# Supplemental LED lighting for Winter



## Marc (Dec 28, 2012)

Each year when the days get shorter and the temperatures get lower I end up moving my plants to a storage rack in a room close to an east facing window. I don't have a dedicated growing room yet and putting them in the living room isn't an option.

The distance between the rack and the window is 1 / 1,5 meter so the plants don't get a lot of light. The last few winters they coped with this situation but I was thinking of adding a bit of extra lighting.

Today I was shopping with my partner and while visiting the IKEA my eye fell on the LEDBERG Led strip. For 10,- euro's each I bought 2 + a timeclock and extension cord.

The LED's don't have a really strong light but it's stronger then in the pictures below. The colour of the light is also a bit yelower then shown in the pictures. And even though it's not the strongest light I still think it's better then no supplemental lighting at all.

I currently have the clock set from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening.


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## NYEric (Dec 28, 2012)

More lights, and longer duration. I just bought some halogen lights for an area at home. Good luck.


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## gonewild (Dec 28, 2012)

Since the light is weak I would leave them on 24 hours.


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## Marc (Dec 28, 2012)

Just measured the light output with the App "Lux Meter" for my Android phone.

I measured 320 Lux which converts into approx 30 foot-candle.


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## Ozpaph (Dec 28, 2012)

Ray had some great LED lights that are very bright (use them over my aquarium). I use the 'vivarium' LED
https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/...ighting&cart_id=1356730732.881&exact_match=on


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## gonewild (Dec 28, 2012)

30 fc is not going to do much but it is a nice accent!


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## Marc (Dec 28, 2012)

gonewild said:


> 30 fc is not going to do much but it is a nice accent!



I agree, however it will still do more then no lights at all which was the old situation.


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## Marc (Dec 28, 2012)

Ozpaph said:


> Ray had some great LED lights that are very bright (use them over my aquarium). I use the 'vivarium' LED
> https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/...ighting&cart_id=1356730732.881&exact_match=on



I will keep looking for other options as well, the one you link looks great. But ordering from Ray isn't an option I think as the bulbs will be probably rated for 110V instead of the 230V which is standard over here.


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## cnycharles (Dec 28, 2012)

at that level, you could move them very close and leave them on for a long time.


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## Ray (Dec 28, 2012)

Quite correct, Marc.


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## ehanes7612 (Dec 28, 2012)

its my understanding that with LED's its less about the quantity of light than the quality of light..i dont think the lights they sell for space lighting even give the photon wavelength that plants require for vegetative growth


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Dec 28, 2012)

I wouldn't leave them on 24 hours, but definitely more than 12. At least 16....


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## Ozpaph (Dec 29, 2012)

Marc said:


> I will keep looking for other options as well, the one you link looks great. But ordering from Ray isn't an option I think as the bulbs will be probably rated for 110V instead of the 230V which is standard over here.



I'm 240V also. Just buy a $40 transformer like I did. Something like this - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Volt..._Equipment&hash=item3ccd74dfa7#ht_4119wt_1397


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## wjs2nd (Dec 29, 2012)

ehanes7612 said:


> its my understanding that with LED's its less about the quantity of light than the quality of light..i dont think the lights they sell for space lighting even give the photon wavelength that plants require for vegetative growth



I agree, make sure they put out the right wavelengths (blue and red). However, I do think it looks good. LEDs don't read great with traditional ways of figuring out strength.


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## dodidoki (Dec 29, 2012)

I agree, anyone can check it if see a white LED in a CD as a mirror. You can see three main spectral lines: one red and blue ( useful) and one green ( useless). There is a third chlorofill C type, it adsorbs orange light, is is important for diurnal cicle of plants.

So: LED is useful for vegetation and flowering, but needs a minimal natural or near natural lightsource for supporting diurnal cicle.

Others: I used few led source previously, all of them got wrong in high humidity.
If you want appropriate light energy, you have to have more led.

My advice: fluorescent tubes. 2 tubes is so far enugh for paphs within a 60 cm band from 70-80 cm with reflecting armatures. 4 tubes is enough for catts with similar as I wrote. Fluorescent tubes contains orange, too. So I agree with Eric: plants need few ours for sleeping ( at least 4 hours)

I advice fluorescent tubes for plants, eg. osram fluora. It has very pleasant lilac light. ( I'm afraid that once a day police will come to check it accusing me growing cannabis) 

Best wish: Istvan


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## Ray (Dec 29, 2012)

Actually, while green is what is reflected most from leaves, it is NOT unnecessary for plant growth. In addition to chlorophyll, there are various other photochemical reactions that absorb the entire visible spectrum, to one degree or another, many of which pump energy straight into the photosynthetic process.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Dec 29, 2012)

Ray- did you see the post on OSF about the LED's in strips that fit NO fluorescent fixtures? What do you think of them? I'm trying some 24" ones, not on my plants, but in my kitchen, to see how practical they are. But I am very interested in the concept, at least.


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## Rick (Dec 29, 2012)

I think it was sometime back in the summer, but there was a good article in Orchids (written by Jerry Fischer I believe) on the use of new and improved LED bulbs. The pics looked like they were spotlight types though rather than strip lights.

I was just at the hardware store today looking at supplemental lighting options for dark days in my GH.

I ended up with a 200 W GE CFL that puts out about 3500 lumens. It actually operates at 55 W. It was $15 and was the brightest thing on the shelf for standard screw in fixtures. They had some of the newer LED types, but they were all about $50 and put out 1/2 the light intensity (though better color range). I also looked at the comparable halogen types, but none were over 2000 lumens.

With a good reflector this CFL will definitely throw some good light for cheap.:wink:


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## Ray (Dec 30, 2012)

Eric Muehlbauer said:


> Ray- did you see the post on OSF about the LED's in strips that fit NO fluorescent fixtures? What do you think of them? I'm trying some 24" ones, not on my plants, but in my kitchen, to see how practical they are. But I am very interested in the concept, at least.



Those LED tubes require that you open the fluorescent housing and bypass the ballast. Any I have seen are plain white, so will be very low on the red end of the spectrum. "Cold" or "warm" white is irrelevant, as they only differ in the amount of blue, and often emit no rays redder than about 645 nm, which is precisely where the chlorophyll peak begins.


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## Marc (Jan 31, 2013)

Of course it's to early to call this trial a succes, however I noticed a few things that I wanted to share with you.

Sedirea japonico has started to push out an inflorescence.






Buds developing on my Dendrobium moniliforme






A new leave ( or is it a sheath? ) forming on one of my Paphiopedilum henryanums.






The picture look brighter as the ones I shared a few weeks ago, pictures were taken with camera in auto mode and no correction.


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## wjs2nd (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks for the update! Are you saying the pictures look brighter because of the camera flash? Your orchids look like they're doing very well. I wonder what the spectrum of light your LEDs puts out.


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## biothanasis (Jan 31, 2013)

Nice update Marc. Perhaps this means that the supplemented light might not have been necessary, at least for some plants / species... 

However, the rule ''lower temps higher light intensity'' might have applied and helped plants continue their circle?

I must get an Aerides japonica too!!! hehehe!


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