Desperate:need name of indoor light fixture to grow mini-carts

[starryfield]

I lost my directions so many times in the last hour trying to find all the little spots I'm supposed to be on this website. I'm looking for breaking the ice I also want to go into more detail on my new thread but I still have lots of questions what on earth is sticky I don't get sticky I finally figured out what tags are. My name is Kathleen I live in Southern California on the coast. I've been growing orchids or trying to grow orchids for about eight years. I go to the San Diego shows, the Santa Barbara shows, and once a while I get up to the grande dame of them all, the San Francisco show. I love orchids they're beautiful but I am in desperate need of an indoor light fixture I might as well be living inside of a packing crate for all the light my house has. 3 back surgeries, 2 Shoulder surgeries, and a Recent hip surgery have whittled my Ability levels down to growing flowers. I also grow Hibiscus mostly in the ground and I also grow Plumeria in the ground. Where would we be without flowers ? I just don't know but I still need that light fixture. Somebody's got to have a good idea for me. Thanks!

[Optimist]

A sticky is a forum thread of high significance that gives great info on some topic and people are always looking it up, so the mods put it in a place and it stays there... other posts made by us will slide off the end of the page and be cashed in cyberspace never to be looked at again.

There is a good forum here on growing under lights. Mant people have limited lighting and need to add light fixtures.

It is lower on the page, just keep scroling down.

[ron-in-norcal]

Good luck on your lights, I live in California, too. When I started growing orchids I was up in Sonoma county, then Oakland, then SF, and now San Diego. Most of my orchids have done alright despite that kind of craziness over the last 5 years.

[Orchid Whisperer]

You can use any T8 or T5 fluorescent light fixture (shop light for example), equipped with 6500K daylight bulbs.

If your climate is mild enough for growing Plumerias in the ground, you might be able to grow orchids outdoors, if you have a spot where the light is OK (and that depends on the type of orchid).

[WhiteRabbit]

Hopefully someone can help with your lights question.

"Stickies" are posts "stuck" to the top of the forums posts lists.

[orchidsarefun]

this is an employee-owned company and they are very helpful.
If you don't see something you like on the site, give them a call for help.

2-Tier SunLite Garden with T-5 Bulbs for Seed Starting | Vermont Made

[Carl Austin]

You can grow and bloom Mini-Cattls (and regular Cattleyas) with T5 fixtures. I have two four foot banks of four tubes and two of three tubes (also four feet) and they both bloom mini Catts.

I've been growing orchids for over 30 years and the T5 s work better than anything else - even my old greenhouse.

Carl

---------- Post added at 10:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 PM ----------

Further to my first post, if you read the 'Growing Under Lights' posts on this forum, you will get all the information you need about how to use T5 lights.

Carl

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

Well you've found 'Breaking the Ice'
As someone else said a Sticky is a thread which contains information which is often wanted. Usually threads in each section show in the order of those which have had the most recent replies at the top and the oldest threads which haven't been replied to in a long time can be pages and pages back in the list. A sticky is one which is always kept 'stuck' to the top of the list of posts, so it's easy to find again.
Moderators (such as myself) or Admins set the stickies when we feel a thread is a good one to have always at the top.

Our section on growing under lights is here. I don't know about lights myself as I grow in natural light, but folks there should be able to help.
Growing Under Lights - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !

[starryfield]

Thanks for your reply. Maybe a bit more help? Then I'll leave you alone. I scanned the Home page and a few others but have yet to find a physical location for the sticky thread (You know, something that says 'click here for sticky threads' in neon. ) I don't know where else to look. Also, I discovered something fascinating- the Your Control Panel. But now I can't it again.

[ron-in-norcal]

I'm not sure what the Control Panel is. Don't remember seeing that myself. Perhaps someone else here knows?