Wal-mart carries an inexpensive 48 inch fluorescent shop light. You can use one cool white and one warm white tube.

Special gro-lites are not necessary.

For a standard violet, the tubes should be about 10 inches from the top of the plant. If it is a semi-miniature or miniature, 6-8 inches is good.

I know, I know, 48 inches is way more than you need. Think ahead....lol

Barbara

Jennifer, this won't help you too much, I am afraid, but I don't have room for 48" light fixtures, so I am looking for 24" ones. I've heard that the T8s are very nice, but do not have direct experience yet; I plan on ordering them from an online company.

Yes I know what you mean about thinking ahead! LOL I think the bug has bitten me :) In reference to the cool white and warm white tubes do they say cool white and warm white on them or something different like kitchen and bath? Thanks for your help. I trimmed the outer leaves off of it and rinsed the roots off a little and potted it down into a 2 1/2" yogurt cup. I wicked it with a 4 ply strand of acrylic yarn and set it down into a gallon sized ziploc bag to rest and recover from repotting for a week or so. Does this sound like a good plan? I also took 6 of the leaves that I trimmed and started 2 in water, 2 in my 1:1
:1 soil mix and 2 in plain vermiculite. We'll see how that goes.

Jennifer -

Cool white and warm white - that's exactly how they are called. Now in WM they sell T8 - you can get a fixture - and a couple of t8 daylight tubes. Stuff grows very well under t8 - but you need to keep the fixture a bit higher and keep the light green leaf plants in a middle - and dark colored - on the ends.

About 24" - I got 2 24" stands - for the same reason as Lathyrus - not enough space for the larger ones - and fixtures for 24" are twice the price, and AVs never grow as well. The light production is much better on long tubes. I
I would say 24" will work if the area you going to put the stand has enough ambient natural light. As a supplemental light- they work beautifully.

Irina, too many plants, not enough time and shelf space.

I think I will go with the 4 foot fixture I have a space I think it will work well in. I will have to talk dear hubby into hanging it up for me. Next question-How do I go about acclimating the plants to the much stronger artificial light without burning or causing damage to the leaves?

" keep the light green leaf plants in a middle - and dark colored - on the ends."

Isn't it the other way around? Especially for variegated foliage.

Dang, now I have to go through my back issues of the AVSA magazine to find that article.....

Barbara

Sept/Oct 2008 did have the article, and I should know better than to question the Goddess of Light.....

I owe you a mimosa, Miss Irina.

Barbara

Barbara, you are right, though, that variegated often prefers less light or you lose the variegation.

Some plants just don't conform to those generalizations, I've learned, so you really have to watch them and move them at the first sign they are unhappy. I left a lighter AV in stronger light and within 2 weeks it was completely hugging its pot. Now I have the painful process of trying to get it to stop hugging and grow horizontal. The lower outer leaves are still hugging, but the new leaves are starting to reach!! If I'd been watching, I'd have moved it as soon as those first leaves started taking a downturn.

Thank you for a virtual mimosa, Barbara

I was going to check somewhere to be sure- but it is how they grow for me. The logic is like this - dark leaves have more chlorophile plus if they have redbacks - anthocyanin picks some energy from different part of spectrum too. So - they utilize light much better than pale green ones - and can sit on the edges.
(sorry for the spelling - too lazy to check)

Lathyrus - check plant rings - there is a special contraption to keep leaves from drooping. You can use a styrofoam plate with a hole in a middle size of the pot to lift them up.

The story is like this - at the judged shows judges love when leaves do not have too long petioles, and leaves are arranged as tiles - - no dirt showing. To achieve it you need a good amount of light - which can make some plants hug the pots - and the leaf ring helps to keep them flat.
If I am wrong - Fred - please correct me.

Irina the Goddess - ;-))

Got my bulbs tonight I will put them on a timer and go from there tomorrow. In the meantime I went to take my violet out of the bag this morning and there was one beautiful dark purple bloom with three others getting ready to bloom to greet me this morning! :)

Irina, I just bought some of those rings, lol.

I got a lovely little plant from a fellow AV enthusiast and she told me it didn't like a lot of light ad never direct sunlight....duh, me put it in my window immediately upon receiving it.

Oh, well. It will grow out eventually. I tried the edge of my light stand, but that wasn't better. Now it's in a relatively dim spot and of course the centers are starting to do a bit of the celery dance. Guess it's going to be a bit of trial and error with this one! I adore the blooms on it, so I will figure it out, I will!

HI,
Irina, you are correct when you say that judges like compactly grown plants. I will add that they also like a perfectly symmetrical shape with leaves that grow out of the center stem like the spokes on a bicycle. I will also say that some plants will never attain those shorter petioles and overlapping leaves and those plants are still shown in local clubs and win blue ribbons and rosettes. Thats is why AVSA Judges are required to grow a number of different plants so that they are familiar with the many growing habits of various hybrids.
Fred in NJ

Jennifer what a way to start the day with a new flower greeting! Congrats on your success and a wish of many more blooms in the future!
The plant thanked you for the new lights!,,,,Debbie

Fred -

thank you - you made a good point. If we all would grow only short petioled plants - we would miss all the variety of fabulous blooms. My understanding is that a lot of Sorano's hybrids will always grow loose - but the blooms on his hybrids - are extra beautiful.

So - Jennifer - hopefully on your new shelf - you will have a variety of AVs - you need to try all types.

Irina