Bonsai Grow Lights

[rhawes]

I just bought some Barrina Full spectrum Grow lights t5. Just wandered if anyone has tried these. I have a bunch of indoor tropicals and wanted to try these. Orchid Girl on you tube says they are the best and she has some high light orhids. They are currently under t5 led shop lights with 6500k so I will let you all know how my plants are doing in a few months or so. If anyone has experience with these please, I would love to hear your input.

 

[penumbra]

I use several T5 6500 K bulbs, not Barrina but they have a good name. I prefer them to most of my LED, but LED are a bit more economical.
BTW, I love your neck of the woods. I know the area pretty well from Bird in Hand to Kutztown. Love Lancaster Archery too.

 

[rhawes]

I have been to the bird in hand restaurant excellent food!!!

 

[Carol 83]

I have the Barrina lights, but I think they are T8's? Maybe not, I would have to check my Amazon account. Whatever they are, they work great. First winter I didn't have massive leaf drop when I brought my trops in for the winter. I just checked, mine are T8's.

 

[penumbra]

As I remember, the old fluorescent bulbs that were very fat and used for several decades were T12, and the 4 foot version is 40watts. Then the slimline version came out and it was the T8 with a wattage of 33. This is the type of bulb you see today in retail stores, having supplanted the T12.
There is no 48 inch T5 but there is one around 42 inches and it is a high intensity bulb at about 65 watts (I think, if memory serves)
I have been using T12 and T8 for about as long as they have been around and they work fine in the bulb (tube) is close enough to the plants. I still have a couple in use that have been in use for 20 plus years.
Then there was power compact fluorescent and they are the brightest of the fluorescent but they are seldom seen now since the T5 has become popular because they produce less heat and don't require a remote ballast.
At this point T5 is the plant light of choice in anything from 4800 to 6800 k, most are 5000 k to 6500 k.
Also consider the reflector of the light unit. Some are more reflective and some are more directional. And optimally the tubes should be replaced every 6 months though I opt for 12 months with a generous margin of error.
Many people believe they get better results in propagating cuttings and seedlings when using fluorescent lighting over LED lighting. And though most of my lights for wintering plants are LED, I am one of those aforementioned people.
All of the above is I have experienced it over several decades. Of course opinions will vary.

 

[Carol 83]

And optimally the tubes should be replaced every 6 months though I opt for 12 months with a generous margin of error.

Really? This is my second year with them and they seem to be doing the job. Not even sure if that company sells replacement bulbs. I was hoping they would last longer than that.

 

[penumbra]

Really? This is my second year with them and they seem to be doing the job. Not even sure if that company sells replacement bulbs. I was hoping they would last longer than that.

Yeah, the color shifts to less useful spectrum. Sometimes it is useful to replace one bulb just to see the difference. There are dozens of companies that make all of these bulbs. In fact, most of the fixture manufacturers use after market bulbs. I will say that the older style larger tubes, producing less heat, last longer. An older style tube may burn for years, but it is not putting out the light of a new bulb. The T5 definitely has a shorter life, but it puts out twice the light of the T12 and T8. Overall tube age is much greater in better fixtures. I replaced two of mine last year because the cheaper fixtures ate the tubes. The newer fixture is pretty much on Q.
Oh, a last thought, flowers fluoresce under fluorescent lights. In fact color is often richer than even natural light.

 

[Carol 83]

Yeah, the color shifts to less useful spectrum. Sometimes it is useful to replace one bulb just to see the difference. There are dozens of companies that make all of these bulbs. In fact, most of the fixture manufacturers use after market bulbs. I will say that the older style larger tubes, producing less heat, last longer. An older style tube may burn for years, but it is not putting out the light of a new bulb. The T5 definitely has a shorter life, but it puts out twice the light of the T12 and T8. Overall tube age is much greater in better fixtures. I replaced two of mine last year because the cheaper fixtures ate the tubes. The newer fixture is pretty much on Q.
Oh, a last thought, flowers fluoresce under fluorescent lights. In fact color is often richer than even natural light.

If the T5's are better, are they the same size as the T8's I have, like would they fit in the same fixtures? The ones I have are 2ft long. Sorry for hijacking your thread @rhawes .

 

[rhawes]

I think they have cords that can fit in either t5 or t8 check out on amazon. But make sure it fits both, but that is for LED Lights.

 

[penumbra]

If the T5's are better, are they the same size as the T8's I have, like would they fit in the same fixtures? The ones I have are 2ft long. Sorry for hijacking your thread @rhawes .

No, T5 requires a different fixture. Some T8 fixtures will hold T12 and all T12 fixtures will fit T8 as they are same length and only difference is the diameter of the tube. T5 is a shorter tube and having a much higher wattage and light put out, it is very different.
T8 and T12 both work fine and burn cooler lasting longer. Nothing wrong with them for most houseplants, just need to be closer to plants.

 

[penumbra]

This is a T12. It is the original fluorescent bulb but still used. It fits a 48" fixture and is about 47 inches long. It is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and is a 40 watt bulb.

This is a side by side of a T12 and a T8

This is a T8 bulb, originally introduced as an economy replacement using the T12 fixture but only 1" in diameter and 33 watts. Light is about the same. I buy the daylight version at Lowes or Home Depot, cheap and efficient.

This is a side by side of T8 and T5

This is a T5 fixture. A little shorter, about 46 inches and bulb is a shade over 1/2 " in diameter. It is 54 watts and quite bright.

I buy my T5 on Amazon in a bundle package. There are several brands and several fixture brands as well.

 

[penumbra]

This is a 4 lamp 2 foot T5 fixture. It wakes me up at 6 am each morning. It is a great unit and I have had it for several years. Brand is Agrobright and it was off Amazon.

 

[penumbra]

This is currently my favorite 4 foot T5 fixture. I have tried a few and this one works great and I get better lighting and tube life.
The 2 tube unit is perfect for shelves and what is shown on previous post but you can get fixtures that hold up to 8 tubes if you want to light up a large area.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L6HZTMO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Glaucus]

I would get full spectrum LEDs instead. Aim for an efficiency near 2 umol/joule.

 

[penumbra]

I would get full spectrum LEDs instead. Aim for an efficiency near 2 umol/joule.

Indeed, for general plant growth it is my go to. A rough count gives me 24 LED lights I am currently using, though I probably missed a few.
I only have 6 fluorescent burning and 5 are for plant propagation, mostly cuttings. They work better for cuttings for me. The other one is in the bedroom and I find the light is more friendly.

 

[rhawes]

I ended up getting t5 led grow light the Barrina white light. My serissa just opened a little flower under this light which it had not bloomed under the shop lights Yeah!!!!

 

[Carol 83]

I ended up getting t5 led grow light the Barrina white light. My serissa just opened a little flower under this light which it had not bloomed under the shop lights Yeah!!!!

I have those lights, no complaints, everything doing very well.

 

[rhawes]

Hello Here is an update. I must have been insane to just use plain old shop lights. There is a very positive difference in these and everybody in my collection LOVES these lights, From succulents, tropical bonsai, venus flytrap, and orchids. They are all doing sooooooooooo much better with the barrina led full spectrum grow lights!!!! Yeah!!!!!