RE: Light source for Sarrs

From: Carl Strohmenger (HSC) (cstrohme@com1.med.usf.edu)
Date: Tue Mar 10 1998 - 05:43:58 PST


Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 08:43:58 -0500 (EST)
From: "Carl Strohmenger (HSC)" <cstrohme@com1.med.usf.edu>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg884$foo@default>
Subject: RE: Light source for Sarrs

I have seen several questions concerning fluorescent light sources for
indoor growing of Sarra and other CPs. Here is an arrangement that we used
for photochemistry when I was in grad school many years ago.
        We had a cylindrical chamber (vertical axis) with about 16
fluorescent bulbs mounted vertically in a circle. Our chamber was only
about 19 inches high, since we were using a special UV bulb of that size,
but if I were to put such a chamber together for growing CPs, I would use
standard 2-bulb fixtures (48 inches long) mounted vertically and as close
together as possible. If you use shop lights which have a reflector behind
the lights (about 12 inches wide), you could have a 3 ft diameter grow
space inside a circle of 10 2-bulb fixtures. Put a white cover over the top
and put some fans blowing on the assembly (to dissipate heat) and you
should have a very nice indoor Sarr growing chamber. Note that 10 fixtures
with 2 40W bulbs each is a total of 800 W of light that eventually becomes
heat and must be removed before it cooks the plants, so the fans are
neccessary.

If you can find these fixtures on sale at one of the discount sales houses,
they can be as cheap as $15 +/-, so the lamp fixtures would cost $150 or
a bit more and there would be some other costs such as power strips, some
lumber or plastic for a framework, etc. You might be able to put such a
grow chamber together for $400 depending on how fancy you made it.

If high humidity is not important, then you could use a drip watering
method using a small pump with tubing to control the flow of water. If high
humidity is important, then you need to put some sort of vapor barrier (ie
plastic sheet) between the lamps and the plants. This might add another
$100 to the cost of the project.

- Carl



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