FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Wattage Per Square Foot

Culture Orchid Doctor

by Robert M. [Bert] Hamilton (Compiler)

Originally published in The Orchid Doctor in 1980 and 1988

Posted by Sys Admin almost 8 years ago.

Article Blog   Article Index
Tubes 12 inches above the leaves provided 20 watts, barely enough to satisfy phalaenopsis; six tubes arranged in a dome shape supplied 30 watts; a VHO-fixture having the intensity of three normal tubes provided 45 watts; lamps lose 10% during the first few weeks of their service and 30% by the end of the first year. OIE87Mr-12
Share on Social Media:  
Log in to Add a Comment

More The Orchid Doctor Articles under the Heading Fluorescent Lights

Fluorescent Lights Comments
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Ballasts Higher priced fixtures have ballasts which are rated at .85 amps, the cheaper ones are rated at .675 amps, or 30% less light, regardless of the type of bulb used, so take a good look before you buy. OIE87Jan-l 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Best Height Above Cattleyas Two inches; prop up the small plants. A70-427; A75-298 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Cattleya Types Produce Only Vegetative Growth Keep night temperatures to 60-62 deg.F. and days to 78-85 deg.F., with not more than 13 hours light. A69-424 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Cost of Electricity In 1977 the monthly cost for electricity was about $3.84 for four tubes burning 16 hours a day, with space for 50 plants. A77-897 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Details The life expectancy on a one-only start of a lamp is 18,000 to 20,000 hours; with a daily on/off routine the expectancy is 12,000 hours in three years; the initial brightness diminishes rapidly for the first nine days and then tapers off; a black ring forms at one or both ends of the tube and indicates about 85% of the lamp life; most efficient is the cheapest, the cool-white, but the others have beneficial character istics which may be what you are looking for. OIE88Jan-8 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Footcandles At Various Distances Illumination reduces quickly on increasing inches distant from lamps; examples: one inch from two lamps gives 1,1OOfc.; at three inches 680fc.; at six inches 420fc.; at nine inches 300fc. US Dept. of Agriculture. Yearbook, 1973, adapted by RMH 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: For Paphiopedilums Two 48" Wide Spectrum, with two 48" cool-white tubes and with four 25-watt incandescents in one reflector gives 1,000 fc. five inches from the tubes; with 13 to 15 hours per day as adequate for paphiopedilums. A74-792 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Generate Too Much Heat Rewire the ballasts outside the closet; or, any fan in use must not only circulate air but ventilate to an outside source of cool air. A72-1003 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Growing Under Three set-ups are described: Four daylight tubes with two 60W incandescents as a group. 2, Chroma 50's which simulate a summer sunshine-for colour and costs about the same as for daylight tubes, and three. Chroma 75's, which simulates a north sky light; plants grew better under them than under expensive growing lamps. Ca82(7)-20 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: How Effective Are the Twisted Ones? Light is produced by the molecule in gas rubbing against each other and the more tube surface, the more light that is visible; twist-types have their surface area increased by 15 to 25%. A83-343 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: How Many Tubes for Bench Width? Not less than one tube for every four inches of width; for a two-foot wide bench use six fluorescent tubes. ODA75(4)-38 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Indoor Culture A review of 47 papers on growing under lights which appeared in the American Orchid Society Bulletin; refer to A77-318 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Minimum Requirements In a 3ft. x 3ft. x l8in. cabinet: two 3-ft. tubes placed nine inches apart; for high-light requiring plants: three 3ft. tubes which equals 90 watts for cattleyas, encyclias, oncidiums, dendrobiums, odonts. etc. OR84-44 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Mixed Tubes Cool-white with Gro-Lux, also Natur-Escent and Gro-Lux in a 1:1 ratio; four 40-watt tubes over 2 ft. X 4 ft. area is adequate light for cattleyas, miltonias, paphiopedilums and phalaenopsis. A66-926; A72-204 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Optimum Amount for Seedlings in Flasks 40 watt per square foot at twelve inches distance is abundantly adequate. A74-969 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Preferred Types to Use for Cattleyas Gro-Lux is not strong enough; try wide-spectrum Gro-Lux; or, use regular fluorescent or V.H.0. type fluorescents; supplement with 25% incandescent, i.e. 50, 75 or 100 watts. A71-1021 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Selection A guide to much data on spectral distribution; alternate arrangements of lamp combinations; comparison of 40-watt whites; comparison of five horticultural lamps with cool-whites; comparison of 50 lamps; power consumption and sound rating; refer to A79-566+ 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: To Produce Excellent Color in Flowers For display, the odd combination of one standard (not wide-spectrum) Gro-Lux tube #F40/GRO, with one Cool White Deluxe tube #F40/CWX (not the standard Cool White tube); under them white is pure white, greens are excellent, and yellows and lavenders also; purples have a pleasing slight reddish tinge; Design White #F40T12/SGN is also good for display. OD69-95 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Turning on in Living Room Area Where Plants Also Grow Probably no photoperiod effect; fluorescents are not very effective for photoperiod control; the 15 to 30 fc. emitted at a distance would not affect Den. phalaenopsis. A73-888 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Two-tube 48" Fixture Gives inadequate (600-800 fc.) lighting two to three inches from plants; a four-tube 48" gives 800-1,000 fc. four to six inches away. A78-226; eight tubes for 16 square ft. recommended, with a 60-watt incandescent lamp. A62-383+; A62-478+; A64-590; A68-431 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Types Available A review of kinds of tubes: Cool White; Daylight; Warm White; Gro-Lux; Vita-Lite; Verilux; High Output; Super High Output; High Intensity Discharge; refer to A75-292+ 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Types Used One grower uses half Gro-Lux Wide Spectrum and half Vitalite Power Twist. OIE85Jan-13 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Vitalite Power Twist Main types of plants can be flowered under them if placed as close to the bulbs as possible without burning for these hours: 16 to 18 in summer; 14 to 16 in spring and fall; ten to 12 hours in winter. A85-193 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Weak Some stores sell cheaper units made in Taiwan and elsewhere which deliver only 300 foot-candles compared with the normal 800 fc required by plants. OIE85Jn-4 0
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS: Why Not Place Vertically? They will operate that way but the leaves' cells display more chlorophyll on the upper surface, and derive more stimulus. A74-300 0

