Light - can anyone shed any please?

[mudpies]

I was reading the article about light in this month's magazine when I think I had a lightbulb moment!
We have an african grey parrot who has a UV lightbulb above her cage ( supposed to replicate the real light she needs and stimulate calcium and Vit D production). So, I'm wondering if my little plants might do better under this light ( though not in with the parrot!!), maybe on a tray on top of the cage and under the light.
Can't quite work out if this is a brainwave or a silly idea......any thoughts?

[RedThorn]

I feel an experiment coming up! Should help though in theory

[mudpies]

Hmmmm...yes - maybe some on the windowsill and some under the light......good thinking RT

[Two_Sheds]

You're growing your Grey under a SAD lamp!

Mine would destroy it

[mudpies]

OOhhh - she is lovely!
We inherited ours when my mother-in-law died in November. All was well until she started to lay eggs - lots of them. The vet recommended the lamp as the egg laying depleted her calcium levels so badly she nearly died. Anyways she is now happy, healthy and full of attitude. Will try to put up pic, but am not very techno.
Have set up growing experiment with lamp and tinfoil arrangement - fingers crossed!

[Two_Sheds]

the egg laying depleted her calcium levels so badly she nearly died.

Poor thing!
There are other remedies to try (as increased light may increase her inclination to lay): Parrots: female african congo grey parrot egg laying, african congo grey parrot, congo grey

[mudpies]

Thanks for that TS, really interesting. So far so good

[Dead Dogs]

...an african grey parrot who has a UV lightbulb ...:

When you say a UV lightbulb, do you mean a blacklight or daylight bulb?
A blacklight is virtually all UVA (~300 to 400nm) and invisible to humans. Whereas a daylight bulb glows white and, as the name implies, has a spectrum closer to daylight (380 to 780nm).

All the data I have been able to find has plants requiring blue (~400 to 500nm) and orange/red (~600 to 700nm) light. So if you have a daylight bulb, then I would expect your plants to grow well.

[mudpies]

Here's hoping DD ! The little plants have been under the parrot light for 2 days now, and there is another set on the windowsill, so should be able to compare results in a week or so - I'll let you know!! Thanks for the research

[Sarico]

I was looking online for some light only for my seedling because the sun now is still low that my neighbour extension is shading my kitchen windows. I fund a nice low energy LED lamp with blue and red light. Does anyone have this lamp? Or I ask to the expert is worth buy one. For now I only put in my tiny greenhouse in the morning till 4 o'clock in the afternoon if is a nice day.

[Dead Dogs]

I fund a nice low energy LED lamp with blue and red light. Does anyone have this lamp?

Not sure if the one I have is the same, see link below, but it does work if you take acount their limitations. I have a all blue version which has lettice seedlings under at the moment and was succesful last year at stopping Tom seedling from getting leggy. They'er not very good for large plants as you have to keep them close to the plants. Also don't work well for seedling in heated proporgators.

I'll try and post some photos.

225 LED 14W Grow Panel Red Blue Hydroponic Light Board: Amazon.co.uk: Lighting

[Sarico]

Not sure if the one I have is the same, see link below, but it does work if you take acount their limitations. I have a all blue version which has lettice seedlings under at the moment and was succesful last year at stopping Tom seedling from getting leggy. They'er not very good for large plants as you have to keep them close to the plants. Also don't work well for seedling in heated proporgators.

I'll try and post some photos.

225 LED 14W Grow Panel Red Blue Hydroponic Light Board: Amazon.co.uk: Lighting

yes dead dogs is what i was looking on ebay... i only want one for seedling to stop them to get leggy... my kitchen windows is not that sunny now because a wall from the neighbors but from april there is no problem because the sun is higher... if you tell that it's worth buy for the seedling i will do.. thanks

[Two_Sheds]

my kitchen windows is not that sunny ... from april there is no problem because the sun is higher

Are you growing anything that really warrants the extra expense? It might be better to wait until April, rather than struggle on with weak leggy seedlings

[Sarico]

Are you growing anything that really warrants the extra expense? It might be better to wait until April, rather than struggle on with weak leggy seedlings

i know i read somewhere that sometime the seed that you plant later they grow faster then the one you grow early...but i'm just so excite when i see the seedling coming up and i want to plant them more... i have a lot of seeds of each variety. i think that i will seed more at the end of the month and for now i will just look after my seedling ( some are already burnt because was sunny the other day and i put them in my little greenhouse but i forgot to leave open the zip and the temp was over 55 degrees )but soon is my bday and people ask me what to buy as a gift so if someone want to buy it is much better

[Dead Dogs]

Sarico, I'll not say whether the grow lights are worth it or not. Have a look at the photons and I'll let you decide.

There are 2 panels hung in one of those blow-away greenhouse things. I've set it up in a spare room and keep the curtains closed. The top panel is a 300 watt 7 spectrum unit, complete with cooling fans. Lower down I fixed the all blue LED panel to a tier and raised the lettuce as close as possible.

I've included a couple of close ups so you can get a fair idea of how the plants are doing.

Although I have windows with clear views of the sky to the south east and south west, the Toms (Red Alert) on the window sill have fallen over. They were sown at the same time as the one in the photo, but germinated several day earlier. I moved them before I got the 300w unit. On the window sill they have not do well at all and are only fit for the compost bin.