What kind of grow lights do I need to get?

[Sweetbeefaerie]

I am wanting to grow Peruvian torch cactus and according to my research so far, the best way to do it in the climate I'm in is inside with full spectrum grow lights. I've been looking through different kinds, but I'm really not sure if there's crappy brands or really good brands, etc. and also I am wanting to do this in my china cabinet, so I want lights that I can somehow stick to the ceiling of the china cabinet and have the cactus on the shelf below. Does anyone have any suggestions for lights I should use? Also, I'm pretty sure I posted this in the right section but please let me know if there was a better section to post in! I seem to mess that up sometimes

 

[Solipsis]

Hi, it's not against the rules or anything and there is no place better than PD for this type of question... but growing discussion is just really scarce here.

I think with some extra googling you should be able to find the questions you are looking for. http://cactiguide.com/article/?article=article17.php

The type of light (fluorescent etc), the efficiency and the associated spectrum emitted seem more important to me than 'brands', also if you are going to put it in a cabinet be careful with heat generation. I'm not really experienced with this (yet), right now there is plenty of light outside for my plants and my Salvia and other stuff doesn't really need intense light like say cacti or coca, but I am trying to germinate Peruvian Torch seeds as it just so happens. I plan on buying a fixture / armature with fluorescent lights a little later.

 

[FunctionalOlfactio]

The best grow lights are metal halide or high pressure sodium. These are large and produce lots of heat, you can't use these in small cabinets. I used the special spectrum high intensity L.E.D. lights in the past, they were expensive and yielded mediocre results. You should use florescent bulbs.

If price isn't limiting then you could purchase specialized T5 kits. These kinds of kits usually are complete include blasts, reflectors, starters, specialized bulbs, ect.

http://hydrofarm.com/product.php?itemid=14515

Or while your cacti is short

http://hydrofarm.com/product.php?itemid=13468

If money is limiting your options or if you are uncertain you'll maintain interest WalMart has an option costing <$30. They carry 4ft two tube T8 fixtures costing ~$10 and daylight T8 bulb two packs costing ~$10. Almost every Super Center caries these. I have used this combination successfully. Some growers use these as the light source on their mother plants and young clones. The down side is the starters/ballast fail after 2-3 years of daily use.

Solipsis is correct about cabinets. Open the cabinet during the day or install an exhaust fan. Plants need fresh circulating air and excessive heat is harmful.

 

[Vertygo]

Well looking for T8 fixtures (recommended) the key metric is to make sure it is rated at 6500k (daylight, full spectrum, other keywords here). The heat might not seem like an issue, but trust me, it will be. Two (preferably quiet, non-LED) computer fans can easily be installed discreetly. Have one pull in air, and another pull out air. And congrats on the grow, I'm jealous!

 

[Sweetbeefaerie]

And congrats on the grow, I'm jealous!

Yes, I'm quite excited! This specific cactus is very special to me and I consider it an honor to raise it myself. Haha it's seemed to have raised me in a way over the years, so I feel that I'm repaying a debt

I also forgot to mention one of the things I'm most curious about that maybe I just haven't looked hard enough for, about how long typically do they take to reach maturity? I'm a fairly patient person but I'd like to at least know what I'm looking at here.

 

[velmwend]

Do you need grow lights for peruvian torch?

 

[Sweetbeefaerie]

I've read a lot of people saying that you for sure need them and then a ton of other people saying that those people are dumb and needlessly spending money on lights. those people say you just need good sun. Not sure who to believe so I figured I'd go with the lights just in case, because I can always just not use them.

 

[velmwend]

Yep, I believe you can grow them in the greenhouse with no probs.

 

[velmwend]

was looking at this yesterday. Pretty good advice. I'm in the UK so maybe my methods might differ from yours but I'm gonna grow in greenhouse and bring into the house during winter.

 

[Jan Harvey]

Sun Spectrum Grow Lights are best for you , I also used High Power 4s Grow lights for indoor gardening.
Try this, hope it helps you.

 

[crazybollweevil]

For something like cacti that don't demand a crazy amount lumens/square meter a very cheap and effective solution is compact fluoroscents. LEDs are the future of indoor growing, though.