This is where and how I grow (and photograph) Under lights, in the basement! The first photo does not show the two of the shelving units behind me, but there are 8 total. I use cheap, plain white LED strips that are equivalent to 4ft high output T5 florescent tubes.
NOTE - My grow room does NOT glow pink. I have tried the pink LEDs and they made it unpleasant to visit my orchids, or even walk by the room. I am proof that YOU DO NOT NEED A FANCY LIGHT SETUP TO GROW AND BLOOM ORCHIDS! It's up to you, but I don't think you can really argue with my results!
Any trouble growing plants in my conditions seems to be due to lack of day/night temp difference. Not lack of light.
Any difficulty blooming in my conditions are generally due to lack of a cool rest period. Which, of course, more expensive lights will not help.
In The Orchid Dungeon
Right now it only costs $30-40 to buy lights for a 2x4 shelf, which will grow just about anything. They don't fry your plants, or turn your room into an easy bake oven. They don't break when you drop them, don't require a great deal of care to clean up or dispose of, like fluorescent tubes. They don't need a fixture, they link together easily, they are low profile and all you need to attach them to a wire shelf are two zip ties.
Sometimes I wish I started growing under lights now. Originally at $200+ per hydrofarm High Output T5 fixture, and all of the replacement bulbs over the years it's maddening. But, maybe we may have saved a little on heating expenses in the winter? They were hot - even if they were an improvement over the even hotter T12 or Metal Halide.
In the orchid room, I have officially converted everything to LED. There are a total of 7 (Edit: now 8) units with 3 shelves each. There are a hodge podge of light fixtures, including some old Floracart T12 florescent (the big tubes) that I rewired to take T8 LED retrofits. From now on, once the ballasts from the old hydrofarm lights need replacing, and the retrofit LED bulbs die - I'll be replacing with the fixtures I link to below.
My New Go-To Lights
Really, any brand will do - just check the reviews, and look for the following specs -
High Output T5 equivalent LED - 20W for single strip fixtures
Frosted lens
3500k - 5000k Color temp
NOTES:
- Color temp is not critical. I use what is available.
- Clear lenses are harsh and cause mottled foliage if you are not careful.
I use 5-6 strips for high light plants, 4 for lower light plants - but adjust the distance of the plants from the light, ie short low light plants could grow with taller high light plants. Since these do not produce much heat, you can grow low light plants in much higher light without risk of burning the foliage. I would still gradually change the light levels, however, to find the best balance.
Trays and Grates
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