A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 A question about light.

Well I did promise hubby no more plants until spring, so in the meantime I'm reading about plants - a poor substiture but hey, I'm learning things !

Something I've been wondering about as I read about the light requirement of different plants ( bright light - moderate - indirect ) My plants are all growing under fluorescent lighting - the lights are, depending on the size of the plant, from 4 to 8 inches from the leaves. There's no direct sun on the plants themselves, but the room they're in is very bright, and the lights are on 12 hours a day.

Is this set-up considered bright or moderate light ? Would it be enough to sustain flowering plants ? How about herbs ? ( My dream is to have fresh herbs to snip and add to dishes, and I've never been lucky with them ! )

Hi Canadian Crab Grass,
Take a look here and see if this helps. Do keep in mind that if any of your plants need to set fruit they will need at least 6 hours of darkness.

http://homeharvestseeds.com/seedstartingtipsindoor.htm

Newt

Your question is a good one because it points out the lack of precision with words such as bright, indirect, moderate, etc. These terms have different meanings to different people. That is why horticulturists measure light in footcandles (fc). I would describe the light directly under fluorescents as bright indirect or medium light. It is brighter than low light, but not as bright as direct sun.

There are many plants that will flower if they are within 6 inches of fluorescent tubes and toward the center of the tube where the light is strongest. These include moth orchids, lady slipper orchids, African violets, and peace lilies.

Most herbs do best in direct sunlight.

Thanks for the link, Newt, it made for very interesting reading... and Will, thanks for your expert answer, as always !

Guess I better kiss my dream of herbs goodbye...the only truly sunny spot in the room is right where the parrot cage is... said parrot has been there for 12 years and is not going to give up his spot without a fight, and he's been known to chomp on anything green within his reach !

Maybe I'll give African Violets a shot though - the plants I have now are doing great under fluorescent, but a bit of color would be nice.