Ugh, don't remind me!! Plans to come soon Steve)

Same here. I added some trees and need to rethink how I will get them all in the house and where to place them.

Bummer.

I am headed to Ikea soon to buy a few more lights and will order another pack of bulbs from Amazon. I am going to try and leave mine out the absolute longest possible, even if they slow down growing. Last year, I think I put them in too soon. I hope the weather cooperates so I can leave them out at least till beginning of November. I have added a few more trees this year, but have plans for where they will go - my son will get a couple more in his room along with his roommates from last winter, and my daughter will get a couple in hers. I may reorganize the area in my kitchen but have not figured out all the logistics yet. I will also THOROUGHLY spray them several times before bringing them in. I had a tough time with mites and whiteflies last winter. I held them at bay, but it was annoying, time-consuming, and stressful. I hope to avoid that this year by really coating them with HO/Neem before they come in. Steve, I have you to thank for those lightbulbs! You are the one that told me which to buy. THANK YOU!

What Lightbulbs are you buying? We have Ikea too and since I added some trees might need to add lighting too

I've just been thinking of where I'm going to put things in the fall.

What got me thinking was my mango seed just sprouted today, so there's that and the pomegranate and minneola that I planted this spring. Three new plants may not sound like much but I have a very limited amount of sunny south-facing space! It's going to be crowded in there this winter!

I think I'm going to have to build a bucket-light like Steve. These guys are small enough that I can probably get them all under one bucket.

I've been slowly converting all my house's 4 foot fluorescent strip light fixtures to LED direct wired and by passing ballasts (2 minimum /apt (K&B) in a 6 family plus basement (another 10 fixtures already done). A 7000K arctic white bulb, T-8 equivalent is under $10 each, fine for growing maybe not so much for encouraging fruiting. I don't know that you need to pay for those fancy LED fixtures, with wacky harsh colors, when an existing surface mount or hanging fluorescent fixture with adjustable ceiling chains will do the job in a grow area. Sanitation here will no longer directly accept fluorescent lights where I am, and you have to make a special trip to schlep them away. My 6 bulb grow area in a basement is purposefully nowhere near a window or door to avoid bugs (very successful - especially combined with bringing them in early) and was a 4 bulb T-8 fluorescent on a chain and a add on 2 bulb LED 7000K arctic white and a expensive LED grow bulb. I may switch over to all LED's. The weed guys swear by the bright white bulbs for green growth, but switch over to the colored only when promoting fruiting, should work fine for Citrus

Here are the ones I use:

Philips 433557 23W 100-watt T2 Twister 6500K CFL Light Bulb, 4-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M6SR1JM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_V7kCzb8V2QR3X

They work extremely well and are dirt cheap and energy efficient. I know there are other fancier options out there, but I used these all last winter and my plants grew and thrived.

I can't remember the light name at IKEA, but will take pic when I go. They're like $15 and I add clamp lights along the stand.

After some reading I decided to buy this growing light

https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Lights-Hydroponics-Organic-Applicable/dp/B01HPIPM70/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500561300&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=taotronics+36w+led+grow+light+bulb&psc=1

Has anyone tried it before?

I believe the lamp at ikea is LERSTA, and I think $15 is a good price for it.

What clip on lights to do put on it, Laura? Did ikea have something that worked well or did you go to the bigbox?

I'm still really on the fence about LED lighting, it seems hard to find good concrete info on it. I have some 4ft LED shop lights ($30-$40) and just have not found a way to mount them yet.

Hibiscus I have had my citrus on a 4ft LED shop light and if I would have ben a bit more diligent about pest control and more fertilizer last year, it would have ben enough. Planning to switch to different light for some of the trees and see how that will work out

Perfectly adequate lights are converted direct powered bulb fluorescent that you may already own or find in the trash, not fixed light LED built into fixtures, a retro is cheaper than new

Cristina,

I have six dwarf citrus and one avocado under those same lights and the trees are thriving. Love them.

Nancy

Thank you Nancy!

Hi all, I'm new here. Just took up this citrus hobby back in May. I was at a local home depot and found a small grafted meyer lemon. I had no idea we could grow citrus in our area. Out of curiosity, I bought the little meyer and brought it home and started doing some research. Of course a major addiction has set in and I have acquired several more since. I have a very small unused room in my home and have started to get a few things ready to turn it into my citrus grow room for the winter. I want things right long before it is time to bring them in. Would 400 watt metal halide be a good choice for lighting?

