Janice H. asks Annie:
Q In regard to fluorescent tubes: when should they be replaced? In the past I’ve let the tubes burn out on their own. Now I’m wondering if that is not the best. Does the amount of light that the plants receive weaken as the tubes age? Would it be better to replace the tubes on a 12-month or 18-month basis? Normally the tubes that I have used last for several years.
And I’m wondering about LED lights. Are they good for growing violets or any other houseplants?
A There are multiple schools of thought on this. I generally let my fluorescents go until they burn out. Pauline Bartholomew used to suggest changing the tubes out for new ones during the pre-show schedule. That, however, can get expensive, particularly now that these tubes are really spendy. Yes, the amount of light does change over time. They are brighter when they are newer. LEDs appear to be the coming thing – I will be talking about them on the Podcast soon.
I hope this helps,
Annie :-)
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Thanks, Annie! It’s interesting how everyone who has a light garden handles it differently. I try to get the most for my money – – – so I usually let the bulbs burn out. This time the bulbs just kept getting grayer rather than just burn out. I ended up replacing the tubes. A good thing that I did. Now my violets are beginning to bloom – – – and a few more are showing flower stalks. :-)
I forgot to add that I’m looking forward to what you have to say about LED lights. I’ve been slowly replacing fluorescent bulbs with LEDs in the house and the outside lighting. Lower electric bills is part of the reason. And having the lights on for 12 hours a day for the plants, it would be nice to find something more cost effective. Although fluorescent lighting isn’t all that expensive, I do like the idea of not having to change bulbs as often with the LED bulbs.