Tropical bonsai light / display for winter?

[JonW]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has a nice looking display setup that includes grow lights for their tropical bonsai over winter? I typically keep mine in bay windows but I'm interested in changing this up for a couple reasons.

• I typically put a plant or two in my basement under a grow light each winter with bottom heat, and they grow nicely / better than the window sill plants
• I have a baby and we want to make more space by the couch.

Now, I could put grow lights in my basement, either hanging from the eaves or in a grow tent, but I'd like to keep my plants on display in the living room. Or do a combination of the two (each winter, pick a couple to display in a window, and pick a couple to put under lights in the basement).

My plan was to put 2 levels of 2-foot x 2-foot displays, such as with glass doors, on top of my mini fridge with HLG 65 V2 lights. However, I cannot find a display that matches those dimensions. I could build shelves instead... Alternatively, I could do a single-level, longer display with LED T5-replacement bulbs.

Do any of you do anything like this? I've seen a couple pictures, but it doesn't seem super common.

 

[sorce]

What kind of baby? I swear to God mine learned to crawl early JUST to destroy plants and lighting!

The most difficult thing is keeping wires from getting tugged on. It gets unsafe real fast.

Then again, mine is also prone to headwounds!

Sorce

 

[JonW]

What kind of baby? I swear to God mine learned to crawl early JUST to destroy plants and lighting!

The most difficult thing is keeping wires from getting tugged on. It gets unsafe real fast.

Then again, mine is also prone to headwounds!

Sorce

I (human) baby girl . 4 months old now, so about to crawl. At least girls don't live to destroy things, but we have a tall, narrow house, so really everything is in one room aside from the kitchen. I'm hoping keeping it above the mini fridge would at least keep it out of her reach for a few years.

Any suggestions on cabinets for lighting / display?

 

[Cadillactaste]

I've this grow cart with T bulbs. I've been very happy with it. But the distance between which limits height of tree is there. Top shelf is taller.


I am thinking you want something else. Many lights you need close to the plant unless you get like...a hydrofarm grow light. But they have a height to them. In a small area...not ideal. But would work in the basement. They don't have to be right up as close.


But so many options. These are what I am familiar with.

 

[JonW]

I've this grow cart with T bulbs. I've been very happy with it. But the distance between which limits height of tree is there. Top shelf is taller.
View attachment 325631

I am thinking you want something else. Many lights you need close to the plant unless you get like...a hydrofarm grow light. But they have a height to them. In a small area...not ideal. But would work in the basement. They don't have to be right up as close.
View attachment 325632

But so many options. These are what I am familiar with.

Thanks - by the way the Ficus Microcarpa looks awesome!

If I used T5 or similar bulbs, something like this could work:

Amazon.com : Bamboo Display LED Grow Light Garden : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : Bamboo Display LED Grow Light Garden : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

But its too pricey. I'd probably have to find a more affordable or DIY option. I contacted HLG and they suggested using plexiglass panels to build around shelves, such as metal shelves. I'm not sure the DIY job would look up to snuff for my wife's living room though! I had an indoor setup in the past, but it was enclosed and used an HPS bulb back before flourescent and LED were adequate for plants, but I definitely don't want to go in that direction.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks - by the way the Ficus Microcarpa looks awesome!

If I used T5 or similar bulbs, something like this could work:

Amazon.com : Bamboo Display LED Grow Light Garden : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : Bamboo Display LED Grow Light Garden : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

But its too pricey. I'd probably have to find a more affordable or DIY option. I contacted HLG and they suggested using plexiglass panels to build around shelves, such as metal shelves. I'm not sure the DIY job would look up to snuff for my wife's living room though! I had an indoor setup in the past, but it was enclosed and used an HPS bulb back before flourescent and LED were adequate for plants, but I definitely don't want to go in that direction.

Thanks, I think @amcoffeegirl Has something that might shed light on things.. she attaches lights to shelving if not mistaken.

I hesitated on adding ficus because of seeing ones struggle. Which is why mine are not in an enclosed set up. High humidity and not proper ventilation can cause headaches I do not want. But wish you the best...if you are solid in an enclosed environment.

