by Jorge Cervantes
Fluorescent Tubes
Grow clones, seedlings, and vegetative plants with flourescents. Flowering plants develop smaller, less dense buds under fluorescents.
Wattages available: 15-44, in lengths from 18-48 inches.
Brilliance: Fluorescent lamps range from bright to brighter. Their long shape and low lumen output make it necessary to keep tubes 1-2 inches above plants. Brighter T5 and T8 bulbs can be 4-6 inches above plants. New thin bulbs are brighter than larger tubes. Fluorescent bulbs are classified by the diameter of the tube.
Spectrum: Thermodynamic temperature is measured in kelvin (K). The popular color spectrums are from 3000K (warm white), 4200K (cool white), to 5000K (daylight/natural sunlight). Use a combination of warm and cool white bulbs, or one with a spectrum of about 5000K.
Life of bulb: Rated at 20,000-30,000 hours. Most growers replace bulbs after 2 years of operation at 24 hours a day. take lamp and ballast to a specialty recycling center for electronic devices.