Clubs vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.