Indoor growing

Jharris1385

I have had the book now for a while. GREAT source of info. I have narrowed my desired INDOOR bonsai to....

Carmona Microphylla : Erethis buxifolia Fukien-tea
*Ficus Microcarpa : Banyan Tree
Malpighia Coccigera : Barbados Cherry
*Podocarpus Macrophyllus : Yew Podocarpus; Kusamaki
Murraya Paniculata : Jasmine Orange
Sageretia Theezans : Sageretia
*Ulmus Parvifolia : Chinese Elm

* = Favorites of the group


I understand that since I plan to not have them all near a window that I will need a great form of artificial lighting for all. I hope I am right when I plan to get a 500 Lux bulb for the lighting and keep it on for about 8-10 hours a day. The only problem is where do I purchase one? And how much do they cost?

Please advise. Thank you.

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vince

1385
Are you sure you got your Lux number correct on your post?
500 is like a candle, also head for 14-16 hours a day or roughly in that ball park. Cheers.

Jharris1385

That book did say 500. So what should I look at? And more importantly where do you get lux rated bulbs You are right on the time it should be 12-16 hours.

Any advice anyone?
Any personal indoor growing expierence

MelloBonsai

Did you have a preferred fixture (fluorescent or incandescent)? I think you would be OK if you went with a fluorescent ballast mixed a "warm" bulb along with a "cool white" bulb which should provide the red's and blues needed by plants. Some hardware stores also sell fluorescent grow light bulbs, but they tend to cast a reddish light which may light your room a bit odd.

Additional some aquarium stores sell fluorescent tubes for planted aquariums. Stay away from the bulbs for saltwater reefs though.

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Jharris1385

I currently have a 3 or 4 foot long double fluorescent fixture for my reptile cage. I could easily do that set up for my bonsai. So what kind of bulbs would be best to place in that housing? Do normal bulbs have a lux rating?

MelloBonsai

The bulbs I mentioned in my prior post would work. I believe lux rating varies with distance to the light source and as such it would be hard to have a standard lux rating. Usually those type of fluorescent fixtures need a T8 or T6 type bulb. It should say on the ballast.

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Jharris1385

Ok so if I went and bought a 48' fixture and put two bulbs in it of flourescent ....what exactaly should I get. I just want to make sure I am doing this right from the start. Should I get one daylight and another....? Once again thanks for your help. Im drawming up designs for my light holder now.

MelloBonsai

If you get a plant grow bulb you won't have to mix, but if you use standard ones you should mix a cool white with a warm red.

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vince

Lux is simply this.

Lux: The International System unit of illumination: 1 lumen uniformly distributed over an area of one meter.

It's Lumen's you should be looking at, the higher the better, anything over 5000 should do you for a start, my two bulbs churn out a total of almost 24,000, but cost a lot, these are not tubes or Halogen, but have the ballast built into them, they look like a compact flo. light bulb, a pic. Cheers.

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