-- Duncan McAlpine, Federal Way, WA m*@eskimo.com Why buy plants when you can grow them yourself.....? http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/ http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html
-- BEGIN included message
- To: "Seeds List" <s*@eskimo.com>
- Subject: Flourescent lights
- From: "* A* <P*@classic.msn.com>
- Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 07:58:58 -0700 (PDT)
- Old-Date: Tue, 7 Oct 97 14:41:29 UT
Heather Navarra wrote about using fluorescent lights. I have used various types of flourescents for several years. The cheapest way is to use the combination suggested by Diane Whitehead, i.e. one 'cool white' and one 'warm white' tube in pairs. The intensity of these types of tubes drops off dramatically after about a year of use, even though this is not too noticeable to the human eye, so you are encouraged to replace the tubes yearly. More expensive are the tubes manufactured by Verilux (something more than $10 each). Their two advantages are: they are made to produce light very close to that of natural sunlight, particularly effective in the wavelengths comprising photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and they have an effective life of three years. (Other manufacturers make other types of PAR-adequate 'grow-lights'; I've found the Varilux types far superior.) A greenhouse is enormously useful, and if you can manage one, cost- and space-wise, it is well worth the effort and expense. I personally use my fluorescent setup for seed germination and the greenhouse for growing on -- at least those species that will tolerate my cool greenhouse conditions. Regards, Phillip Allen (coastal Connecticut - USDA z7a)
-- END included message