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If you live in Louisville go to New Earth Hydropincs in J-Town off Taylorsville Road. The will explain everything you could ever want to know and likely much more than you need to know.

A 2 bulb flourescent fixture is not going to cut it for much. Maybe one to two trees depending on size and species. I have posted several pictures of my set up which reflects the other end of the extreme.

You don't have to go that far. But, what you can get that works very well for lighting needs for a smaller number of trees are 150W high pressure sodium or 100W metal halide light fixtures. They put out a lot of light for a relatively small fixture. About 9,000 to 10,000 lumens.

You can also use smaller flourescent fixtures, but you really need about 6 to 8 bulbs to put out enough light to do anything more than keep the trees barely alive. (again depending on size). Eventually you'll end up owning one of everything on your list. If so you'll need a better set up.

Most of the bonsai growers in Louisville use common flourescents and they usually use 6-8 bulbs.

New Earth sells T5 High output flourescent bulbs as well. I use a T5 fixture in my office to display trees and it does very well. Wasn't too expensive either.

Buy a humidifier, trays and spray bottles don't keep the humidity up high enough. If the air is too dry, the tree will suffer as it will stop exhanging air. So, even when you have plenty of light, it will still yellow and drop leaves.

The relative humidity in a common household during the winter months is 16-18%. A desert is 20-30%. Low humidity is one of the most common and unmentioned problems for good indoor growth.

The only two trees I don't grow indoors is spruce and pine. Outside only.

24-Feb-2008	#24
Yandrosxx bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Jun-2005 Location: Kentucky Country: United States USDA Zone: 6 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 538	If you live in Louisville go to New Earth Hydropincs in J-Town off Taylorsville Road. The will explain everything you could ever want to know and likely much more than you need to know. A 2 bulb flourescent fixture is not going to cut it for much. Maybe one to two trees depending on size and species. I have posted several pictures of my set up which reflects the other end of the extreme. You don't have to go that far. But, what you can get that works very well for lighting needs for a smaller number of trees are 150W high pressure sodium or 100W metal halide light fixtures. They put out a lot of light for a relatively small fixture. About 9,000 to 10,000 lumens. You can also use smaller flourescent fixtures, but you really need about 6 to 8 bulbs to put out enough light to do anything more than keep the trees barely alive. (again depending on size). Eventually you'll end up owning one of everything on your list. If so you'll need a better set up. Most of the bonsai growers in Louisville use common flourescents and they usually use 6-8 bulbs. New Earth sells T5 High output flourescent bulbs as well. I use a T5 fixture in my office to display trees and it does very well. Wasn't too expensive either. Buy a humidifier, trays and spray bottles don't keep the humidity up high enough. If the air is too dry, the tree will suffer as it will stop exhanging air. So, even when you have plenty of light, it will still yellow and drop leaves. The relative humidity in a common household during the winter months is 16-18%. A desert is 20-30%. Low humidity is one of the most common and unmentioned problems for good indoor growth. The only two trees I don't grow indoors is spruce and pine. Outside only.