better pix of stuff now under lites -
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Hey Ken,

Just wanted to say that you have a geat looking set up!!

Good luck with them inside...I am still trying to figure out the watering needs for my C & S too! So..I can't help you there...but wanted to say hello...and all is well up here in VB!!! : )

Hope your temps level off soon...we are looking at another possible snow storm forecasted for early this week...Lets hope the models are wrong...I have had enough already!!!

Take Care Ken...

Laura in VB

Nice lights...what kind of florescent lights are they?

I keep many of my cacti in my garage in a dormant state with virtually no water and light (temps stay in the 40s in there all winter long). I treat the succulents and cacti in my sunroom under HID and LED grow lights, for the most part, as if it is winter for them, too - i.e., less frequent watering and making sure they dry out pretty thoroughly before I water again.

They all slow down significantly for me even with the lights. Some warm weather growers show some signs of growth (e.g., my mammillaria bombycina is flowering right now, and my Pseudolithos migiurtinus is definitely plumping up and budding) and my cool weather/winter growers are definitely cranking under the light..so they get watered more frequently.

Temps in my room drop to 50 at night...65-70 in the day during the coldest part of winter. The room warms progressively as we move toward spring.

I would recommend that you continue to water carefully even under the lights. It will still be a lot less intense than natural sunlight. A light meter will show you that pretty readily.

All of my plants know it is not summer, even the ones growing under a 1000w metal halide bulb. When the seasons shift, they sense it even under the lights (I have skylights and windows in there, too) and start to grow more enthusiastically. Then, my dormant summer growers start to wake, too.

The other thing you might want to think about is to be sure that you are varying your day night temps (I apologize if I am covering things you already know) to assure that you are allowing CAM to occur. Sometimes that is tricky to achieve, depending upon where you are keeping them indoors.

Tom

Laura - I wasn't planning on getting a light set-up but came across a deal on craigslist I couldn't pass up - a year old very sturdy Floralight set up with an extra set of bulbs in like new condition for $125 - some of the bargains I have stumbled onto (on cl) are mind boggling... Sorry to hear you have had so much crummy weather in VB. I have been in S FL for a little over a year and sure don't miss the NY winter. I hope the crypts are doin ok.

Tom - the lights are 2 20 watt 24" Verilux full spectrum Instant sun with phosphor3 (whatever that means). Years ago I grew orchids indoors under 1000 watt metal halide and HP sodium lites on moving tracks. I probly will have a 10-12F shift between nite & day. Most of the plants were in a screeened patio with just a few hours at most of morning sun so they should get considerably more light now, even with only 2 20's (on for 12 hours now but I will extend the day length with the seasons)

Thanks!

super neat set up will defently have to get something like that for next winter

Hello Ken,

Everything is doing great!!! Thanks Again!!!
I'll send pics to you soon...

Laura in VB

Great setup!

If possible, I would lower the lights much closer to the tops of the plants - especially the cacti. If you can't move the light fixture, then set the pots of cacti on an upturned pot or something else to get the top of the plant closer to the lights. The cacti will grow very elongated being that far from the fluorescent tubes, unless the lights are right next to a good southern window and lots of direct sunlight.

I lowered the top light and added two 42W cfls and two small box fans (in addition to the ceiling fan).

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Looking good Ken!!!

How do they like the extra light? Have you seen any change?

Take care Ken...

Laura in VB

Ken, nice setup, but I wonder why you're doing it....?

As tom mentioned above, almost all succulents need a dormant period, and for most of them, that's during the winter...so they are happy with much less watering and much less light.

Giving them that much light during the winter may be counter-productive. They will want to grow when most of them shouldn't.

If it were me, I would cut back on the light and let them go into normal dormancy. Just my 2 cents :)

-R

Ken,

My comments echo -R's above - I don't use artificial light - my plants are near windows, which combined with what little sun we get, reduced watering, and the near-constant 60-70F temps inside the room, are enough.

However, if you don't have windows, I think you've got a pretty good setup, if (1) you give them a dark period at night and (2) you have some air circulation. I think your plants are close enough.

I have growth on a number of plants now, but none of them are cacti. What's in active growth are the Old and New World Crassulaceae, as well as a Sans or two, some faster than others, and the Agaves are in growth, but at a reduced rate.

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I do rotate my plants periodically (every other watering) and they're not yet growing into oddly-branched monstrosities.

OTOH, I had a rooting cutting of Aloe arenicola which was growing in that bowl of Crassulaceae you see, and I fished its shriveled carcass out of the pot this morning. Too much water - you think I would have realized it, and I do, I just forgot that that dry-loving Aloe didn't want so much water as the rest of those plants do.