 

[JonW]

Thanks, I think @amcoffeegirl Has something that might shed light on things.. she attaches lights to shelving if not mistaken.

I hesitated on adding ficus because of seeing ones struggle. Which is why mine are not in an enclosed set up. High humidity and not proper ventilation can cause headaches I do not want. But wish you the best...if you are solid in an enclosed environment.

Thanks! Looking forward to amcoffeegirl's input. I'm not set on an enclosed environment, and I know I would need ventilation, possibly mounting a computer fan (which I'm familiar with from restoring old high-power tube amps). My ficus microcarpa does well in my bay window, but I'd love to be able use the winter months rather than basically have my tropicals stagnant during that time. I got rid of several tropicals recently, but I still have a handful, including a few I would care to treat to grow lights including a ficus microcarpa, schefflera, crassula ovata (one large, one compact) and a portulacaria afra.

 

[coltranem]

Maybe setup a good grow light in the basement and rotate the plants to a display area every day or so. At that point the lighting in the display area matters less.

 

[penumbra]

This is a simple 24" 4 bulb T5 fixture. It was less than a hundred on Amazon. Nothing much going on here now because most of my bonsai are outside. In the basement I have 4 foot versions of this and lots of LED fixtures but they are for holding plants over the winter, not displaying them.

 

[penumbra]

I know I would need ventilation, possibly mounting a computer fan

This is good. So many people neglect this.

 

[JonW]

Maybe setup a good grow light in the basement and rotate the plants to a display area every day or so. At that point the lighting in the display area matters less.

Yeah, that is one option I've been considering. Either switching year to year, or halfway through the winter.

 

[JonW]

This is a simple 24" 4 bulb T5 fixture. It was less than a hundred on Amazon. Nothing much going on here now because most of my bonsai are outside. In the basement I have 4 foot versions of this and lots of LED fixtures but they are for holding plants over the winter, not displaying them.
View attachment 325641

I might go with something like this. I'd like to keep a couple plants on display upstairs. My wife also says she doesn't want them in the basement because they'd be out of site, but I don't know if she means it, or just says that because she knows I want them in the living room!

Any experience comparing T5 to LED like the HLG 65? The T5's seem to be 65K Kelvin while the HLG is 4K. I know the 65K is popular for seedlings/vegitative growth, but I've heard established trees do better with a little more red spectrum.

 

[penumbra]

Either switching year to year, or halfway through the winter.

More like 3, 4 or even 5 times a winter depending on how long your winters are. If you have a growing area in your basement I would recommend mounting lights horizontally to illuminate the lower branches or using Mylar on the wall behind and rotating plants fairly often. If you get a lot of lights going make sure to protect your eyes. Special glasses are cheap on Amazon or any hydroponics store.

 

[penumbra]

I've heard established trees do better with a little more red spectrum.

I think this is true for long term growing but not so critical for winter holding. BTW, it seems that cuttings and seedlings prefer T5 over LED. I replace my T5 bulbs every year. Cheaper ones might need replacing more often. And if you have a bank of lights that are wearing out and need replacing, don't do them all at once. For example if you have 4 tubes that need replacing, do two, wait a week or longer and do the others.
Works for me.

 

[Paradox]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has a nice looking display setup that includes grow lights for their tropical bonsai over winter?

I use 4 foot shop light ffixtures with T% daylight bulbs for my ficus and Brazilain Rain trees on a table in my basement.
They work great and my trees grow most of the winter under them.

 

[JonW]

More like 3, 4 or even 5 times a winter depending on how long your winters are. If you have a growing area in your basement I would recommend mounting lights horizontally to illuminate the lower branches or using Mylar on the wall behind and rotating plants fairly often. If you get a lot of lights going make sure to protect your eyes. Special glasses are cheap on Amazon or any hydroponics store.

Good points!

So you'd switch the plants from the window in the living room with the ones in the basement 3-5 times a winter? If I can ask, what it the purpose of switching so often - it seems like plants need a period of light before they gain energy to grow, and I'd worry switching them so often would disrupt that period of adjustment? I bring my plants in around Thanksgiving and back out in March or April (sometimes I pull the trigger early and end up doing the bonsai shuffle!). So that is about 4 months of winter, though I might play it safer and keep the plants indoor a bit longer if I have a good lighting setup.

