This is the first fall/winter that I have used supplemental led lights for all of my windowsill orchids and WOW, what a game changer. Everything is growing so well, new growths, new roots when normally they would be doing very little at this time of year. So worth the small price to run these! If people knew how much of a difference these lights can make they would do it in a heartbeat! Grow lights used to be expensive to buy and to run and were huge and ugly. Now there are so many options for LED and so affordable. Thanks for the review. An added benefit for me is I feel my Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues) is much reduced. I grow about a dozen phals in my windowless office at work, and use the LED lights, so I’m exposed to full spectrum lighting for a long period of time everyday. Very pleasant!

@TheOrchidRoom

4 жыл бұрын

I really agree, alot of people do ask about the cost but to me it's definitely worth it! Doesn't cost me anymore than my boyfriend pays for his gym membership, and I don't do anything like that so this is my version 🙂 Lighting really does make all the difference, people say phals are low light orchids, but I think they actually LOVE lots of light, just not bright direct sunlight. So LEDs are actually perfect as they can't really burn the plants! Agree regarding the growth also, it's good to hear you also notice this, mine never really stop growing now, whereas before I really used to only get growth in summer thinking back. Even if people don't want to go the full crazy grow room way ( Me 😂 ), one or two cheap LED bulbs can really make all the difference 🙂 (I also light bathe in the grow room 😂 )

Potentially going to try this out! Thanks for sharing these easy lighting options. :)

Ooohhh ... aaahhhhh... wow! That is a huge difference 🤩 so crisp .. oh my! I may need to get me some of those for the top shelf phals ... nice!!

@TheOrchidRoom

4 жыл бұрын

You can definitely tell the difference can't you?! Think they're going to be much better than my cool white bulbs, they also make the phal leaves look so shiny 😂 I'll take it!! 😀💗

Very interesting, thanks.

Hi Annabel, I've been searching for decent videos about light orchids need and found your video. Your set up looks really great with those wire shelves and your orchids are wonderful 👍👍🌺🌺 🌺🌺 I understand it's a bulb testing, but what would you say, would it be better (if budget allows) to install more of those big COBs you've also got and - thinking of the light intensity in them - just adjust them nearer or farther away from the plants, instead of having many small bulbs? Or there's a special idea behind the small ones? I mean, them having to be installed pretty near the plants to be of any use at all (due to low PAR). 🤔

@TheOrchidRoom

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Julia- depends on the setup, orchids in question, supplemental vs full lighting, distance from light etc. For Phals, Oncidiums and Masdevallias, other lower light orchids or just a few orchids, a few of the smaller bulbs would be fine. Personally, I grow Cattleyas and Vandas under brighter, stronger, wider coverage LEDs. The COB units have been good for Cattmeyas, have to have them around 3foot from plants. Hope that helps!

@juliapaust4840

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheOrchidRoom thank you very much indeed! Every good avdvice helps a lot! 💓💓💓

Very Nice. There is a difference and the plants look clearer with the new lights. the 9 watt bulbs will make a slight difference in the electrical bill. I am eager to see how your plants respond to the new lights. One thing I did notice was the cooler growing orchids there seemed to be less light given to the outer plants or maybe that is just the angle that you were filming.

@TheOrchidRoom

4 жыл бұрын

I mentioned in general I feel the bulbs are a little dimmer but believe this is because there isn't so much light wasted in the spectrum that the human eye detects as bright, it's all targeted at what the plant needs. Should be just fine for Phalaenopsis, Masdevallias and Restrepias, time will tell.

I mean, I don't really use grow lights, except with my African Violets but they don't need an exceptional light source to do well. The one thing I noticed, especially with your Masdevallia section, was the beam seems much narrower than your old bulb (the plant to the far right wasn't receiving as much light). May be something to keep an eye on.

@TheOrchidRoom

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I noticed that, definitely a narrower beam angle, but the masdies really don't need high light and the far right masdevallia still has light on the leaves, I can generate a faint shadow on it if I hold my hand between the light source and the end masdie so it's still getting light, just not as much (or at least in the obvious wavelengths). The eye detects 550nm wavelength light (green spectrum) the brightest which may be less relevant for plants anyway so I just wonder if, because lumens measure that wavelength and we already know this light has less lumen emission, we can't see the light as well at the edges of the beam angle. It's a narrower beam angle anyway as the LEDs only emit from the front of the bulb rather than a normal LED bulb where it's all around. The masdie lighting is supplemental anyway, they're on a shaded windowsill so they get indirect ambient lighting from outdoors. Time will tell, the end right hand one is my most vigorous bloomer so hopefully it'll still be happy (Masd. parlatoriana, natural hybrid between barlaeana × veitchiana) .

Hi Anabel, great unboxing and info regarding grow light! You've got so many grow light in your orchid room. Don't these make your electricity bill too high?

@TheOrchidRoom

4 жыл бұрын

My electricity bill is no higher than many peoples gym memberships or yoga classes.... it's all relative. In my opinion, if we spend money on orchids it's important to invest in proper growing conditions for them, or that money was wasted in the first place if they fail to meet our expectations. A 100W grow light at an average electricity rate of 15p KwH costs around £5 a month. Most of my grow lights are around 10W, I have a few proper grow lights that are 50 to 100W yes, but few comparitively. I have high growth expectations but am on a PhD income, so I invest in good quality, low wattage LED grow lights. If you were to look at the equivalent fluorescent lights you're probably looking at 800W vs 100W.... Yes my electricity bill is higher than someone who use no or very few grow lights. But this is my hobby and I'd wager my orchids probably look better for it.... obviously it doesn't need to be on this scale, if you only have 10 or so orchids then you only need one grow light, etc 🙂

@marygorchidsmore2058

4 жыл бұрын

The Orchid Room I believe so too, how ever my husband has a different opinion but I should remind him , yes you are right I don’t spend money on anything else so I’m allowed!😊

Hi, thanks for the video. I wanted to try it but not sure if I should choose 1 x 18W, or 2 x 9W for the same price. Have 10ish oncidiums at the moment, on a wired medium ikea shelve :) Would you recommend between the two?

@TheOrchidRoom

3 жыл бұрын

I was only sent these to test, not the higher powered option. If given a choice with LEDs, brighter is better 🙂 I wouldn't look at it at 2 × 9W = 1 × 18W, that doesn't account for spacing. If you want to spread the light more you'll need 2 bulbs, if you have the bulbs fairly close then 9W may be fine, but could be very awkward to position with how big oncidiums grow. If I was going to use these as sole lighting source, I would buy lots and make sure the beam angles are all overlapping. You could also intersperse these with daylight white LED bulbs to overlap spectrums, give a brighter look and save money. My oncidiums and miltoniopsis aren't even under grow lights, just under counter daylight white strip lights.

@35o125

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheOrchidRoom thanks for the reply! I am really strugglin with the light in my unit. window is facing west and both balconies are quite shady. one on the west side, other on the east but kind of hidden with metal bars across. the sun light never enters the unit, so winters are very problematic.I might start with two bulbs to start with. thanks again for you opinion. looking forward to your videos...and your accent :)

Perhaps youcould leave half of the phals under your old lights and the other half under the new ones to get a better measurement of the results?

@TheOrchidRoom

4 жыл бұрын

I think the results with this sort of thing are difficult to measure accurately in a home, there would be bleed through between shelves anyway. I've been growing under the old lights for a couple of years and know how my phals grow and respond under those, so if there are any major differences it should be obvious. Since all the phals are different hybrids there is no way to set up an adequate control, and since each shelf has a different number of lights it wouldn't really be a fair test....