What are the right lights for me?

[marcoeverard]

I have a 10ft x 10ft orchid house but due to the design it really only has sufficient light for lower light plants. However i am very fond of cattleyas and would like to make one end of it much brighter to supplement the natural daylight that they receive through a glass block window.
The area I would like to light is 10ft long by 3ft wide and the orchids sit on a bench about 3ft from the ceiling. I would like to mount the light on the ceiling (although I know that closer is better) and wonder what kind of lighting would be most suitable and would appreciate any suggestions.so any thoughts on whether the LED floodlights like these are any use Would LED flood lights be suitable at all. These ones use only 60w and give out 5500 lumens? If so what would be best the cool white or warm white? https://www.ledhut.co.uk/led-flood-l...avaliable.html as they only use 60w but give out 5500 lumens

[Ray]

The would be great for providing light, but not really in a spectrum that's particularly good for the plants - white LEDs are particularly strong in the green part of the spectrum (where the human eye is most sensitive - hence the reason they look so bright) and blue, but very little in the red end, at all.

You might consider looking into pricing on the Philips Greenpower "Flowering Lamps". They are only 18W, but are intended specifically to supplement sunlight in greenhouses. I am using the Deep red/white ones, and from a distance of 3', you'd probably need 4 or 5 for a 10' bench. In the US, they retail for about half of the price of the spotlight on that website.

[marcoeverard]

Originally Posted by Ray

The would be great for providing light, but not really in a spectrum that's particularly good for the plants - white LEDs are particularly strong in the green part of the spectrum (where the human eye is most sensitive - hence the reason they look so bright) and blue, but very little in the red end, at all.

You might consider looking into pricing on the Philips Greenpower "Flowering Lamps". They are only 18W, but are intended specifically to supplement sunlight in greenhouses. I am using the Deep red/white ones, and from a distance of 3', you'd probably need 4 or 5 for a 10' bench. In the US, they retail for about half of the price of the spotlight on that website.

Thanks Ray - I did call the spotlight people and they aid the Cool white ones were 6000k which I thought was the right kind for orchids or am i wrong? Not sure either if 2700 lumens is nearly bright enough?

[Hiester]

I read most every thread that has to do with artificial lighting for growing orchids. Then I go looking on the web for information about individual products mentioned. The vast array of different lighting systems and how they work is utterly mind boggling.....

[marcoeverard]

Originally Posted by Hiester

I read most every thread that has to do with artificial lighting for growing orchids. Then I go looking on the web for information about individual products mentioned. The vast array of different lighting systems and how they work is utterly mind boggling.....

Yes I know what you mean. I just want soemthing that is right for the shape I have (otherwise it could be a waste of energy) that doesnt cost to much to run and that could be ceiling mounted 3 ft away bearing in mind that the do receive natural light also. These also look interesting but now I am really confused Philips GreenPower LED at Trilight

[marcoeverard]

Been looking at some LED panels. There are some 300W ones that might do the trick but there is an 8:1 ratio of red/blue light is that too much RED?

[Ray]

Color temperature is a way of describing the spectrum, and yes, something in the neighborhood of a 6000°K color temperature is ideal for plants, as it comes close to replicating the light provided by the noontime sun plus the blue back-scatter from a clear sky - the light all plants get.

However, as neither LEDs nor fluorescents are black body radiators (incandescents and HID lights are), the color temperature specified for them is a correlated, or corrected color temperature (CCT). That is, it is the correlation of how that light looks to the human eye, when compared to a black body radiator, and NOT the same spectrum as one.

I really have no idea what the "ideal" red/blue mix is, but for what it's worth, the 35W Philips "Production modules" I am using in my "basement incubator" have 68 reds and 24 blues per strip. Their "flowering lamps" on the other hand, have a much higher red:blue ratio.