Home Made Grow Lights

[unclefudgly]

The Lamps are big veggiechicken, about 7-8" long so not sure they would fit in your standard anglepoise

cheers

[veggiechicken]

Like that UncleF Could you put one of those bulbs into an Anglepoise lamp, raising and lowering as needed? Guess who has a couple of spare Anglepoises

[unclefudgly]

Thought I would chip in with my own version which works very well and cost me about £20. I use a 45w SAD 6400K daylight tube (£8 ebay) and I made a reflector made from mirrored acrylic ( £10) , it is incredibly bright for a 45w bulb, equivalent to 250w old style tungsten, with the benefit of being bayonet fitting so can fit any household lamp fixture you have.



If i hang it about 2 feet above my plants in winter it covers about a square metre, but I can lower it for my seedlings if they need it.

[Mikey]

Ok, that was a big read, very informative though.

Has anyone thought about using an old kitchen cupboard, maybe a freecycle item for a white box, save building one?

You can buy cool white flourescents with a mains cable attachment for a couple of quid at an electrical wholesaler. I think I've got a fluori in the attic though.

I'm sure I read somewhere that plants are green because that is the part of the light spectrum that they cannot use, I'm sure someone will correct me on this.

Shouldn't the floor of the box be a black concrete slab to help retain heat and release it later on when the light is off?

[Mikey]

On the subject of reflective materials, T3sco are selling 4mt foil wrapping paper for a squid......I'm so tempted.

I haven't read through the whole thread yet, but our local pound shop was selling turkey foil for 5p a roll.

[veggiechicken]

Mine's pure experimentation so if it goes belly up - nothing lost. Go on, indulge yourself with a few mangetout

[redser]

...but I'm not sitting on them like redser

I shall not be moved! I still have post shuffle stress syndrome from last year.
Well I might be tempted to chit a few mangetout. Just a few mind you.

[veggiechicken]

You're only a day older than I am

[Bigmallly]

I hope I have your enthusiasm when I get as young as you..............

[veggiechicken]

You've got far to much time on your hands............

...but I'm not sitting on them like redser

[Bigmallly]

Going back to this link, and knowing that I wouldn't have the patience to drill countless equally spaced holes in a plastic lid, I've thought of an alternative
A piece of small gauge wire netting or plastic mesh? Something rigid enough to cope with being "poked through" but not so solid that you need to drill it. I may have to go looking for some cheapo lights

You've got far to much time on your hands............

[veggiechicken]

FTAO Bramble:

Cheap LED Light and Grow Box - The Cheap Vegetable Gardener

Read Updates 2 & 3.........really interesting.

Going back to this link, and knowing that I wouldn't have the patience to drill countless equally spaced holes in a plastic lid, I've thought of an alternative
A piece of small gauge wire netting or plastic mesh? Something rigid enough to cope with being "poked through" but not so solid that you need to drill it. I may have to go looking for some cheapo lights

[veggiechicken]

Will that make your fingers grow Redser?

[redser]

Sitting on my hands sitting on my hands sitting on my hands

[Bigmallly]

I'll be using blocks BM that's once I get around to sowing some seeds, this year trying not to be too eager.

You know you want to Bren............