Hi, I'm new to gardening and basically don't know a thing. I'm interested in growing a variety of plants in my bedroom which doesn't get very much sunlight at all. Could anyone recommend a simple and cost-effective lighting solution I could use to grow an asortment of plants in a small area (approx. 2' x 4')? I'm mostly interested in growing orchids and ferns and herbs. Thanks in advance, Mark
Hi, the 'cheapest' effective way to go is with 4' fluorescents hung just 4-5 inches above the plants for 14-16 hours a day. Get 40w bulbs (Sylvania Gro-Lux 'Full Spectrum' ones are excellent - but make sure they are the full spectrum and not just 'grow' lights). They're only good for one 6 mo. season however (your plants should be outside in summer anyway), as the light quality deteriorates quickly after that, though you won't be able to 'tell' for some time afterward. The best light is in the middle of the bulbs, not much good near the ends. You can get, or make, a rolling 3-4 shelf cart with fixtures under each shelf, or just hang them on chains. There are also metal halide lights, very expensive, and likely to burn plants unless ceiling hung, or high pressure sodium, which are good but also expensive, and incandescent lights (like aquarium ones) which are very ineffective and burn out quickly).
