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ETA I tried to put most of this behind a cut and it just wasn't working for me. It would only put one paragraph behind the cut no matter what I did. Sorry, there are images here.
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I've been getting more and more plants in the house. Problem: our living room has less light than it used to. Taking down the big mulberry tree on the North side of the house actually made the living room less light- the tree, I think, reflected and diffused sunlight back into our windows. Also, the fence on the north side used to bounce morning light into the windows on that side of the house. That fence was fucking BRIGHT. I am not sure when we will get the fence back up, but I am still acquiring plants. And some of those plants need supplemental lighting. (when the fence is back up I plan to stain it in a translucent white stain, so it will bounce the light into the house again.)
In late Sept or early October I bought an Ikea Vaxer led plant light, and a Tertial work light, also from Ikea. The Vaxer bulb is the larger, 800lm size. The plants that are underneath the light have been doing very well. But it's just one light. It's so great that I will definitely keep using it in the future, though.
In the future we plan to install led strip lighting on some of the shelves of the built-in wall bookshelf we are going to put in the living room. But that's a 2018 project, if we ever get around to actually doing it. My plants need light now. I have moved my Oncidium Heaven Scent 'Sweet Baby' to the middle room so it can get direct morning sun, but I really wish it was in the living room. Plus I have other plants in here that need more light.
So I've spent a few days scouring the internet for something temporary that is not ugly (because this is my living room) and also isn't expensive (because, temporary.) Honestly most of the pre-made "grow light" setups out there are ugly and overpriced or both. So I am already scheming about how I am going to design and build some attractive home grow light setups. (Seriously, I am going to try a few prototypes and if there is interest, I am going to try to make this a business.) But, before that happens, in the meantime I needed more lights! I knew I wanted LEDs, and I knew I didn't want any of the many red/blue only LED grow lights out there. The pinky-purple light is ugly. My goal was something in the 4000-6000k range. LED bulbs in that range are pretty easy to find, but I need not only lights, but a stand of some sort.
Last night I got really lucky. I was trying different search terms on Amazon and just scrolling through one set of results when I came across a light stand designed for a 4-gallon aquarium. The stand was priced at $11.89. A quick search for reviews found the same light stand listed at between $52 and $100. So I decided to buy it. It was $12.87 with tax and it wasn't ugly. This is what it looks like:
( Read more... ) 
I am pleased that it is coming and I think it's going to be a very useful light. The cans swivel, so I think I will be able to light more than just the base. It will only work for shorter plants, of course, like phals, but that's ok. Also, as soon as I bought the thing, the price shot up to $53! So I do feel lucky. Unfortunately it does not arrive until Thursday, and that is the day I am having my sinus and septum surgery, so I doubt I will feel like playing with it that day.
I know this light is not very practical, but I really, really like it, just because it's really cute. If money was not so tight I would buy it now. At some point I think I will get it, and put a single plant under it, just for the kawaii factor.
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I've been getting more and more plants in the house. Problem: our living room has less light than it used to. Taking down the big mulberry tree on the North side of the house actually made the living room less light- the tree, I think, reflected and diffused sunlight back into our windows. Also, the fence on the north side used to bounce morning light into the windows on that side of the house. That fence was fucking BRIGHT. I am not sure when we will get the fence back up, but I am still acquiring plants. And some of those plants need supplemental lighting. (when the fence is back up I plan to stain it in a translucent white stain, so it will bounce the light into the house again.)
In late Sept or early October I bought an Ikea Vaxer led plant light, and a Tertial work light, also from Ikea. The Vaxer bulb is the larger, 800lm size. The plants that are underneath the light have been doing very well. But it's just one light. It's so great that I will definitely keep using it in the future, though.
In the future we plan to install led strip lighting on some of the shelves of the built-in wall bookshelf we are going to put in the living room. But that's a 2018 project, if we ever get around to actually doing it. My plants need light now. I have moved my Oncidium Heaven Scent 'Sweet Baby' to the middle room so it can get direct morning sun, but I really wish it was in the living room. Plus I have other plants in here that need more light.
So I've spent a few days scouring the internet for something temporary that is not ugly (because this is my living room) and also isn't expensive (because, temporary.) Honestly most of the pre-made "grow light" setups out there are ugly and overpriced or both. So I am already scheming about how I am going to design and build some attractive home grow light setups. (Seriously, I am going to try a few prototypes and if there is interest, I am going to try to make this a business.) But, before that happens, in the meantime I needed more lights! I knew I wanted LEDs, and I knew I didn't want any of the many red/blue only LED grow lights out there. The pinky-purple light is ugly. My goal was something in the 4000-6000k range. LED bulbs in that range are pretty easy to find, but I need not only lights, but a stand of some sort.
Last night I got really lucky. I was trying different search terms on Amazon and just scrolling through one set of results when I came across a light stand designed for a 4-gallon aquarium. The stand was priced at $11.89. A quick search for reviews found the same light stand listed at between $52 and $100. So I decided to buy it. It was $12.87 with tax and it wasn't ugly. This is what it looks like:
( Read more... )
And here is what it looks like in action with a tank:
I am pleased that it is coming and I think it's going to be a very useful light. The cans swivel, so I think I will be able to light more than just the base. It will only work for shorter plants, of course, like phals, but that's ok. Also, as soon as I bought the thing, the price shot up to $53! So I do feel lucky. Unfortunately it does not arrive until Thursday, and that is the day I am having my sinus and septum surgery, so I doubt I will feel like playing with it that day.
I know this light is not very practical, but I really, really like it, just because it's really cute. If money was not so tight I would buy it now. At some point I think I will get it, and put a single plant under it, just for the kawaii factor.
I am also debating with myself whether or not to spend $20 on this light that's on Groupon right now. I wouldn't pay full price for it but at $20 it might be worth buying. At first I thought that a 120lm light would be useless, but then I reconsidered: if the light has a tight beam and a good reflector, it might work for a single plant, like a peperomia or a marimo bowl. It has a built-in timer, which is a selling point for me; I have one timer controlling my Vaxer light but I don't really want to buy a bunch of timers and have them all over the room.
I'm really looking forward to our built-in LED strip lighting on the bookshelves. B and I are going to build the lights ourselves, which will cut down on per-unit costs, and we will at the same time prototype some light setups to sell. But in the meantime I am hoping I end up with enough light, between the lights and the natural lighting, to grow these plants well, and add a few more.
That's the end of today's brain dump on plant lights and orchids. I hope tomorrow I get my shit together enough to write about my upcoming surgery.
I'm really looking forward to our built-in LED strip lighting on the bookshelves. B and I are going to build the lights ourselves, which will cut down on per-unit costs, and we will at the same time prototype some light setups to sell. But in the meantime I am hoping I end up with enough light, between the lights and the natural lighting, to grow these plants well, and add a few more.
That's the end of today's brain dump on plant lights and orchids. I hope tomorrow I get my shit together enough to write about my upcoming surgery.
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