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TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
5. No, but I have extensively used fluorescents and...
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 06:09 PM
Feb 2019

I doubt affordable LED lamps yet have the proper spectrum to do a good job. Besides, if you forget about Amazon there are actual plant people who can steer you right. Like:

https://www.epicgardening.com/best-full-spectrum-led-grow-lights/

I don't agree entirely with that article, although it makes a lot of good points. The first problem is defining "full-spectrum". Nasty old filament lamps are by definition full spectrum, since they start as a black body and color temperature and spectrum change as it heats up. No need to fool around with phosphors. But, they create too much waste heat. Much too much.

There's a thing called "color rendering index" which measures how closely the spectrum of the lamp approximates sunlight. 0 is terrible, and almost impossible to achieve, while 100 is as good as it gets. It is relatively easy to get in the 90's with properly engineered fluorescents, and I used to install them regularly. They work great with plants and people. (Cats and birds, too.) Cheap fluorescents and CFLs can go down in the 60s for soft white. Almost no CFLs bother with the expensive red phosphors to get that and should simply be avoided for accurate color. 40" and 80" nicely colored tubes are not too difficult to find, and work well for plant lighting. All lighting, actually. My personal favorite is 5000K with a CRI of 94.

I don't remember the specs for the Gro-Lites I used to use, but they did look kinda purplish and everything thrived under them.

Now, LEDs are more efficient than fluorescents, but often not by that much with the larger tubes (you get a LOT of lumens for your 40, or less watts). And LEDs with a high CRI are hard to find. And expensive when you do.

So, without any more boring technical stuff, the bottom line is-- experiment. Cool-white 40" tubes and fixtures are dirt cheap and might work very well. Their spectrum is anything but full, but they could have what your plants want. And find a cheap set of LED lights that claim to be grow lights and set it up, seeing which, if either works better.

Truth is, I can't see cheap LEDs on Amazon working that well. Their "color' is usually just trying to balance three or four very narrow spectrum LEDs and you get something. Real full spectrum LED lighting tends to be on the expensive side.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Anyone out there use LED lights... [View all] N_E_1 for Tennis Feb 2019 OP
that is just so beautiful.... Locrian Feb 2019 #1
I have SHRED Feb 2019 #2
Did the LEDs do ya good? N_E_1 for Tennis Feb 2019 #3
I never could afford high end LED so there's that SHRED Feb 2019 #4
No, but I have extensively used fluorescents and... TreasonousBastard Feb 2019 #5
Thanks... N_E_1 for Tennis Feb 2019 #6
we got a 'sun' bulb & the kitchen was ready for planes. pansypoo53219 Feb 2019 #7
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