Grow lights

[somersetken]

Thanks everyone it has given me some ideas that I can work and play with.

Ken

[AlexW]

I have a couple of the IKEA strip lights and and old daylight fish tank light. Both successful. Faster germination with the daylight lamp, but the IKEA is supposed to be for growth.

Which Ikea light strips do you use? I have one from a while ago, but can't seem to find anything similar on their website now...

Thanks

[HaoBao]

The Vaxer Ikea Cultivation lights are not available anymore if that's the ones? I bought them in the past. I think they still do the Vaxer bulbs but I've never tried them.

I've just setup a different shelf with T8 Integrated LED Tubes from eBay. They come in various lengths and you can link them together like a daisy chain. They also have a power cable available so no wiring required. I bought two different types and prefer the ones with the 'milky' cover they call it rather than the clear. I went for 6000-6500K, and the ones with two strips of LEDs per tube. They work out at approx 9w per foot, and 90-100 Lumens per watt. The only downside I find is that they aren't a recognised brand and they don't come with a reflector so the light comes out the sides an awful lot.

If you check www.reddit.com/u/CentralSucculents I've put loads of posts there

[MatDz]

Could you share a link to the ones with a plug? All of them seem to come without it, so some writing is needed anyway.

[HaoBao]

No problem.

First ones were:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T8-LED-Integ ... 2749.l2649

Second lot, which don't seem as good but were cheaper:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-10x-4FT-T ... 1438.l2649

The connectors and power cables were from https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/xyztradingxyz

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T8-Connector ... 2749.l2649

They do make a little bit of a humming noise. They also explode if you accidently plug two power cables into one light so don't do that haha.

The sellers seem to always be updating their stock so I can't promise you'd get the same lights as me.

The xyztradingxyz did send a couple of cables where the connections were a bit crap and he replaced them when I sent him photos of them.

I should also say I haven't had them for very long so I can't guarantee they last but they've been alright for me so far.

I tried to do some tests with the LUX Light Meter App on Reddit if you want to have a look.

www.reddit.com/r/bcss

[el48tel]

I have a couple of the IKEA strip lights and and old daylight fish tank light. Both successful. Faster germination with the daylight lamp, but the IKEA is supposed to be for growth.

Which Ikea light strips do you use? I have one from a while ago, but can't seem to find anything similar on their website now...

Thanks

Yes sadly the no longer available Vaxer

[williamn]

I've got a few seedlings emerge but not get past the cotyledon stage, I'm thinking grow lights could help? I presume just a suitable bulb in any light fitting over the seeds would be of at least some use?

[MatDz]

I've got a few seedlings emerge but not get past the cotyledon stage, I'm thinking grow lights could help? I presume just a suitable bulb in any light fitting over the seeds would be of at least some use?

I usually kill them by excess moisture (i.e. keeping them in the bag for too long), maybe that could be one of the reasons?

[ragamala]

When I returned to seed raising 3 or 4 years ago I was too impatient to wait for spring to sow seed. For that reason, and probably for that reason only I resorted to using grow lights. Unless I also count the fact I had moved house and had no external greenhouse (or cold frames as I use successfully now) available at the time. I bought a mix of T5 tubes, and later CFL Dual Spectrum Bulbs. I saw no difference in performance. I didn't do this to aid germination but to give seedlings best chance once germinated when sown very early in the year.

The thing is, if you want to sow so early in the season, even before the end of the year rather than in January, some of what you sow may sprout within days if fresh. The germinating seedlings will need light. If you are happy to wait for spring before sowing that is a different issue.

I have only sown baggie for Blossfedia and Strombocactus, and have never used it or recommended it otherwise.

[HaoBao]

I used the now discontinued Ikea Vaxer Cultivation light to help with some Lithops seeds and it seemed to work ok last year. Using the same type of light a couple of years before I wasn't successful the first time I tried haworthia though. The vaxer light has quite an intense hot spot (It colours up echeveria really well) and the intensity falls off quickly. I guess with seedlings intense light isn't the best thing for them so whatever you choose, best to play around with the distance as that makes a big difference.

I'm currently trying to grow some haworthia seeds under my new t8 lights I mentioned before so I'm still trying to keep an eye on them to make sure they are ok.