HYDROPONIC LIGHTS
Florescent Bulbs

Florescent bulbs...

[Ed. note: we misspelled fluorescent as "florescent bulbs" above on purpose. Our web research told us that more people actually spell it that way in their search box. We aim to serve.]

                           

Full-spectrum fluorescent lights are fine for ornamental houseplants and leafy produce like lettuce and spinach, and for herbs. They also work great for starting seedlings, cuttings, and clones. They are the cheapest lights you can buy for a hydroponics garden, and are nice and COOL.

But they just don't have the proper spectrum needed for fruiting vegetables and flowering plants. The latest, the new T5 fluorescents, are getting closer to the full needed spectrum, but they're just not quite there yet.

If you're pretty sure you're going to limit your hydroponics gardens to leafy veggies... lettuces, chard, spinach, herbs... then go ahead with a T5 fixture. But if you think you might one day start hankering for sweet tomatoes, juicy squash, or even flowers... then go with an HID lamp. It can be used for all types of hydroponics crops.

Or do like me, get one of each, and set up a "split-plan". One side for big pots (HID) and one side for the lettuce raft (T5).


                         
 

But just so you know... T5s are capable of growing quite an amazing lettuce harvest!

Check these out:    

                  
            This is a crop of "mixed bag" lettuces from last spring

                 
              Day 10 after setting baby romaines into the raft
 

                 
                                Day 23- taking off!
 

                 
                         Day 33- ready for the salad bowl
 

Now, here's the scoop on T5 fluorescents:

• Keep fluoro lights only 4-6" above the plants. They are so cool they will not burn them.
   
• How much wattage do I need?
  40 watts per sq. foot of planting bed.
   
• How many T5 fluoro lamps do I need?
  One 4 foot tube for each 2 sq. ft of growing bed:
  --2X4 foot bed= get 4- 4 foot lamps
  --4X4 foot bed= get 8- 4 foot lamps
   
• Where can you get a good T5 for a good price?
  4 Lamp 4' T5 (20,000 lumens).... for under $200
  Buy one here: New Wave T5 Fluorescent Lamp 4 X 4
  
  (See photo below)

It works great for my 2X4 foot lettuce raft:


                      

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