New Topics

  1. Danielle Carbonneau asked question phalaenopsis, dendrochum and Odontoglossum in category Phalaenopsis
  2. Nicholas Filannino asked question Phalaenopsis William Kistler? in category General Discussion
  3. Mark Farran asked question How to open and read articles listed in category General Discussion
  4. Juliann Eckhard started topic Cattleya little susie in category Cattleya Alliance
  5. Shannon Gardea asked question NELLY ISLER in category General Discussion
Ask a Question

Start a Topic

New Comments

  1. Louis Wilson commented on member plant E. alata f. alba by Louis Wilson
  2. Julie Ellner commented on member plant Phal. amabilis var. formosanum by Vickie Seibert
  3. Julie Ellner commented on member plant Rlc. Green Dragoon 'Mendenhall' by Jeanne Uzar Hudson
  4. Danielle Carbonneau commented on member plant Ons. Catatante 'Los Roble' by Henry Shaw
  5. Barry J Silver commented on orchid Lyon. SunCoast Pink Passion
  6. Carol Holdren commented on topic "Phalaenopsis William Kistler?" by Nicholas Filannino
  7. Carol Holdren commented on orchid Colm. Eric Gabriel Heines
  8. Carol Holdren commented on topic "Cattleya little susie" by Juliann Eckhard
  9. Carol Holdren commented on member plant Bc. Morning Glory by Chris Siolo
  10. R .Benson commented on member plant Kir. New Hybrid (Fred Clarke) SVO9831 by R .Benson
  11. Carol Holdren commented on topic "Blooming Stenglottis Venus “jamboree “" by John Urey
  12. Jeanne Uzar Hudson commented on member plant Lc. Canhamiana var. coerulea 'Cobalt' by Jeanne Uzar Hudson
  13. Jeanne Uzar Hudson commented on member plant Sns. gemmata by Jeanne Uzar Hudson
  14. Stefan Neher commented on topic "Orchid roots .com site?" by Mary Lane
  15. Kevin Barry commented on member plant Bul. Tammie Sue Pernas by Tony Pernas
  16. Linda Hartman commented on member plant Ctt. Final Blue by Linda Hartman
  17. Kevin Bergeson commented on member plant Paph. rothschildianum by Kevin Bergeson
  18. Carol Holdren commented on topic "recently purchased orchid shows unstoppable roots " by David George
  19. Michael Makio commented on orchid V. Beatrice Makio
  20. Carol Holdren commented on topic "shorter stem with less vigorous blooms" by katherine mott