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African Violets Lighting

Do we have to use one warm and one cool bulb, will 2 cool bulbs work

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

For years I have been using, "40-watt 4ft T12 cool white, 4100K" bulbs to grow my african violets. On one shelf, I use 4 bulbs total in 2 shoplights. I have 2 shelves "ON" at the moment.

I havent changed my bulbs in 8 years. My violets are growing kind of slow and I am thinking of replacing all 8 bulbs on my shelves. I am planning to use the light meter app, someone recommended a while back.

My question is, should I just replace with 4 cool white bulbs or 2 cool & 2 warm bulbs? I have seen different recommendations. My plants grow in my basement, with no other light source.

Any suggestions welcome,

thanks,

Cooks.

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Comments (5)

irina_co
3 years ago
Anything will be better than what you have now. You can put 4 cool bulbs - and it will work, or mix them 2 and 2. Since T12s are getting phased out - you can replace your fixtures with a 2 T8 fixture as well. Again - you can mix cool white and warm white or use 2 cool whites. Or you can replace it with an LED fixture - Costco has the shoplights for 29.95.

To some extent it depends on how cold is your basement - if it is on a cool side - probably keeping fluorescents is better - they do warm the room. LEDs is barely warm to touch.

If you want to try T8s - you need to change the fixture - the ballasts are different . In my experience - do NOT buy fixtures in Walmart - they are the cheapest but they do not last.

If you have an old style wide reflector fixtures... investing in a new ballast and switchng to T8s makes sense. Then you can keep only one fixture per shelf.

Irina, the rewiring hobbyist.
cooks
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks Irina, so I guess I will stick to the 2 cool whites, since thats what I have used all these years and didnt seem to have an issue. Yes I think I wont go to LED, since my basement does cool down in the winter. Thanks for the walmart tip, I think I bought my fixtures from Home Depot - the lithuania lighting ones, also bought 8 years ago and still working.

Appreciate your help,

Cooks.
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irina_co
3 years ago
Welcome. I also buy fixtures in HD. WM fixtures expire no later than in one year - lousy ballasts.
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3 years ago
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Everything is made in China...but some are better some, are worse. The WM brand "Lights of America" is beyond pale. HD brand - Lithonia is OK.

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