Grow light garden.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I have recently seen the Garland Grow Light Garden advertised and am quite interested as if it does what it 'says on the can' it could be a good improvement on my present setup.

Has anyone any experience of these and if so your thoughts would be welcome.

Colin.

[Two_Sheds]

gotta link?



mmmmmmmmm

[bigt1888]

Garland Grow Light Garden


looks a bit gimicky and expensive to me but im a total novice!!

[Kristen]

I think the growing area is rather small. Fluorescence tubes are really only any use for seedlings as they have to be very close to the plants (about 2" - 3") - which becomes a bit tricky if you have things of different heights and they don't produce enough light to penetrate the canopy of bushy plants.

I have a 400W Metal Halide growing lamp which:

Cost about 25% more (£100 rather than £75)
will cover 4 times the area
doesn't have to be so close to the plants
will penetrate bushy plants (I have some plants under mine that are 4' tall)
will output twice as much light "strength" [lumens] (per unit area)
will use about 50% more electricity

the £100 I spent on mine included a timer - couldn't see one included for the Garland Grow Light Garden (running it 24/7 would negate the saving in electricity over Metal Halide!)

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I was thinking of using it purely to raise seedlings in early spring. It would be in the house for the warmth and space is limited.

Colin

[sbeneli]

I've been considering the same thing since I'd like to start my (tomato, pepper, and aubergine) seedlings inside but don't have a bright conservatory at this house, unlike the one I was in last year. I'm also on a tight budget (That link you posted is the cheapest price I've found for the light, and I spent a lot of time last month comparison shopping). My intention would be to have it plugged into a timer. Timers are cheap.

[Two_Sheds]

I was thinking of using it purely to raise seedlings in early spring.

I've been considering the same thing ...I'm also on a tight budget

It would be cheaper to buy the plants wouldn't it?

[sbeneli]

It would be cheaper to buy the plants wouldn't it?

It would be, but most of what I want to grow are varieties I can't buy plants for, including some from a friend's breeding project. I don't imagine it would go to waste at other times, though. It looks large enough to use for a cut and come again salad patch at other times. (We have pet rodents who eat fresh leaves every day. They go through a lot!)

[Kristen]

I'm also on a tight budget

How about just a bulb then? Here's a link to a bulb for growing, its £18 (although they have bigger ones too)
Blue CFL Grow Light - 3C Hydroponics

although its a screw fitting, so you will need a suitable socket. It needs to be very close to the plants - so maybe best to position it horizontally.

Timers are cheap.

I think there may be some issue with timers for fluorescent lights because the ballast takes a significant burst of current when the light comes on (or something like that), but I dunno if that is an issue for a low wattage bulb.

[rana]

The Garden growlight garden uses full spectrum fluorescent tubes as a light source. It would be far more efficient to use proper growlights which have wavelength peaks to match the plants absorbtion spectra. With full spectrum bulbs the germinating seedlings will grow spindly because of the heat and lack of appropriate light.

There is also the matter of the cost of electricity to be considered hence the move towards LED arrays as a source of artificial sunlight. LEDs also produce very little heat so the light arrays can be hung very close to the seedlings.

[Kristen]

The Garden growlight garden uses full spectrum fluorescent tubes as a light source.

I missed that, well spotted! I wonder why they don't stick more appropriate tubes in it? shouldn't have thought it would make much difference to the price.

"There is also the matter of the cost of electricity to be considered hence the move towards LED arrays as a source of artificial sunlight."

Do they produce enough light? (I'm sure they would if you had enough of them! but I would be interested to know how viable / costly that would be?)

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks for all your replies you obviously know far more about artificial light than I.

I had just about made my mind up to bin the idea when SWMBO read your posts and vetoed the idea.

You have saved me money on this one thanks again.

Colin

[starloc]

For indoor growing, i now use 300w dual spectrum cfl growlights, they come with reflector and wires for about £50 , they need no special timer unlike the metal halide, i use timers that came from tescos for £1 (with a metal halide you need to use the timer to switch a `contactor` to switch the power on) , the cfl costs about the same as a normal old type 100w lightbulb , running the metal halides it was more like 5 times as much power used on a 400W.

with CFL unlike metal halide theres no heat.....( rediculous that it could be important but its true.... ) the police wont see it from the air and raid you over and over again for your veg seedlings in the middle of the night!, and its not just the police you need to watch out for if anyone sees the light, metal halides and sodiums have a look to the light that certain people recognise.....

For starting seeds, all you need is a cheap bulb setup a cool white and a warm white bulb in standard household bulbs

If you are looking at indoor growing kits, i would look at the aerogarden , hydroponic growing indoor `garden` , they work well and cost about the same and use no soil ( no fungus gnats )

[Kristen]

"running the metal halides it was more like 5 times as much power used on a 400W."

If you are running a 300W "dual spectrum cfl" that's 3/4's the electricity usage of a 400W metal halide isn't it? (Sorry if I've misunderstood)

[starloc]

"running the metal halides it was more like 5 times as much power used on a 400W."

If you are running a 300W "dual spectrum cfl" that's 3/4's the electricity usage of a 400W metal halide isn't it? (Sorry if I've misunderstood)

No....( but you would think so wouldnt you.... )

the cfl`s are usualy listed as equivalant power to the metal halides, so they do the same as a 300w , not use 300w ( no idea why they say 300w on the bulb as you would think power use was a legal req? ) , if you get one of the electricity measuring devices from B+Q you will see the different levels , my bill now for the 300W cfl , is about £100 per year (including on/off of ultrasonic humidifyer for an hour here and there and a small aquarium pump for the aeroponics air ), with 2 sodium and 2 metal halide i was using more like £2500 per year , using the same time settings

Its actualy 65w bulb power use on most of them but some use upto 100W as there lower quality, gives out the same as 300w metal halide, its due to the fact that so much energy is wasted as heat from a metal halide,but if they listed them as 65w people would think there was no light!

The big difference is the lack of heat, i used to have all the windows open, now its cold....i use the metal halide sometimes in the winter as it heats better than electric heater

The cfl bulb can touch the leaves gently without burning, but pressed against the bulb it will burn the surface a bit, i use the bulbs about 1 meter away