It can all be confusing at first Stone, don't let it put you off. First of all I would guess that the led strip was doing nothing at all, and one 14W compact fluorescent is far too little light to have any effect, except make them stretch for it and go leggy.
Do your plants get any direct sunlight at all? or just some indirect light?
Now I've never used any but I've been reading stuff about hydro and lighting for ages and only can think of 200W and upwards HID bulbs used for growing plants. Not sure that 35W will do anything either, epsecially without a reflective hood. Is it really a HID? or just an old style incandescent. Didn't think they made them so small. The old style incandescent bulbs are absolutely NOT good for growing plants.
I could never get my head around lumens etc, just all too confusing. I had a lighting set up with long purple fluorescents that were purchased by my father in law from a police auction, obviously confiscated from drug growers. I think the bulbs had been damaged by being left out in the weather and all plants I have tried to grow under them have failed.
So I made this with stuff I scavenged and bought at bunnings.
It's just regular light fittings wired up with cords that I cut off stuff left on the side of the road.
I use a mix of the 11W and 18W compact fluoros, all cool daylight 6500K. Fully loaded its too much for the baby seedlings, so I have to take a few globes out until they are bigger.
These are plants I grew last year, they had a pedestal flan aimed at them from across the room for 15 minutes every hour. Lights on 18 hrs, off 6.
I also fed them every second watering with a tiny dash of seaweed and seasol fertiliser. This has a big effect. The seeds carry enough of their own food to get their first roots down and their first leaves open and thats it. Then they need more from the light and water. Some people have lights running 24/7 but thats not how it is in nature. Also I would only have the fan on all the time if it gets too hot in there.
Do your plants get any direct sunlight at all? or just some indirect light?
Now I've never used any but I've been reading stuff about hydro and lighting for ages and only can think of 200W and upwards HID bulbs used for growing plants. Not sure that 35W will do anything either, epsecially without a reflective hood. Is it really a HID? or just an old style incandescent. Didn't think they made them so small. The old style incandescent bulbs are absolutely NOT good for growing plants.
I could never get my head around lumens etc, just all too confusing. I had a lighting set up with long purple fluorescents that were purchased by my father in law from a police auction, obviously confiscated from drug growers. I think the bulbs had been damaged by being left out in the weather and all plants I have tried to grow under them have failed.
So I made this with stuff I scavenged and bought at bunnings.
![githsuerbt005.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1180.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx414%2Fmegamoo777%2Fgithsuerbt005.jpg&hash=478b8eb20062b753d97710d76f8e04eb)
It's just regular light fittings wired up with cords that I cut off stuff left on the side of the road.
I use a mix of the 11W and 18W compact fluoros, all cool daylight 6500K. Fully loaded its too much for the baby seedlings, so I have to take a few globes out until they are bigger.
These are plants I grew last year, they had a pedestal flan aimed at them from across the room for 15 minutes every hour. Lights on 18 hrs, off 6.
![plants049.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1180.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx414%2Fmegamoo777%2Fplants049.jpg&hash=a8d32ddd306f195b6d4c55a75cb248e9)
I also fed them every second watering with a tiny dash of seaweed and seasol fertiliser. This has a big effect. The seeds carry enough of their own food to get their first roots down and their first leaves open and thats it. Then they need more from the light and water. Some people have lights running 24/7 but thats not how it is in nature. Also I would only have the fan on all the time if it gets too hot in there.