Re: Lights
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Lights
- From: P*@aol.com
- Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 22:56:18 EDT
Greg,
Very interesting stuff on the big bulbs. I was using 1,000 watt coated
supermetalarc bulbs. They were single wall and the coating, as I recall had
an output with a sightly higher amount of red. Even these monsters had
trouble matching the sun....even at close spacings and getting them as close
to the leaves as you could without burning. They were many times more
powerful than the best grow tube, but still couldn't match the sun. That's
why I keep harping on the people who start early and leave the plants inside
too long. If you started them in a hot box and transferred to a
greenhouse...it would be better.....but best is still up quick and out. When
I realized early on that I still had poor quality of light.......even though
it looked like Yankee Stadium, I installed the lights near the leaves closest
to the pumpkin and was wondering if the duration of the "half ass" light
levels may have helped somewhat ( there's a scientific term for you). One
reason I stopped is that it brings attention to the patch at night....not
really a good thing if vandals are in the neighborhood. I learned alot about
photobiology back in the mid 80's from a guy named Dr. Chris Mpelkas. He was
the photobiologist for Sylvania in Danvers , Mass. near GB Pumpkin. I made a
few calls to him and drove up and spent a day with him......quite a seminar.
He has since retired, but was a wealth of information on lighting and growth
responses.
pumkinguy
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