Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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- USDA Zone
- 5b
Grow shop guy is right, output does taper off on T-5 lamps. Whether you replace them at one year, or when they burn out at about 18 months depends on what you are growing, and how big a hit the cost of a $12 lamp is to your budget.
If you are growing full sun trees (or marijuana) you must keep light as bright as possible. Full sun would be Junipers, Pines and other full sun trees that normally are never grown indoors because its almost impossible to give them the equivalent of full sun.
If you are growing Pomegranate, Serissa, Nashia, Malpighia, Eugenia, etc, all normally full sun tropicals, but will tolerate a few hours of shade a day, you can probably let the lamps go to the point they are visibly close to failure - maybe 26 months.
If you are growing Ficus, which tolerates shade well, you can let the lamps go until they burn out. Then replace them right away.
If you are growing schefflera - Let the lamps burn out, never replace them - I hate schefflera. (just kidding)
The guy at the grow shop is giving you the same line he gives the marijuana growers, and they are trying to maximize dollar return per square foot. Our bonsai (for most of us) is a hobby, we are not concerned about yield per square foot, often we just want to limp trees through the winter, and wait for vigorous growth the following summer.
Same line of thought for the expense of CO2 systems, unless you were measuring biomass yield per square foot of light garden, I doubt you would see a change that you would view as cost effective.
But I add charcoal to my potting mixes because it makes me feel better, not because I ''observed'' an improvement in my trees. If the cost and hassle of a CO2 system is trivial, go ahead, but it is not likely that you would notice much difference. If the cost is significant to your budget, definitely give the CO2 system a pass. Put that money into better reflectors for your lights, etc.
If you are growing full sun trees (or marijuana) you must keep light as bright as possible. Full sun would be Junipers, Pines and other full sun trees that normally are never grown indoors because its almost impossible to give them the equivalent of full sun.
If you are growing Pomegranate, Serissa, Nashia, Malpighia, Eugenia, etc, all normally full sun tropicals, but will tolerate a few hours of shade a day, you can probably let the lamps go to the point they are visibly close to failure - maybe 26 months.
If you are growing Ficus, which tolerates shade well, you can let the lamps go until they burn out. Then replace them right away.
If you are growing schefflera - Let the lamps burn out, never replace them - I hate schefflera. (just kidding)
The guy at the grow shop is giving you the same line he gives the marijuana growers, and they are trying to maximize dollar return per square foot. Our bonsai (for most of us) is a hobby, we are not concerned about yield per square foot, often we just want to limp trees through the winter, and wait for vigorous growth the following summer.
Same line of thought for the expense of CO2 systems, unless you were measuring biomass yield per square foot of light garden, I doubt you would see a change that you would view as cost effective.
But I add charcoal to my potting mixes because it makes me feel better, not because I ''observed'' an improvement in my trees. If the cost and hassle of a CO2 system is trivial, go ahead, but it is not likely that you would notice much difference. If the cost is significant to your budget, definitely give the CO2 system a pass. Put that money into better reflectors for your lights, etc.
