Grow Lights

My Fuchsia Cutting - not entirely sure how old it is, but probably taken during August.



An assortment of plants. From left-to-right some Geranium cuttings taken around August (still about 8 to a 5" pan!), Robinia I grew from seed recently (they will have to move onto a window-ledge) and my little Brug at the front, Fuchsias to the right, and across the back are my Hydrangea cuttings



And the creme-de-la-creme: the Cannas. I struggled to take a good photograph as the lamp pulses on/off and I could not get the camera to Flash, so I had to fiddle with the shutter speed and stop it down a bit otherwise the lamp washed everything out - so its actually a lot brighter than the picture makes it appear - sorry!



Hopefully gives you an idea of how MAD!! it is.

 

Kristen - those plants look just so healthy. And your Canna are beautiful. I have already sown a few seeds in my light box, and some of the Canna have just germinated. I am growing Tropicanna 'Rose' from Jungle Seeds, as my scarlet Tropicana from them did very well last year. But I am also, for a bit of fun, growing Canna tuerckheimii. which Jungle Seeds says can grow to 16 feet. I think it could have a problem even with your grow lights - not to mention the ceiling. :D

Grow lights really open another door to gardening. When I first made my lightbox I didn't know what to do with it. so I sowed some Salvia coccinea seeds in November. They flowered the first week in January.:hehe: And I have mentioned before in other threads, cuttings of Salvias - particularly S. splendens species which grows to 4 feet. If I take cuttings in October from a plant in flower, the cuttings start to flower within 5 days (obviously from flower buds on the cutting material). And if I let them continue, they will go on flowering non stop for the next 12 months. I have heard about other plants that can flower for 10 or 11 months in their own country. I think our winter causes us to miss out on various activities that are quite normal in other places.

 

"Canna tuerckheimii. which Jungle Seeds says can grow to 16 feet."

I hope the supplier didn't mix up my Tropical Red seed :o

 

"everything looks so healthy and vigorous."

I recommend it. I expect it will help with the plants in the Spring-rush-to-legginess too

"looks like your Canna are going to outgrow my Walking Stick cabbage"

I wonder if the judges will be able to tell the difference?

 

I have recently started to sow some seeds in my Light Box. The Canna can't quite compare with yours Kristen - but they are strong growers. The two tallest germinated 8 days ago.

 

No! Stop! They will be six feet tall by January ... <toddles off with a tape measure> ... mine are now 4' tall, (122cm)

61 days old, 163 days until last frost :(

 

But that's the fun of growing under lights Kristen. Winter interest. I would be very pleased if they would reach 6 feet or even 4 feet, as they are only rated at 3 feet fully grown. :D Yours must be quite a tall variety.

 

Yes, in fairness my Cannas with the name that starts with "W" and is completely unpronounceable (are they Polish?) are much shorter. Its the red ones that are in a hurry ...

 

Cannas are now in flower :(

 

Kristen - thats amazing. A real tribute to your growlights and to your skill.

I think your fertiliser must have had an effect as well, but they must have been really fast growing seeds. Think what you could do with a more profitable crop. :D

 

"That's good news surely?"

Well ... I can't plant out until last frost ...

I am thinking about chopping them down so they tiller - there are already small offshoots coming from the base, but they are quite a long way away from the light at present.

"Think what you could do with a more profitable crop."

makes you wonder, eh?

I'm also thinking about what I will be able to do with plants I am "bringing on" next year. Have the lights on at night, in the conservatory, should help the growth rate a fair bit

 

Kristen - there is one question that I can't find an answer to. And that is - do plants need a rest period during the year?

Some of our hardy perennials are used to resting over winter and may not like to live in perpetual sunshine. But I suspect plants from warmer areas are used to growing all year round. I have asked Brugmansia growers, but no one can answer, what happens if you let a Brugmansia flower all winter? Does it carry on and flower all summer as well or does it decide it needs a rest?

A hint that some plants are happy with year long sun is, I have read, that Fuchsia arborescens in its native Central America can flower for up to 11 months of the year. But which ones are happy and which ones not?

 

Yes, good point. Although my principle interest will be things grown from Seed or Cuttings - trees or shrubs - that I am in a hurry to get to a plant of decent size, and I think a growing light, used as a "boost", will be good for them - given that I have already made the initial investment.