A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Full spectrum light for the winter blues

Weezie,you don't have to buy a specially designed light to get full spectrum light in your home, You can purchase individual light bulbs to replace some of the standard light bulbs you already have.

I have three full spectrum bulbs. One in my bedroom, one in the bathroom, and one over my dinner table.

Real goods has them for 75 watt for $8.50 or 100 watt for $9.00. (under AC lighting)

www.realgoods.com

This place has them for $9.99.

www.full-spectrum-light-bulbs.com

I bought mine from Real Goods, but I would probably try the other type if I bought more. It looks like they might be better. They take less energy.

These bulbs last a really long time. I've had mine for 10 years.

I have full-spectrum lighting in every room of the house...
...I have to because of Lola.
African Greys need the sunlight because they are prone to calcium deficiency, and something in the sunlight changes the somethingorother in the calcium she takes to make it do whatever it's supposed to do for her. (I know, I missed my calling as a scientist!)
I had one light above her cage...and realized that since she was never in her cage


Cindy Sue

Interesting, Cindy. Thanks, Terry!

Cindy, where do you purchase your bulbs?
I'd rather not order them online if I don't have to...

Lynne...I order mine online...because I don't like to go out much.
I did see some full-spectrum lights in Wal-Mart a few months ago...but I didn't even look at them to see if they were the "true" full-spectrum ones.

I think Lowe's may have at least the t-12 types...at least, FI think I've seen them there.

Are these lights you're all talking about for plants or SAD??? Or both?

Are they regular bulbs that fit into your standard lamp?? Will a lampshade over the light defeat the purpose? Or are you talking tube lights, like flourescent??

Mel...I have both kinds...the tube flourescent ones and the screw in kind. When I first got Lola I ordered them out of a Parrot magazine, and paid $60. for one stinking bulb, and almost a hundred bucks for a 2' fixture with one flourescent bulb to go over her cage. Of course, that was over 7 years ago, and they weren't as common as they are now...but I should have at least got a kiss first. all over the place here!

Mel...I just looked at my lights and realized that most of them are T-8 (the flourescent tubes that are not as big around as regular tubes) but some are T-12. Main brands I have are Vita-Lite and Arcadia Bird Lights...but I'm sure they just charged me double because they knew I'd get sucked in because it said "bird" on the ad!
Any full spectrum light is just as good as one that says it's for parrots!

You oughtta get some...at least for the room you spend the most time in. They make everything look "normal". Well, not really normal around here, but they give off a crisp clean sunshine light instead of a creepy yellow light.

Light makes a huge difference. We've been talking about replacing the fixture in our kitchen because it's kind of dim. I'm going to try these bulbs.

I just came back from the bookstore and grocery store - man, are the crazy drivers out there today!!!

Anyway... the grocery store had some store brand bulbs that said full spectrum, and Sylvania brand that also said it. But, they only had up to 60 watts, and I prefer 100. Do you know if they are actually made in 100 watts?

I looked on the Real Goods home page and they have a link to their customer service where you can get a phone number to call in your order if you prefer not to order online. I didn't see any way to contact the company at the full-spectrum-light-bulbs site though.

I bought a whole lamp for about $100 several years ago. It does not go with my decor. So I get the bulbs at Home Depot now and use it in my regular lighting all over the place. It really helps.

Lynne,

Yes, the full-spectrum-light-bulb site I mentioned above has a 26 watt compact flourescent that gives the equivalent light of a 105 watt incandescent. Try looking at Lowes or Home Depot, or maybe even your local hardware store.

Thanks, Terry! Will do...!

I wish I could just let my figs grow into trees, but it's too cold for them here.

Oops! I meant to post that in Gardener's Chat.

Thankyou for the links those are good deals and I plan on getting some for my light fixtures. It sure would be nice to have my plants spread out some lol.

It never accured to me to get full spectrum bulbs for all of the light fixtures in the house....That would mean I could have more house plants, since all of my window sills are full. Thanks for the info!!

I bought mine at Costco.

Just got sent to this thread and wanted to ask are there different kinds of full spectrum lights? Someone mentions a "true" full-spectrum and I want to be sure I get the right thing for plants. Are some bulbs billed as full-spectrum when in reality they are not?

Triss the ones I have say full spectrum at least I don't remember anything about true written on the package and writting on the bulb base is too small for me to see. But all my animals are more active and alert since I started useing them and the colors come out great on my birds and you have seen the photo's of my plants. I am working on having nothing but them through out the house. The Ifgaina's have to have a light that puts out more heat to go along withthier heater so I will keep 4 100 watt regular bulbs over their cage. Have a good night everyone I really am going to bed now.
Jimmy

Thanks for that Jimmy. I will be looking for those light next time I hit the hardware store.