When you say mounting lights horizontally, do you mean to the sides of the plants in addition to overhead? Makes sense especially if there isn't reflective material. I'm 50/50 on getting a grow tent - my wife would think I've gone over the deep end.

Certainly rotating the plants, akin to what we do outdoor during the summer, makes sense.

I have some blue-blocker sunglasses that I give to my patients who are bipolar, manic. I guess it is better safe than sorry - thats a lot of light to need glasses!

 

[JonW]

I use 4 foot shop light ffixtures with T% daylight bulbs for my ficus and Brazilain Rain trees on a table in my basement.
They work great and my trees grow most of the winter under them.

View attachment 325665View attachment 325666View attachment 325667View attachment 325668

That middle BRT looks great! This is something I could do in my basement. I'd have to decide between T5 and something like the HLG. It seems like it'd be hard to build a display that would look nice enough (in my wife's opinion) for the living room. The light itself could be too bright / irritating, let alone figuring out a display that hides the light fixture, looks good, and is the right size.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I would suggest an in person visit to your local Hydroponics Grow Shop. You can walk around and "Kick the Tires" in terms of seeing different grow light set ups. Since a set up in the living area needs to be attractive, you need to see what you are getting into.

For simple, attractive fixtures, I like some of the T-5 fixtures, not the most energy efficient, but T5 have a nice natural white output. My preference is for 48 inch wide fixtures, there is a nice efficiency in light output per watt consumed for T5 at the 48 inch fixture length.

But get a look. Remember, to check the color of any LED you look at. If there are only red and blue LEDs, the color will drive you nuts in the living area. Red & Blue in the basement is fine, just off putting in the living area.

So visit a vendor or two, Kick a few Tires.

 

[penumbra]

Good points!

So you'd switch the plants from the window in the living room with the ones in the basement 3-5 times a winter? If I can ask, what it the purpose of switching so often - it seems like plants need a period of light before they gain energy to grow, and I'd worry switching them so often would disrupt that period of adjustment? I bring my plants in around Thanksgiving and back out in March or April (sometimes I pull the trigger early and end up doing the bonsai shuffle!). So that is about 4 months of winter, though I might play it safer and keep the plants indoor a bit longer if I have a good lighting setup.

When you say mounting lights horizontally, do you mean to the sides of the plants in addition to overhead? Makes sense especially if there isn't reflective material. I'm 50/50 on getting a grow tent - my wife would think I've gone over the deep end.

Certainly rotating the plants, akin to what we do outdoor during the summer, makes sense.

I have some blue-blocker sunglasses that I give to my patients who are bipolar, manic. I guess it is better safe than sorry - thats a lot of light to need glasses!

Switching often? Both basement lights and display lights are bright but basement lights are not for viewing so additionally lighting or light reflection is appropriate for the basement but not for a viewing area in your living space. Thus I have lost many bottom branches when displaying in the living space. And yes you understand what I mean by mounting lights horizontally but they could be vertical as well as long as you get light to the bottom branches of the plants. In my grow tent I have overhead lights, and lights in all 4 corners that light up the center of the tent which is mylar lined. I keep my Brazilian raintrees in there for winter.
I am not stating that this is the way you or anyone else should approach lighting, I am doing what is working best for my plants.
Blue blockers are good, I am wearing them now. But there are hydroponic glasses that are better.

 

[Paradox]

That middle BRT looks great! This is something I could do in my basement. I'd have to decide between T5 and something like the HLG. It seems like it'd be hard to build a display that would look nice enough (in my wife's opinion) for the living room. The light itself could be too bright / irritating, let alone figuring out a display that hides the light fixture, looks good, and is the right size.

The only way I could see doing something as you describe would be to build a wood display area that has a lip/frame around the edge that hides the light fixture. Either way it will be bright and it should be because you want a high amount of light.

Thanks for the complement on my tree. I have had that tree for 5 years now and is around 23 years old.