1. I wish I could help you out, Erica, or send you a sunlit-in-winter window (I'm not yet forced to use artificial light), but I started laughing at the second part of your first sentence. By golly, as John Prine sang so eloquently, the same thing happened to me. Sorry for the ad, but it's a fun song and it just seemed to fit. Same Thing Happened To Me

I bought 4x T5HO lights 6500k (Sunblaster) with reflectors just over a week ago. It's been quite the interesting experience! My plan is to adjust and tweak my setup before fall comes and I have to bring all my plants inside. The big goal is to have all my winter Mesembs flower.

Right now, I am growing nearly all my Aloes, one Haworthia, and some rooted cuttings under lights indoors. Here are my findings so far:

Amount of light and grow setup:

1. I'm planning on using 6x T5HO lights for a ~2'x4' space indoors, with one side having a white wall. The other side I put up some white fabric to reflect light.
2. Buying the lights separately vs a single fixture is cheaper and I was able to adjust the spacing to get the output I wanted. I think there may be a bit more light losses through the top in my setup, but heat dissipation is also better. All depends how many lights you want to cram into the space you have.
3. It's very novel being able to customize how much light is given per day through intensity and duration. I'm planning on growing my succulents well through the winter, not just sustain them over the winter.
4. With this setup, I can match the nearly full sun I get on my roof. This is measured with two light meters, one in DLI PAR (useful light for plants) and the other in foot-candles (approximation).

Watering Period:

1. With this amount of light and temps between 24-34°C, watering period is every two days. I think with more root growth, every three days is achievable in my gritty mix.

Cost of Electricity:

1. Cost of electricity for 312W works is $146.64 per year for the winter only or $127.02 per year for all year long. This is based on time of use pricing and light hours matching exactly with sunset/sunrise for my zone. I have a detailed spreadsheet to calculate this (and don't mind sharing it).
2. Continuous running fan is required to keep temperatures low enough, at least in my loft area. It's 30W at the medium setting and will cost $24.55 to run it all year long.

Helpful Tips (about Light Levels):

1. Make sure the lights are adjustable in height - light about loses half it's intensity for every foot. This lets you keep the lights very close, yet raise them up high enough so can remove them for watering / you don't knock pots over / hit the lights with your plants.
2. Organizing your plants by light requirements and/or height is helpful.
3. Adjustment period to the lights is also required - my aloes were grown indoors so I started with just 3 hours of lights on my timer, which equaled how much light they got in a whole day. Now they are up to about 4-5 hours and the lights have been brought much closer. This equates to about partial sun on my roof (or more than 'full' sun on a cloudy day).

Results so Far:

Aloes are pupping like crazy! So much new growth and they look pretty awesome in just a week (it's really surprising). I've burned the tips of the highest leaves, but it was expected.

My Haworthia mirabilis ssp mundula was already having trouble outside for some time now, but I think it looks better. It has a bit of new growth and I find it's easier to 'control' growing conditions indoor.

The cuttings are doing fine - I put them near the end of the light so the intensity isn't so high. They look to be growing at the same rate as previously for now.

All my data is recorded in a spreadsheet, so if you guys have specific number questions I might be able to answer them at least in terms of my setup? As well, I've kept a few good resources in mind for very specific topics with growing with lights (such as required DLI).

Summary:

That's my experience so far - it's been really fun! Being able to quantify my changes with a light meter was extremely helpful, since most of the information about growing under lights on the internet is full of myths / misunderstanding / gaps in information.

I know many of you have been growing in the winter (or all year long) with lights for many years now, so I'm eager to see what else is shared here in this thread, as well as the others that are sure to come up over the next few months. =)

Edit: Forgot to add photos.

I use window/ supplemental light technique with a plant stand with built in grow lights for a dark North window and in an east window I have a dedicated African Violet shelf that I use a single grow light (18" tube type grow light) on.

Thanks for the responses! I'm away right now and have quickly read through your post, mayo. I am always interested in reading your advice and suggestions because I know they are always well thought out and you have a habit of documenting all experiments.

What I can say right now is that I do not have many winter-growers, so I am looking to mostly sustain them over the cold season. I want them to go dormant and rest without etiolating. I have a little bit of wall space that I can build vertically, so I am thinking of buying a shelf and attaching lights myself. I may decide to just buy a grow light cart without the bulbs and add the ones I think I need. I have only just started to think about it - I should have started sooner!

-Erica

mayo

Thank you for very good write up & photos.

Erica

I have been 'just overwintering' my succulents too. They actually spent last 2 winters in the basement, with supplemental light from shop lights and CFL's. I keep them on cooler side and never fertilize, as not to encourage lots of growth. They still get somehow etoliated, but it could be worse. In cooler conditions they need less water too.

You should have still some time to decide - I am hoping I don't have to bring them in for at least a month (would be nice if longer!) and you are couple of zones warmer.

Rina

I have a little set up I use. I bought the light off amazon a few years back and it has gotten my plants through several winters. Here is a link from my post last year...

