T5 Lighting question

[Wires_Guy_wires]

UV is not needed for plant growth. It's beneficial for other reasons but absolutely NOT a requirement. It can sterilize, and support plants immune system by killing microorganisms non-selectively (so the benficial ones die too). It does the same to the plant itself. Part of the reason why some plants die after an indoor winter: the UV rays penetrate so deep that everything gets radiation damage. It takes a while before the cuticle responds and starts fending off UV light again, when placed outdoors after being indoors for a while.

Swapping out effective growth lights for lights that do almost the opposite (stunting growth due to the plants lack of cuticle, due to lack of sunlight exposure) might not be a bright idea. It can kill your plants.

 

[nrgizerrod]

The algae showed up with the BRT I got last month and has slowly spread. I wasn't sure if it would be harmful... I've been treating a few pots with a peroxide solution because of gnats. I guess I'll add cleaning up the algae to the list of chores!

77 is the temp. The humidity is typically between 30-45%, it was 25% this morning prior to watering. I've cut back on watering because of the gnats.

Great idea on placement! I've rearranged about 100 times this winter, i'll try that arrangement next.

 

[f1pt4]

UV is not needed for plant growth. It's beneficial for other reasons but absolutely NOT a requirement. It can sterilize, and support plants immune system by killing microorganisms non-selectively (so the benficial ones die too). It does the same to the plant itself. Part of the reason why some plants die after an indoor winter: the UV rays penetrate so deep that everything gets radiation damage. It takes a while before the cuticle responds and starts fending off UV light again, when placed outdoors after being indoors for a while.

Swapping out effective growth lights for lights that do almost the opposite (stunting growth due to the plants lack of cuticle, due to lack of sunlight exposure) might not be a bright idea. It can kill your plants.

So what is your opinion on these?

https://eyehortilux.com/grow-lights-grow/the-benefits-of-uv-light-for-indoor-plant-growth/

https://eyehortilux.com/grow-lights/powerveg-family/

They are designed for increased vegetative growth and I've found that I get really great root and canopy growth, which also translates to thickening of branches and trunk.

As I've mentioned earlier in the post, I've been using them for two growing seasons now, and I'm extremely satisfied with the results.

I've also found a pest reduction over the growing season using them. I've changed nothing in my care other than the lights.

 

[f1pt4]

The algae showed up with the BRT I got last month and has slowly spread. I wasn't sure if it would be harmful... I've been treating a few pots with a peroxide solution because of gnats. I guess I'll add cleaning up the algae to the list of chores!

77 is the temp. The humidity is typically between 30-45%, it was 25% this morning prior to watering. I've cut back on watering because of the gnats.

Great idea on placement! I've rearranged about 100 times this winter, i'll try that arrangement next.

If it's fungus gnats then sprinkle your top soil with Diatomaceous Earth (Oil Dri) or the growstone Gnat Nix.

If its aphids, increase your air circulation and humidity as well as hang more of those yellow sheets. But hang them.

 

[Vinnie Charity]

If it's fungus gnats then sprinkle your top soil with Diatomaceous Earth (Oil Dri) or the growstone Gnat Nix.

If its aphids, increase your air circulation and humidity as well as hang more of those yellow sheets. But hang them.

I was wondering what those yellow sheets were for. Are they for aphid control or something?

 

[f1pt4]

I was wondering what those yellow sheets were for. Are they for aphid control or something?

yup.. anything that flys into them sticks. Like aphids, flys, lady bugs, dog hair/cat hair/human hair, and flesh when you're watering and forget that there's one hanging and then you curse because your forearm is stuck to it.

 

[Vinnie Charity]

Ahhh, I'm getting some. This aphid issue is ANNOYING af. I kill them, they come back, I kill them, they come back, I say curse words, kill them, and they come back.

Where do they come from?!! I hate those little suckers...

 

[f1pt4]

Where do they come from?!! I hate those little suckers...

The cosmos.

 

[Vinnie Charity]

I'm not going to stop my onslaught on these little bastards. I'll be dunking the trees again when I get home because I saw more aphids this morning, grrr....

Hopefully the lights will help with that too...

 

[f1pt4]

I'm not going to stop my onslaught on these little bastards. I'll be dunking the trees again when I get home because I saw more aphids this morning, grrr....

Hopefully the lights will help with that too...

Battling bugs indoors?

Clean growing space, sticky traps, regular weekly spraying of neem (for one month), or dish detergent diluted with water, increased ventilation and humidity help. So do the UV lights. The lights alone won't eradicate them, but I found they make the plants/trees stronger and less susceptible to bug damage.

 

[Vinnie Charity]

The growing area is very clean, I need to get some of those sticky traps, the Fukien Tea didn't like like Neem oil so I do the soap and water, I'll get some clip on fans, and they are sitting on large boot trays filled with rocks for added humidity. It sits around 55-65% most of the time. I won't have any UV lights, only the T5's so...

 

[nrgizerrod]

Mine are fungus gnats (they look like tiny black flies). I have them mostly reigned in now but they were really bad after I brought everything in for winter. I was WAY over watering everything at first and had an explosion of them. Now I let everything dry out some before I water again, each tree has a different watering schedule now but it's typically every 2-3 days.

