Let's start a discussion about growing plants under artificial LED lights. So that useful information about the subject can be found in one place. Some claim to have had great success with it. Others say that it's a complete waste of time and energy. So let's share some of our experiences.
I have no experience in anything other than plain old sunlight ! May be OK for commercial growers but rarely does the small grower have too much luck ! Just can`t reproduce the same environment without more money than knowledge !
I dont grow full pants inside, but I do start seedlings. the light fixtures and lights are not expensive, worth it imo.
well done Adam. they look great. I start my plants under lights. I haven't grown anything to fruiting with them though, but this Winter might change that.
Actually, it makes absolutely no sense at all - For me to use artificial lights. As there is already way too much sunlight over here. In fact it's so much, that often we have to move some plants under shade (to keep them from burning). I am just curious about what it would take, to grow plants during a nuclear winter type of a situation... So that's my motivation. In my experience, it is always better to make something by yourself. Compared to buying something commercially available... It just irritates me a lot, as ready-made stuff is always compromised in one way or another. Either they use substandard components which don't last for very long, or cut corners in the build quality. Take for example this red LED spotlight I bought. It looks like it's made very well. Also has a big and very good quality aluminum heatsink also. But unfortunately, to keep the cost of it's manufacturing process low - They just slapped it together with glue. So when it fails, we are expected to simply toss it in the trash, and go out to buy another... So what I usually do, is start with buying very good quality components. So these individual LEDs may cost more, but they do not fail, (unless abused very badly). Therefore when I spend a little extra on good quality, I am actually investing in the future, (like buying peace of mind). So this way I can build a far more powerful AND a lot better quality of an LED array. And should it ever go wrong, since I would have built it myself - I would be able to fix it myself also, (very quickly and easily). Of course, there is a downside to this also. Which is, that I bought these about 4 months ago. And said to myself that I will assemble it all tomorrow... However, that "tomorrow" still hasn't come.
these lights look nuts, look at that heat sink! I wonder how close they come to full sun... and how HOT that heat sink gets, and how much power it consumes. it's probably not economical unless you scale this up a lot. I mean why use indoor grow lights when you have sun in the backyard for free. It might be fun to use these to grow some things in the winter, but I would rather try growing microgreens in the winter. we can grow microgreens with cheap fluorescents lights or even compact fluorescents lights.
I'm a Doomsday Prepper... So this is what we do, (mostly waste money on getting ready for disasters which might never really happen). Yes, they are almost as powerful as outdoor sunlight. Well, maybe a little less perhaps. But still 85% there, (compared to sunlight at midday). Heatsink can get hot, but there is a cooling fan available for it separately, which I did not buy. As what I really want to do, is make my own LED array. So that's why I bought other LEDs with their own individual heatsink, with housing and lense. They are 3 Watts each. And I bought a dozen of them, (just to try out the concept). If successful, I will go and buy them in bulk, (in a pack of a thousand). That way I will only be paying just 30% of what I otherwise pay in retail for each. And with a thousand of these, I can have a mini indoor farm, (and still have plenty of LEDs left over. However, before commiting, I always start out small and fine tune everything first - So that there are no nasty surprises later...
lol yes I know, I watch the show on TV , and I guess I'm a bit of a prepper as well, but maybe not a very good one... if you can save money and make it even better, that's gr8! it would be interesting to see a prototype. but whether you build your own or buy one, LED lights/indoor/vertical farming is a pretty cool idea. it sounds kind of expensive, but fun.
In my opinion, growing your own food supply is the bases of being a prepper. As for the large part, this is all that's needed. Having guns and other stuff is just a Hollywood inspired fantasy. And that only comes into play, when you fear for a time when everything will go South - While you alone will be the only person left with something of value. Hence the need to be ready to defend it from others who will now come to loot away whatever is yours. This in my opinion is a hallmark of a failed Doomsday Prepper. Who could not get his or her own community to participate in Prepper activity. Because like it or not, the only way this can succeed, is if it's a common community objective. Otherwise it's not sustainable in the long run. Unfortunately, TV shows only highlight such individuals, who in actuality are outcast loners living in self exile, (mainly out of disgust, as nobody was listening to them and their warnings). So that's mostly to blame, for Doomsday Preppers to globally get a bad reputation. Real Preppers on the other hand don't brag about it, (not too much anyway). And also won't be interested in being featured on any TV show either. They just continue spreading awareness, and share knowledge. And in the process maybe hope to learn something useful also.
@JellyJela Here in this thread you'll find useful information that I've collected about growing plants under artificial lights.
Love your version of “prepped”. I spent time living in small communities in rural areas and never thought much about it until an international biking group came through. One member of the international group commented on the subsistence lifestyle of locals. Since this was a farming/ranching community in the late 1970s most had a garden, preserved food, raised livestock and feed for the animals. Even the small local grocery stores carried mainly seasonal fruits and vegetables, dry goods and necessities. I could buy tallow for soap making since butchering was done locally and sold locally. If you came at meal time to anyones home, you were expected to stay for a banquet of home produced breads, pickles, jams, veggies and meat. These were hard working people and their adult children didn’t usually stay seeing their parent work hard both at home and at possibly at another job as well. ‘We live in a time of such plenty, I feel really blessed. Seeing the hours it takes to live a self sufficient lifestyle and participating in it with a previous generation was an educational piece of my early adulthood. Living this robust life meant staying up 24/7 during lambing and calving season, long days working on preserving food from butchering to harvesting. From March to December the hours were long, breaks were nonexistent. Long days to make sure freezers, pantry and rootcellars were full. Long days of putting away feed for the animals. ‘Most so called peppers from my experience don’t have a clue what it takes to survive long term, and the need for community. Many so called ‘preppers’ couldn’t even survive for a short time, but it is a fun fantasy.
Wow Jewell what an enlightening story. Treasure your experience it’s truly a non existent culture today.