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1770100/grow-lights?n=50

I also went and purchased a check work lamp and a high wattage bulb - 100 watts to be exact. The work light was the only lamp I could find that could handle that much wattage. It was a quick cheap solution. The grow light definitely is better.

Deva

was it a regular light bulb (incandescent) or CFL? I use CFL's only (besides fluoro tubes) since the 23W equals to 100W incandescent (you can get higher w CFL's). Less expensive overall.

Just wanted to add you can get ratcheting adjustable pulleys at hydroponics stores for $10 a pair. Makes adjusting lights faster and easier. Chain is obviously good too.

For my frame, I originally was going to use PVC, but 2"x2"x8' wood strapping is under $2 each at the hardware store. Used metal L brackets and wood screws, although nuts & bolts would be easier to disassemble.

I am contemplating running my lights all year long, since it would just cost $20 more for the summer. =)

Erica, I too have had good results with T5's at 6500K. To mount 2' long single-bulb fixtures onto a cart should be straight-forward.

I've also purchased 6500K fluorescent grow light bulbs that I can screw into clip lights. Those would be easy-peasy to attach to a cart, though they would probably stick out the sides when attached. See below for what I use. ez

CLIP LIGHT FL BULB

Deva, thanks for the link to your thread. Very helpful start. I guess I really just need to decide on how I want my setup and go to Lowes and look around for stuff to build it with. I added that light to my wishlist so I can remember what it is later.

It seems like the general consensus is that T5's at 6500K (daylight) are good bulbs to use. Fluorescent light bulbs do not emit as much heat so you can keep them closer to the plants without overheating them or burning them.

ez, I like the light that you provided a link to. This might be a good option for me so that I don't have to build an entirely new set up. Definitely something to think about.

Rina, I am certainly hoping the really cold weather holds off for another month. Our nighttime temperatures were getting down to 60 F last week but this week it is hot and humid again. The cold nighttime temperatures brought out some nice color in my 'Hummel's Sunset'! I am thinking about keeping this set up in a room that is a bit cooler in the winter than the rest of the house. One thing I have to consider with placement is, will my cats knock the entire thing over at any point...? I wish I had a non-access room to keep them in (the plants, not the cats) but I have a pretty small house!

Thanks for all the information so far! This is a fun learning experience for me.

-Erica

Feed back A trip to a hydroponics store can save the LED lighting buyer UP TO $ 65.00 US shipping in savings.

@ewwmayo,

Understood, should offer more than just a general message. Just trying to make the right people aware of a product that would benefit them in more ways than one.

There are a few good quality of threads that cover a wide array of lighting Q & A's some of them have LED bulb info with in the thread.

What some of us are very aware of and are looking for ( your market included) is a decent price per bulb that that offer good plant health results while being cultivated inside at a low out of price cost per bulb. At times an added costumer requirement is that a bulb(s) of any type is needed to cover a bigger square foot area. Are you really practical or budget busting my hobby how many of the LED bulbs in your shop would one person need to cover a shelf that measure 8' X 4' or a 36 square foot area.

If it can be price shopped someone is already doing it: To include LED Bulbs they too can be price shopped as well.

Note; There is a very big difference between saving money and spending less money. Wouldn't you agree ?

I agree with Kevin here, sharing quality information/knowledge on top of your product is a value add. Promoting your product as a hard sell should go on to a different platform..

Since my thread was bumped I thought I would share some recent pictures! My light setup is working well for me. I expanded to the bottom shelf with one extra sunblaster light. I keep undesirable to cats plants down there (pointy cacti).

-Erica

Sorry for writing on an old (but great) thread, but ehuns (or anyone else), is that second photo just above an Echeveria purposorum? I have one and never even thought about it flowering. And what a great looking cat. And I want to grow my Gollum similarly.

My lights hang from hooks on lengths of chain - dead easy to adjust for height and this simple system cost just pennies.

Jeff

That is Echeveria purpusorum. Erica's is very nice plant. I have couple that bloomed last year. One 'split' and is growing 2 heads:

rina, very cool. As much as I like mine (seems they all look identical too), partly because it looks and acts similarly to a Haworthia, now that I've seen it flower for someone, I'd like to see if it could for me. Getting a pup or second one somehow would be nice too. It's under a grow light, and I have a major question about that later today...

Found older photo of it blooming:

You're killing me. That's fantastic. Almost looks like sky in the background at first glance of the thumbnail.

Jeff

This echeveria bloomed soon after I bought it, I didn't know anything about them either. I don't do anything different with them than I do with other succulents. Sorry about background - that is just light reflecting in some mylar-type sheets that I put behind hoping for more light reflection...:)

No, the background looks kind of cool. I'm thinking about using foil in the basement, but that's a whole other subject. Please keep a lookout for my kitchen lighting post later.

Jeff

It is in basement, in windowless space. I can't tell that it helped - have it there for 2 years but do not see any difference in plants growth. I wouldn't spend $ on it again, just paint the walls white. Will watch for your new post :)