anyone use these modern LED lighting in offseason??

[hinmo24t]

It's hard for me to say what your best option is. These things are not waste of money or novelty toys. If they have proper LEDs, and they should, they will produce ample light. And plants grow really well on artificial light. Even just the red & blue LEDs. And your plants are near a window as well. So it is more a question of what is the best for you. Are you buying too much light or too little? Or should the spectrum be different?

But this product lacks the key specs to properly evaluate a LED light. It says it is 80 w, but it does not mention the draw power. Or the PAR value, or the micromole per joule. So they know what LEDs they put in. Say it is 8 LEDs of 10 watt (it isn't, but as an example). They will not run these at 10 watt, because reasons. So maybe they run at 6 watt. And your actual power draw is 48 watt. So then that 80 watt number is already a bit misleading. And then what matters is how much photosynthetically usable light it produces over how large an area. If you know what you are doing with LEDs, and I don't. You know how much light you need on a certain area for a plant to grow properly. To the LED manufacturer will produce a surface chart and that will tell you, say I put my lamp at 1 meter height, then it will give this much photosynthetic flux to the plant when placed at that spot below the lamp (directly beneath it, or away from the center). One like this:

https://www.hetledwarenhuis.nl/data/upload/Shop/images/360x1000x0_marshydrots1000ledgrowlight5par.jpg

The lamp you listed has none of this info. So we don't know how much light your lamp produces. And for you to determine if you want to buy this lamp you ideally want to know how much photosynthetically relevant light you are adding on top of your window. So you know you pay 29 dollars to double the amount of light you already had. Or 29 dollars to add 10% more. Or something in between. I can't tell you. You also don't know from their specs how large an area you can cover and supply sufficient light for. If they did, then you know exactly what you are paying for. I mean technically, that LED lamp could produce 100% heat and no light, and it will still meet the 80 watt specification listed.

There are also many similar products on amazon, with also many reviews 4 or 5 stars. So one question you would have is if it is worth it to pay 5 more dollars and get one with white LEDs instead. I don't really know how to help you answer that question.

interesting. i saw some of the white versions...ill look into those as well. thanks again!! otherwise id be happy with a X 1.1 or X 2 for added light, for $29 and those reviews...so ultimately unless i hone in on white version ill prob buy one or two of the one i linked.

 

[Harunobu]

Well, it is not very realistic to expect these data from a 29 dollar item on Amazon. Don't buy these to grow your tomato plants (or cannabis plants) in your cellar. But if you have a bunch of succulents and you want them to do better than they are doing right now, you can add these and have the lights on from early in the morning to the afternoon when you arrive home, and they should be able to do more photosynthesis. And you won't have a industrial-looking device hanging above your table in your living room. Seems these are ideal if you have a dedicated houseplant table in your living room, as room decoration. And you add a bunch of these and they are reasonably fashionable and inconspicuous enough. But you do get more light.

 

[cmeg1]

Oh and one more video from an actual researcher with the science highlights.

NASA funded this guy to help find out what lights they need to grow plants with aritifical lights in space:

Bruce Bugbee - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I envision a time that rather than use pruning as the main tool, one uses different light spectra to shape a bonsai.

He actually makes sensors for ONLY led lights too!
Very useful.I use it regularly!some do not measure ppfd accurately approching 1000 par.Which is only useful in co2 fertilization.

 

[Harunobu]

cmeg1, I am wonder now, if you are that into hydrophonics and artificial growing lights and even have that detector that must not be cheap, did you experiment with mixing blue light and far red light to control the internodes of the species? I mentioned earlier that I was very surprised that my chili plants grew that compact under my CFL. It must have either a lot of blue light or lack IR light (even though it generates heat). Your plants also seem very compact, which I guess is what you want anyway. But I am wondering now if you can selectively aim very red lights at for example sacrirficial branches, and make them elongate, While shining blue lights at your 'design branches', to make them grow with short internodes. Or even more cutting edge, ramp up the amount of blue lights as you are growing finer ramification. Seems like an unexplored area. And bonsai people often seem to jump at marginal or unclear advantages. Or course there is the cost. But this seems like a really powerful way to manipulate plant growth habit. Maybe there is a way to filter sunlight. Or absorb it and re-emit it in a different wavelength. So the costs are reduced and we can use sunlight to do the same tricks.

 

[cmeg1]

Hi,actually the class I learned from does go into light recipes and they do talk about far red capabilities....mainly just at end of light cycle to sweeten fruit or something replicating sunset or something.T5 & cfl are primarily blue light for shorter internodes and more photosynthesis.I was thinking about adding UVA supplemental lighting! Hlg does make them I have to look into the benefit.......,,sounds cool though
copied from internet
Top 3 Benefits of UVA on Plants:

1. UVA can increase plant yields; recent studies have proven that UVA has encouraged bigger faster plant growth.
2. UVA increases the level of nutrients in plants making vegetables taste better
3. Having UVA within a full spectrum grow light replicates the natural habitat of a plant. As the earth contains low levels of low-intensity UVA radiation.

HLG 30 UVA SUPPLEMENT

Waterproof 30 watt UVA LED BAR designed for 12 hr. cycle in a 4' x 4' or 5' x 5' space. Passive cooled, 24 inches in length with built in power supply. Bolt on installation for any HLG 550, HLG 600 Rspec®, HLG 650R, Scorpion® Rspec®, and Scorpion® Diablo.

horticulturelightinggroup.com

Ok,so I will definately have to get a couple of these!

 

[Trenthany]

He actually makes sensors for ONLY led lights too!
Very useful.I use it regularly!some do not measure ppfd accurately approching 1000 par.Which is only useful in co2 fertilization.
View attachment 319146View attachment 319148

FML. You bought a $600 light sensor? That is dedication to your study of bonsai! I am impressed and jealous! Lol

 

[erich_raudebaugh]

I don't think that the LEDs you're contemplating will have enough power. I use 1000W banks of the red/blue LEDs, and they will produce about 60,000 lumens up close. Then your ficus will actually grow in the off season. The reason I use LEDs is to save space because you can put them right next to the bonsai without burning the leaves, the ones I bought have cooling fans and stay quite cool. I've noticed one nice thing about the red/blue versus other light sources, the leaves and internodes stay small.

 

[cmeg1]

FML. You bought a $600 light sensor? That is dedication to your study of bonsai! I am impressed and jealous! Lol

Hah.It takes gueswork out of determining light intensity.Seeslings and motherplants get 200-400 par and that almost halts growth.
Early to late stage veg is 400-600.This is great for leafy deciduous.
Pines can take it a bit higher 600-800,though 600 is plenty for a pine in an 18 hr cycle.
If tou go too strong by accident the plants become carb limited.
I run these.
It actually is quite the science if you want good results