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cfl vs hid grow lights
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Posted by altair NY (My Page) on Thu, Sep 4, 08 at 10:15
| Well, I've done it....with the orchids being outside, this summer I think I bought more than what will fit back into my current grow area *sigh*. Rather than getting rid of some, I'd prefer to expand and possibly setup a basement grow area.
Currently, I have two 85 watt CFLs, but I think I'd need to get more lights if I were to create a grow area in the basement. Which brings me to my question...which is better - CFL or HID? Are there any distinct advantages/disadvantages between the two?
Thanks for any advice! :)
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| Something to note about HIDs is that they warm up significantly, so a convenient way to keep the grow area warmish in winter without spending extra money on heating is to use HIDs with the ballasts within the area. One grower in our area does this, and can effectively regulate the temps of her grow area with fans pulling hot air out....plus, the drop in temp with the lights off at night is helpful for some species to initiate blooming. On the flip side, you might not want the heat. In my mind, CFLs = more micromanaging in terms of where you want the light, which is a pro, but also a little annoying as you will need to set up several lamps (depending on the size of your area). Tubes are good for long narrow spaces (IMO) and HIDs are good for large rooms - ie if you want to make a huge orchid grow room, then you may use HIDs, with a few CFLs over your highest light plants. Hope that helps! :D |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| What kind of orchids will you be growing under the lights? How big an area do you need to illuminate? I have a 400 watt HID that works well for a good sized table of phals, minicatts and phaius. |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| I recently moved into a new place that has south-facing windows that receive direct sunlight. Although I am happy with my new windows, the house is old and the windows are of another era -- lovely, but tall and narrow. On cloudy days they do not let much light in. Thus, I was considering getting an HID to run on cloudy days, assuming the sunlight is adequate on the sunny days. Would an HID + southern exposure be overkill? I guess the initial price of HIDs and the cost of running them is all a bit daunting, but in my opinion the light is better looking, and as Calvin pointed out, you do not necessarily have to manage a whole array of lights. And in my situation, the heat HIDs produce would be a bonus. I used CFLs last year, and for my purposes I found them to be fantastic because they were well-suited to the space in which I was growing -- the window was long horizontally, but not that high vertically, and brought the plants close to the lights, which is necessary when growing beneath fluorescent lights. My only complaint about the CFLs is that the light was somewhat harsh and unappealing, and I did not have a separate room devoted to growing, so they were a little hard to live with. Mike |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| CFL come in all color spectrum. The 5200K and warmer are not unpleasant. HID were/are industrial lamps that were co-opted for use by the indoor growing community because nothing else was available. Someone shopping for lights now has other options like CFL, Wonderlites, and white light LED's. None of these involve the massive outlay of HID but more to the point, none require investment in a ballast/fixture. HID in 'reasonable' wattages are not that efficient, their main selling point. At 800W/1000W there is nothing more efficient than HID but at 150W/175W even 250W and a CFL of similar wattage can give HID a good run for the money. All the lights I've mentioned are point sources at least as compact as an HID and will work well in a tall, narrow window. H |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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Hi altair
Im hooked on 300watt Wonderlites.
They r between CFL and HIDs. More HID.
Low density discharge.
The color is natural. Red and blue spectrum in 1 bulb.
They don't output nearly the heat as HID.
Less lighting debris in the area. I.M.E. less ca$h out to the electric company.
I can light more plants with Wonderlite than with CFL HID.
The 'Bendits' are a handy add-on. I use a 300w in a south facing window for hi-light plants, cloudy days.
My plants don't hang on during winter.
They are summertime happy. The PDF spec sheet is for the 160watt Wonderlite
MegA |
Here is a link that might be useful: Wonderlite
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| I'm really ashamed to say that I've been so busy the past few weeks with school work that I haven't really had a chance to sit down and catch up with postings. The wheels started turning in my head when a person at the local society put an ad in the monthly newsletter saying she wanted to get rid of a 400 watt HID SunSystem set up, which ended up being free (bonus!) :) After picking it up, I went to Lowes and bought a 5 tier shelving unit. Right now, I have the shelving unit up against the west wall in the basement, and hung the HID lights above it (it just fit, thank goodness). I have a huge variety of orchids, mainly phals, paphs, oncidiums and vandas, along with some miscellaneous genera (aerangis, dimorphorchis, coelogyne, brassavola, lycaste, etc). I've done my best to order them on each shelf according to their light requirements, but so far they all seem pretty happy. The most rewarding thing is that I've seen some new leaves starting to pop up! :) |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| meg_awat, Thank you. Your input is a welcome addition. --Stitz-- |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| An HID lamp is not the appropriate light for a shelf system. Sorry to be the killjoy but if you have anything approaching reasonable stocking levels on the upper shelves then the lower shelves will not see any useful light levels. I invested in some staggered shelves from Gardener's Supply Warehouse (think stadium bleachers) and hung Wonderlites over them. That or an open area at floor level or raised is really the best way to use a point source light source. H |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| Howard when are we going to get to see your new set up? How do you like the Wonderlites as compared to your old set up of CFL's and incandescent bulbs? Are you getting better growth with the Wonderlites? Please share :>) Brooke |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| The shelves from G.S. date back to 2001. Each is 3'W and has three tiers. The nosebleed shelf is about 4' off the ground. A picture of that setup with three units side by side with a Wonderlite centered over each is somewhere in the bowels of the Gardenweb server. The years between 2003 and the recent past were very lean years so no Wonderlites. CFL and incandescent were an acceptable substitue but the convenience of having both spectra in one bulb is worth the price ~$50. At present I have only one of the shelves assembled with a single Wonderlite (thanks again Jane) over it. Not very photogenic at present. Eventually I'll get to photographing it and posting it. H |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| Are you down in orchids? Brooke |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| Thanks Howard & meg_a_wat, you guys are bringing up some really great points. Right now, I don't have much up on the top shelf, mainly because I think they might fry due to how close the light is. Howard, I've never heard of staggering shelves or Wonderlites, so that's definitely something I'm going to look into. Your setup sounds really neat! :) Thanks to everyone for their input, this forum is such a wonderful learning tool. |
RE: cfl vs hid grow lights
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| I want to start growing orchids indoors and have a grow room(more like building outback 8x8x8)that i been growing sunflowers and vegetables in.I really need lots of info on set-up,enviroment, nutrients, growing medium, and especially WHERE TO PURCHASE BULBS. All my research online is not giving me answers, just advice. Can anyone guide me to a site where i can get definitive info on starting and maintaining an orchid indoor grow op please??????? |
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