I tried DE, it didn't work for me. I've been running the infested pots through a peroxide and water mix once a week to kill the larvae. Seems to be doing the trick.

Check your soil. Look for tiny white translucent worms. Kill with extreme prejudice.

 

[cbroad]

For the fungal gnats, you can use a product called Mosquito Bits. They are the typical Mosquito Dunks, but just not pressed into circles. They are a biologic control for mosquitoes but also works for fungal gnats in potted plants.

The women at my greenhouse say to mix a 1/4 cup of bleach to a quart of day old water, and use that to water into the soil. I'm too scared to do that but they swear it kills the gnats and doesn't harm the plants.

And for the aphids, maybe something stronger is needed or a more thorough spraying or dunking. You should be able to really knock them back by one good application of a good product, but I've never had an aphid problem indoors.

Keep in mind, you could also be the source of the indoor pest problems. I mostly landscape now, and daily I'm in the thick of plants getting covered by who knows what and I always made it a point to change my clothes and shower before I went upstairs to visit my plants.

The only time I had pest problems indoors was when I introduced new plants to the room. I started to quarantine all new stuff, and everything got a good dose of hort. oil before joining the rest.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I use t5ho all 6500k. 4 bulbs with reflector.

 

[Vinnie Charity]

Mine are fungus gnats (they look like tiny black flies). I have them mostly reigned in now but they were really bad after I brought everything in for winter. I was WAY over watering everything at first and had an explosion of them. Now I let everything dry out some before I water again, each tree has a different watering schedule now but it's typically every 2-3 days.

I tried DE, it didn't work for me. I've been running the infested pots through a peroxide and water mix once a week to kill the larvae. Seems to be doing the trick.

Check your soil. Look for tiny white translucent worms. Kill with extreme prejudice.

Not having anymore problems with fungus gnats after bringing the tree in for the fall/winter, only aphids. I'm looking at some cheap af clip on fans that I can incorporate into my current setup that aren't too loud or visually obtrusive for my living room. This is a display after all. Death to all aphids, I feel like I'm racist against aphids, lol...

 

[Vinnie Charity]

For the fungal gnats, you can use a product called Mosquito Bits. They are the typical Mosquito Dunks, but just not pressed into circles. They are a biologic control for mosquitoes but also works for fungal gnats in potted plants.

The women at my greenhouse say to mix a 1/4 cup of bleach to a quart of day old water, and use that to water into the soil. I'm too scared to do that but they swear it kills the gnats and doesn't harm the plants.

And for the aphids, maybe something stronger is needed or a more thorough spraying or dunking. You should be able to really knock them back by one good application of a good product, but I've never had an aphid problem indoors.

Keep in mind, you could also be the source of the indoor pest problems. I mostly landscape now, and daily I'm in the thick of plants getting covered by who knows what and I always made it a point to change my clothes and shower before I went upstairs to visit my plants.

The only time I had pest problems indoors was when I introduced new plants to the room. I started to quarantine all new stuff, and everything got a good dose of hort. oil before joining the rest.

Wow, bleach?!! What greenhouse told you that? I'd be afraid to use bleach in my soil for fear of killing the plant too!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

So what is your opinion on these?

https://eyehortilux.com/grow-lights-grow/the-benefits-of-uv-light-for-indoor-plant-growth/

https://eyehortilux.com/grow-lights/powerveg-family/

They are designed for increased vegetative growth and I've found that I get really great root and canopy growth, which also translates to thickening of branches and trunk.

As I've mentioned earlier in the post, I've been using them for two growing seasons now, and I'm extremely satisfied with the results.

I've also found a pest reduction over the growing season using them. I've changed nothing in my care other than the lights.

I support these! They seem to be supplemental, either CFL-style lamps with a very broad spectrum or something else I just haven't read about. I know a few people that tried to use UV-only lights, that didn't work. But if you can get UV added up to your normal plant lights, that would be a great thing!
I was afraid someone was going to switch their plant lights for 'UV-spectrum only' lights, which would just be a loss.
MH lights in a cooltube setting tend do have the same effect on the cuticle, since the bulb itself is air cooled, they can hang pretty close to the plants.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

For gnats, since it's about those too, I found it beneficial to get a bag of regular builder sand. The stuff you use to make concrete or for sandboxes. Put the plants on a bed of sand, so the pot holes are covered.
That's a direct 50% decrease in egg laying.

DE doesn't work when it's wet and it litterally shreds your lungs when it's dry dust. In a sense, it's mode of action is the same as asbestos; it leaves hard insoluble micro particles that shred the insects trachea apart when they breathe. I stay far away from the stuff. Especially inside a dry home.

 

[cbroad]

Wow, bleach?!! What greenhouse told you that

The women that run the greenhouse department at The Great Big Greenhouse. I trust them though, they've been running it for about 30 years and know their stuff when it comes to tropicals!

 

[Vinnie Charity]

I know Nance there, she's been there forever. I'll be there next Saturday for the kids garden thingy, I'll probably pick up some pots and a few starter plants to, hehe...
-Vin