Hi Angela, it all depends on the light's distance from trees and how much area you want to cover. Light intensity is inversely squared with distance:

How large is the area you need to illuminate?

-Tom

Hi Tom, thanks for responding so quickly. I just got the room cleared out it is a 6' x 8' area. I have several of these metal halide lights but I know I won't need but one or two. I also have a ton of 4 foot T8 shop lights with warm bulbs that I could mount on the wall vertically. That would add some more red spectrum. It's been a while since I used these metal halides but if I recall correctly each one would cover a 4' x4' area pretty well. So I'm thinking of putting two of them four feet apart in the center of the eight foot stretch.

Steve, thank you for starting this thread! This will be my first winter with my trees and I'm a bit terrified Lol.

Angela, two 400W metal halides would be a great setup for an area that size. I doubt you'll even need the fluorescent lights, but obviously, more light doesn't hurt!

-Tom

Thanks Tom.

Laura, everything you said plus more. Ha..Hey, could you do me a favor and post a pic of that set up you had last year? Or link it? I can't find an example of your set up...I know I have been rethinking my ideas all summer, whether to leave them totally accessible to outside within a few steps kept cold like last year, no bugs, or watering issues or actively growing? I am still debating that....

Thanks a bunch!

800 watts of metal halide on 12 hours or more is going to cost you some electric bill

Lol guys, I sympathize, over here growing season is from April to December..

Thanks bklyn,, I'm prepared for it. My light bill is little of nothing now. I'm not a water or energy waster by no means. It's all about priorities and what you're willing to give up to have something you want more. I was able to have a very successful garden this summer and busy canning all my green beans and stuff. This will mean major savings on food. I'm not a big meat eater at all and I keep four hens for eggs. I grow organic and have a green thumb. Preparing now for my fall garden. I do NOT like spending money at a grocery store! Lol What I do think is important is having hobbies. To me hobbies are the "spice" in our lives. That feeling of excitement when my eyes open in the morning and my feet can't hit the floor fast enough!

As far as lighting goes I think a little increase in my light bill for running lights that I already have will out weigh the cost of buying all new lights that are more efficient but won't do near the job.

Lights in the winter help heat the house and growing area. Getting newer more efficient lighting only helps marginally over the long run. I use up my old lights first then get the next jump up that is on sale.

6b Steve

I hear ya, everyone has different setups and different needs, and this "hobby" can cost you. If you have your plants in a major living space of a home, your automatically cash screwed since everything has to look "more decent", from pots to tables to watering cans to lights (tool and accessory storage?). If you grow in a greenhouse, remote spare room or basement you can get away with more. Some houses are detached, attached, semi-detached brick wood or other as far as excess heat goes. I grow inside my basement in the winter using 1 fluorescent and 1 LED strip fixture hanging from chains over a table. I also have clip on spotlights for plant bottoms. I will go all LED once the bulbs go dimmer in one fixture. The main thing I'm pointing out is that fluorescent bulbs have issues and are being phased out slowly and have disposal problems, I'm getting rid of them slowly throughout the entire 6 family by converting existing fixtures. The conversion price and technology is here, enough to grow by converting ANY old existing fluorescent light fixture to LED by disconnecting the ballasts and direct wire to new clips, rudimentary electrical skills required. Wattage is reduced by 50% and they are brighter and last longer. Meaning if you see a strip fixture in the trash, there's a potential candidate for someone to retrofit. if you go to the grow light forum, its too wacky for me. Guys that want to build light fixtures (use this or that chip/diode and debate the merits)and guys that want to show off the latest $500 toy. If your just looking to start some seedlings and get Citrus through winter with growth its an option.....

You have given me some things to think about. A few years ago I had a grow room, which is why I still have all this stuff, LED was not much of an option and I never really looked into it. I've been told LED has come a long way but still has a way to go. I guess for now I'm gonna stick with MH. I'm wondering if I could grow a cucumber this winter? lol

Mine is OVER! I don't see any hot weather for days on end. Just the kind of temps you would get in September and to many, that would probably be a relief!!

OUTSIDE GROWING SEASON FOR US NORTHERNERS IS GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear ya Steve!! We got about 2 inches of snow....glad my citrus are cozy and warm indoors!