Hi everyone,

Any suggestions for cheap and simple growlights?

Is it a mistake to put pots straight on the floor?

I have an unfinished part of a somewhat humid basement open to me I can use instead of making a mess of upstairs next to windows...

Thanks :)

Once I had a little corner in the basement (average winter temp 60*F) where
I rooted many fig twigs. There is a small east-facing window and I supplemented
it with a cheap [4' dual] shop-florescent-fixture (and two 40 Watt 'plant' bulbs).

Lately my wife took over that spot with junk; it is now time for me to re-claim that good spot....

For rooting and establishing cuttings, last year I claimed a corner of a small windowless 'inside' room where the temperature stayed warmer and was relatively stable. I used 'cheapo' generic florescent shop lights - the 3-4 foot long ones - with 'cheapo' bulbs from costco. Worked just fine. Just make sure the lights are very close to the plants. Inches, not feet.

I was looking at building one of these...http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/growlite/index.html
I have one of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hydroponic-System-Dual-Spectrum-LED-Panel-Grow-Light-Plant-660nm-225-LED-/310773074725?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item485b84cb25

I grow a lot of microgreens and I start most of my plants inside in my basement... so I spent time looking into these..

That LED panel looks interesting. Low energy usage is always a plus. I'm always starting seedlings in the house and good light without much heat would be great.

There were a couple good threads a year ago or so on grow light bulbs, the color spectrum that you wanted/needed etc. Home Depot had some waterproof fixtures for, maybe, $50 that looked suitable for a greenhouse type setting.

Those LED panels come in different colors. Which one is best for figs?
I like the 14w power consumption!

In my experience the LED panels are junk and despite the favorable wavelengths.  I bought 3 of these (one red and blue), (one red, blue, and orange) and (red blue and white).  The lights are not very powerful obviously and they don't promote good top growth.  They are slightly less effective than a good T5 fluorescent bulb. The "affected" area is also reduced by these LED panels.  Unless they are a few inches from the plants, they won't do much.  At least the fluorescent long lights have a bigger surface area they can cover. Metal Halide or HPS bulbs are much better, but are much more expensive, burn out quickly, and drain electricity.  I guess I am glad we have the sun. 

Red spectrum promotes fruit production 
blue spectrum promotes green production

If you save up enough money you could buy a grow tent. 

http://www.htgsupply.com/Category-Grow-Tents

http://www.htgsupply.com/Category-Complete-Grow-Kits

I wouldn't put pots right on the floor in my basement because the concrete stays about 50 degree F or so and conducts heat well.  I put two shelving units together to create a 4'x4' footprint grow tower that goes floor to ceiling.  I hung 3 shop lights on each shelf and 3 more off the floor joists above the tower to create 5 grow levels that each take 6 standard trays.  Because the basement is cool in winter I bought 5 of those metalized mylar emergency blankets they sell in the camping section of the store for about $2 each...one for each level of the tower.  I lay them over the three shop lights on each level and they're big enough that they hang down over the edgesand create a zone that is a bit warmer and has more light for the plants due to their mirror like surface reflecting light and heat back to the plants.  This helps hold in the extra heat from the ballasts that my plants really appreciate down there in the basement.  This set up isn't good for very tall plants, but I can start as many as 1000 plants in a 4x4 space.  The lights are on timers set for 16 hours.  All I have to do is water once a week.

To me, cheap light fixtures from Lowes or Home Depot seem to be the way to go.  The fixtures themselves are under $15 and the 4' lights are cheap.  I'd like to know if anyone has an opinion on these bulbs: http://www.lowes.com/pd_255318-3-24385_?PL=1&productId=1072603

Anyone use reflective insulation as a way to combat light losses from these fixtures?

í just went to my local thrift shop and bought a small adjustable desk lamp light for 3.99 and a couple of daylight bulbs. I only have 4 small plants under it though.

My understanding is for the florescent you buy one from the cold light spectrum and one from the warm spectrum and that gives what you need for plants. The LED has works great for my plants and seems to be encouraging my  rooted cuttings to leaf.  I can look up who I got mine from, it is red white and blue and I liked the design a lot. Send me a note if you want me to.

Jarrett,
I am using a 6500 K bulb and its a few inches from the plants I grew pepper plants using these bulbs, I know not everythings the same though. I guess ill just have to give it a few weeks...

Good information, thanks for sharing.

Best,
Tam

Last winter I kept plants under 4 foot 40w shop lights 24/7, I kept the bulbs 22 inches above the leaves.  I also kept plants under 250w heat lamps, obviously not as close, 36-40 inches away from leaf tops.  Both worked, all plants maintained leaves and grew new ones.  It did not seem to matter which light source was used.  I currently have an ICU area that I use to pamper poor performing plants, it is lit by the shoplights, works well.  i would not pay the money for the "grow lights"

Take it for for its worth.

I just use cheep walmart shop lights with grow bulbs bought there as well. never had any problems with it. works just fine for me.

I use Home Depot resin shelves and walmart shop lights.  I get the 10 pack of 4' bulbs from HD.  When I started the 5000K bulbs were the same price as the others and had the best spectrum.  Last year the 5000K bulbs were much more expensive so I got the 6500K bulbs and 2700K (or 3000K if I couldn't get 2700K) bulbs and used 1 of each in every fixture.  In past years I used 2 18" units side by side, 1 shop light on either side and CFLs in the middle.  When I expanded my space I used 24" resin shelves side by side and 4 shop lights running down the units.  I have fewer problems when water runs down from above that way.

These will never put out as much light as an HID setup.  Here's a great price on an HID setup.  You can choose your hood style.  There are other deals on different wattages and including more bulbs.  Promoting flowering is mostly for pot growers.  It's of no use to us.  In general a MH bulb with a color temp of 4100 or so is your best bet.  It gives a wide, even spectrum.

4100 is your worst choice in a fluorescent bulb, however.   :)      If I can find my previous post on photosynthetically active radiation I'll link it here. 

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/lighting-6123556

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/grow-light-6128924


(Links now work   :- )

The LED light from ebay mentioned above only puts out 420 Lm.  The 1000 W HID lights put out over 100,000 Lm and each T8 fluorescent tube puts out almost 3,000 Lm.  A 23W CFL puts out 1600 Lm.  Even with an LED fixture an inch from the plants I don't think that will be enough light, especially when there are enough leaves to shade each other. 

Thank you all for the replies and information. Great stuff as I know nothing about lights.

The Walmart light fixture says it takes T8's... can I use T12's on it? If so I was thinking of getting these--seem to be simplest/cheapest:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-40-Watt-4-ft-T12-Natural-Supreme-5000K-Linear-Fluorescent-Light-Bulb-10-Pack-423961/203466589#.UmfV0BD451U

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-8045E-Lights-of-America-4-Solid-State-Shop-Light-White/19759624
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Will the light fixture have a cord I can plug in?

Thanks again to everyone who posted.

The fixture will have a cord and standard outlet plug.  The t12 bulb will not work in the t8 fixture but they have equivalent t8 bulb that are stocked in store.

T12s are being phased out.  If you buy those fixtures you wont be able to feed them for long.  T8s are more efficient.  T12 uses 40W, puts out 2500 lm.  T8 uses 32W, puts out 2750-2950Lm depending on CCT.  T5s are even more so but are still relatively more expensive.  T8s are about the same price as T12s.

You can't use T12s in a T8 fixture because the T12 will draw 40W and kill (possibly with flames) a ballast designed for 32 W

Thanks guys, T8 it is.