Home Made Grow Lights

[veggiechicken]

I'm still thinking this through - could you use foil backed insulation boards to line a box - or plasterboard as that is matt white? I just may be able to find offcuts of these

[Bigmallly]

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

[redser]

Worth a bash VC. Although I think 8w will be too low. I think mine are 60

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Redser! I have fluorescent light tubes in the workshed and I wondered about using those in some way - then, remembered a work light that lives in a dark cupboard.
The closest I can find to it is
Philex 19377R/S Inspection Lamps with Hanging Hook IP44 11W 5m | Screwfix.com but mine is 8w and the light tube is 25cms.
Might be worth a try for me anyway!!

[redser]

Just to add, I picked up a cheap timer in Lidl. So I just set it to come on for 7 hours each night. Just dampen the compost every once in a while and that's all you have to do

[redser]

Shop lights are the white flourescent lights as opposed to grow lux or similar which are specifically for plant growth..........I'm assuming here by the way.

If you wanted to go through the whole growth cycle right to harvesting indoors then it might be worth spending the extra cash on grow lux etc. But honestly the cool whites are perfect for vegetive growth. I assume everyone here would want to plant their plants out once the light/weather picks up in May and June. Even with just cool whites I had toms and peppers flower and set fruit before I had a chance to plant them out due to the bad weather last year. btw you could swap the cool whites out for warm lights once flowering begins, if you really wanted to grow indoors 100%.

[redser]

What do you mean by shop lights redser?

It's just the normal light fitting you would see everywhere VC, like this ...



I went really geeky about the research and would urge anybody to go cheap and simple. You can go to the thin end of the wedge and buy expensive refectors, mylar, cool tubes, warm tubes or even a complete grow light product. But the difference is really minimal if you are raising plants to plant out eventually. I just hang it with thin chains off a length of 2 x 2 suspended between 2 chairs and lean the white washed boards against the sides and on top to keep the light in. B&Q or an electrical wholesalers will have them very cheap. Dont bother with a reflector or lens, just the basic fixture and 2 cool white tubes. And at 5 foot length you get bags of growing space beneath

[Bigmallly]

What do you mean by shop lights redser?

Shop lights are the white flourescent lights as opposed to grow lux or similar which are specifically for plant growth..........I'm assuming here by the way.

[Aberdeenplotter]

This the stuff AP ? ...... 5m ROLL DIAMOND REFLECTIVE MYLAR GROW ROOM SHEETING on eBay!

Yups, that's the one

[veggiechicken]

What do you mean by shop lights redser?

[redser]

Definately makes a big difference BM. I use a 5 foot twin tube shop light with ordinary cool white tubes. I can put the seedlings as close as I like to them and they have never been scorched. I dont have a reflector. I bought some cheap hard board in B&Q and painted it matt white and constructed a box to encase the whole thing. Matt white does reflect A LOT better than foil. I did a lot of reading up on it at the time. Very cheap and easy to set up and run. Keep it simple. You'll be amazed at the difference.

[bearded bloke]

Mylar sheeting is probably the best product. From memory, the best has a diamond profile.

This the stuff AP ? ...... 5m ROLL DIAMOND REFLECTIVE MYLAR GROW ROOM SHEETING on eBay!

[Aberdeenplotter]

You won't get intense heat with T5 tubes so that isn't an issue. WIth the T5's you can have the tubes very close to the plants without danger of scorching. I don't personally use a T5 growlamp system but many exhibitors do. (I have a 400w Sont agro lamp which I have virtually retired because of the cost of running it and an LED growlamp which I am still not convinced about). If you want to reflect as much light on to your plants as possible, Mylar sheeting is probably the best product. From memory, the best has a diamond profile. My growing space is in my shed. I have the roof covered with white conti-board and the grow box is surrounded with mirrors and mirror tiles.

[chris]

Isn't white card a better reflector than foil? (bounces it in all directions, etc)

[Bigmallly]

Thanks, Maybe white does not reflect intense heat like maybe foil would.