T5's worth it or not

[Orchid Whisperer]

I use fluorescent T8s (daylight, 6500k, from big box store (Lowes) - bulbs & shop light fixtures) and they are pretty much my only light in the winter. The plants do well. I think the T5 bulbs are supposed to be more energy efficient than the T8s, but not as energy efficient as LEDs. The T5s will probably be good for supplementing your sunlight, especially if you have orchids with higher light requirements.

My next shelf of indoor lights will be LEDs. I want to research 100 W LED floodlights available from big box stores, see if the spectrum is appropriate for plants. Cheaper than grow-specific lighting, but if the spectrum is not right, it would not be a good choice. I will post a separate thread about it at some point.