How much is too much?

[Timbo]

I dunno, but for me it's useless to waste electricity and drying them out more if they aren't using it anyways.
If after 14 hours or so they start to clam up, I don't see what good it does to leave the lights on.

 

[It's Kev]

In Alaska, summer days are almost endless. I’m sure you can leave your lights on for longer.

 

[Timbo]

Right, but then it goes the other way so they get a break.

 

[TN_Jim]

Ficus employ C3 photosynthesis; therefore, they may close their stomata ("breathing" openings on leaves) during the day. This may especially occur if conditions are not favorable, i.e. too hot etc. This case of closed stomata generally occurs during the day. So, if your tree is doing this, you MUST have a period of darkness in order for it to uptake CO2.

I'm not sure, but 6 hrs may not be an adequate amount of dark. Ideally, if you have a timer, you could look up the native range of the species, and duplicate the photoperiod of that region. With my Ficus, the light goes out at night, and back on when I wake.

 

[GrimLore]

All of our Ficus and Figs are on a 8 hour on 4 hour off schedule, some for over 18 years when inside for Winter. So 16 hours total every 24 hours. We don't use High Output lights just T8 Full Spectrums. Using High Outputs just gives us to much leggy weak growth.

Grimmy

 

[Timbo]

Ficus employ C3 photosynthesis; therefore, they may close their stomata ("breathing" openings on leaves) during the day. This may especially occur if conditions are not favorable, i.e. too hot etc. This case of closed stomata generally occurs during the day. So, if your tree is doing this, you MUST have a period of darkness in order for it to uptake CO2.

I'm not sure, but 6 hrs may not be an adequate amount of dark. Ideally, if you have a timer, you could look up the native range of the species, and duplicate the photoperiod of that region. With my Ficus, the light goes out at night, and back on when I wake.

I think it's good to see where they are from, problem is whether they have been introduced or native, many tropical trees are in very diff environments. Some places have more/less light, dry/wet.
My Cedrela odorata can grow on wet clay riverbanks or dry lands. Understory or as a shade tree.
My opinion is they will tell you when enough is a enough...one way or the other hehe.
My trees will sometimes close if they are too dry/wet or the wind, but inside you are right they just had enough light. Sometimes i find that to be a 8-10 hours break.
Acacia, Texas ebony, Tamarind, Delonix....they all seems to close at the same time...if my light level is the same.

 

[Timbo]

All of our Ficus and Figs are on a 8 hour on 4 hour off schedule, some for over 18 years when inside for Winter. So 16 hours total every 24 hours. We don't use High Output lights just T8 Full Spectrums. Using High Outputs just gives us to much leggy weak growth.

Grimmy

I use T5 HO mainly because the cost and sizes were good for smaller spaces. I've only found them leggy if i have the light at the wrong height.
If i had room for a shoplight i woulda gone that way...i think they are T8.

 

[GrimLore]

I use T5 HO mainly because the cost and sizes were good for smaller spaces. I've only found them leggy if i have the light at the wrong height. If i had room for a shoplight i woulda gone that way...i think they are T8.

The whole thing depends on other factors here too. The room is humidified, has constant air circulation, 16 hours of HEPA Air filtration. Actually have 5 different micro-climates and developing more in the Spring. I also am pretty certain by having the room painted in a white satin finish both mold and mildew resistant makes for a bit of reflective quality. Being retired I have been tweaking the room since 2013 when we bought this smaller place - total experimentation and monitoring along the way. What I find most interesting is the plants that don't do good in there, like Orchids

Grimmy

 

[Gustavo Martins]

Mine get as much light as there is in a day because they are always outside you should all move here. It's so simple

 

[Timbo]

That's not very nice!
Like salt in the wound!
If we all lived in the south the USA would tip over. Look it up, a congressman thought so.

 

[f1pt4]

Someone posted this here a while back.. I think it was around 2015.

I take no credit for it. I just have it saved as a note on my desktop.

Just finished measuring with a par meter and did the conversion. Figured I'd post up the results in case anyone is interested.

Bulbs are 6500k from Amazon. 54w t5ho, with individual reflectors touching each other. So bulbs are about 3" apart. Measurements were taken directly in the middle of the two bulbs where the light is the strongest due to overlap. This is with two bulbs.

Distance from bulb / output
@bulb = 1000 par/74,000 lux
@6" = 480 par/ 35,520 lux
@12" = 220 par/ 16,280 lux
@18" = 130 par/ 9620 lux
@24" = 92 par/ 1776 lux

Same setup WITHOUT individual reflectors. This shows how much more light you can get with the reflectors:

@bulb = same numbers
@6" = 140 par/ 10,360 lux
@12" = 66 par/ 4884 lux
@18" = 32 par/ 2368 lux


With a quick google search, it seems the Sun produces between 32k-130k lux.

So do your math, figure out what kind of lighting you need.

Of course the sun also gives us UV and a full spectrum light.

I know that HOT5's are available in UV and Full Spectrum.

Just some food for thought.

FWIW, I keep my lights on for 14hours on 10hours off. And no leggy growth with my HOt5's. Compact and dense. Mind you I got quite a few bulbs going.

 

[Gustavo Martins]

That's not very nice!
Like salt in the wound!
If we all lived in the south the USA would tip over. Look it up, a congressman thought so.

Not necessarily: This only makes sense if you are trying to grow tropicals. We should try to grow those species that are adapted to our climate. I know it's hard with so many interesting species out there. You seem I also want to grow Japanese maples. They grow here (so far), but I am sure they would be much happier if I were a bit further north... I have a really hard time making sure they keep a healthy foliage during summer

 

[sorce]

@AlainK your tree reminds me of these!

Check out those pots!

Sorce

 

[Timbo]

Not necessarily: This only makes sense if you are trying to grow tropicals. We should try to grow those species that are adapted to our climate. I know it's hard with so many interesting species out there. You seem I also want to grow Japanese maples. They grow here (so far), but I am sure they would be much happier if I were a bit further north... I have a really hard time making sure they keep a healthy foliage during summer

I'm not seeing your zone...what zone is that considered? 10? How about shade clothe? See how long JM last without a 2-3 month dormancy.

We do some some advantages up here...Mainly conifers. I don't push zones much..i either have zone 5's or lower, or skip to zones 9+. But yes they have a lot of nice looking tropical plants. Bonsai or not, it's nice to have trees/plants in your house.. I'll prolly just end up making my JM's landscaping trees.

 

[Gustavo Martins]

I'm not seeing your zone...what zone is that considered? 10? How about shade clothe? See how long JM last without a 2-3 month dormancy.

We do some some advantages up here...Mainly conifers. I don't push zones much..i either have zone 5's or lower, or skip to zones 9+. But yes they have a lot of nice looking tropical plants. Bonsai or not, it's nice to have trees/plants in your house.. I'll prolly just end up making my JM's landscaping trees.

I'm probably zone 11. I've got a JM for one year. So far so good but not sure about its future. There are not many around although you can found 2-3 as landscape trees. Let's see what future brings.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

During the day, plants do photosynthesis and respiration. During the night, they only do respiration. I don't think it hurts plants to leave lights 24h on, provided that the intensity does not lead to photoinibition.

Photo inhibition is exactly the reason the UW Forestry Dept recommended a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of darkness every 24 cycle.

 

[Timbo]

@AlainK your tree reminds me of these!

Check out those pots!

Sorce

I'm guessing not an indoor tropical.
Can you imagine the cost/upkeep? Fortune just in the pots i would imagine.
I like the one to the left...the 'small' one.