No budget really set, only reason I was thinking about a light was just in case we have another freeze, I’m in north Florida so it’s all ready in the high 60’s- low 70’s but we always have another freeze it seems. Once I put them outside, I don’t like to bring them back inside, once I did and I had these little weird bugs. Also, if I leave it on 24 hrs a day can I recap grow time missed getting a later start than I wanted and to get them bigger quicker to put outside? Or 18-6 ?Might be OK, but not the best option.
What is your budget for lighting?
No budget really set,
I keep seeing dimmer, what’s the purpose of dimming? I see on the light spectrum page of the link you sent it speaks about 5000k (blue/white) for growth not flowering which is all the cheap light is and it’s a 300w light, I’m not concerned with flowering, they will be place out side after weather permits (which is fine now, but wanting make sure we are past any freezes) not arguing, just trying to figure out. I know it’s not a light made specifically for growing plants,We replaced two double 8' High output Fluorescents with two :https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-XS1500-New-gen-Dimming-Spectrum/dp/B0BNVFMJ5J/ref=sr_1_3?crid=VFE5Y6DT9ZVY&keywords=viparspectra+xs1000&qid=1707582062&sprefix=viparspectra+xs+1500,aps,1886&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&th=1
I didn't do any research on anything that could not put out incredible light, had a dimmer & could grow really great seedlings.
Knowing these lights existed was not good enough the prices were way too high for most gardeners.
I saw the Viparspectra on a Youtube video about starting peppers. Saw they were on sale for around $100.00 & I ordered 2
for a 4' x 2' bench.
They grew & grew.
As you can see the seedlings did very well, & what a season all the plants had in 23.
After this & having the best thin light green starts a Fluorescent light could grow
for decades..
I was done with all that, & ordered 2 More LEDs for our 24 growing season.
Saw this yesterday at Walmart, don’t see anything about lumensI think some folks use them, with success (@Marturo maybe?). My experience was a mixed bag. I installed two of THESE last year, to try them out. The peppers did fine, until they grew to about six inches tall. Then they started dying, wholesale. I ended up moving what was salvageable back under my old fluoro's, and they recovered nicely. Now tomatoes, they flourished under the shop lights. Grew like weeds until plant-out. Be that as it may, I won't be using the shop lights again.
By the way, I recently noticed HF started carrying THESE. I'm not saying you can produce fruit under them, but I think they can get from seed to plant-out stage pretty well. They are a little light in the lumens, but you can't beat the price. I might even give one a try, just for shits and giggles.
I know it’s not a light made specifically for growing plants,