Metal Halide Grow Light

lava lounge · 03-23-2011, 06:31 PM

Just curious if a 400 watt metal halide light fixture would be a good source of light for my bananas to get them pre started before I put them into the ground here in michigan in may. These are plants that have been stored in my crawlspace for the winter and I just took them out and they look good but I thought I would plant them, give them water and kick on that light for 8 hours or so a day. I have never tried this before but seems like it should work, I have 4 plants all about 3 ft tall or so and this fixture is the type you would see hanging from ceiling in a store such as sams club or cosco, walmart you get the idea. Its very bright and placed in my basement hanging from the floor joist its above the plants about 3 ft as of now. Any ideas or suggestions please let me know.

The Hollyberry Lady · 03-23-2011, 06:45 PM

Oh it'll work alright.

I have a 400 W metal halide system too, and have experienced it to be an excellent source of light for mostly all of my plants. I use a SunMaster warm deluxe bulb.

Just don't keep the banana plants too close to the strong light at first...let them get used to it over time. Keep them well watered because they dry out fast under the lights.

Make sure the bulb isn't old either...new bulbs grow better plants. Use fertilizer too, to enhance the growth.

Good luck.

: )

Richard · 03-23-2011, 07:33 PM

T5 High-Output full-spectrum plant bulbs would be a better choice.

The Hollyberry Lady · 03-23-2011, 07:35 PM

Only in your opinion Richard...yet you never show pics to prove your claims. Odd.

My bulb is also full spectrum.

: )

RayS · 03-24-2011, 08:51 AM

I have my mine on my work bench in the garage, with a 250 MH overhead.

musa_monkey · 03-24-2011, 08:57 AM

In my experience you dont need anything like that amount of light to get them started. If i want to start mine early i put them on a 30w vivarium heat matt under a 25w full spectrum power saving lamp. I do tend to leave them on 24/7. They never fail to start pushing out new leaves in a very short space of time.

lava lounge · 03-24-2011, 04:24 PM

Ok thanks everyone, I had the 400 mh already so that why I thought I would try it. I will post results but looks like one day has them moving because I see some green poking above the brown outer dead leaves from being taken out of the ground and stored in the crawlspace for the winter. My musa's dont look so good so I may need to get a few more and try again. but my praying hands and esente look like they are going to make it.

mrbungalow · 03-26-2011, 08:39 PM

Trust me, it will work well. Interestingly, it works best if you limit the number of plants.

jakesebastin · 06-26-2012, 08:42 AM

I t will be very good to use this metal halide grow light. Till now i was using the leds but as this lights are looking to give good results so would like to try it for sure on the experiment basis.

03-23-2011, 06:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
lava lounge lava lounge's Photo Gallery Location: Mid Michigan Zone: 5 Name: Clint Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 38 BananaBucks : 23,070 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 35 Times in 17 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Metal Halide Grow Light Just curious if a 400 watt metal halide light fixture would be a good source of light for my bananas to get them pre started before I put them into the ground here in michigan in may. These are plants that have been stored in my crawlspace for the winter and I just took them out and they look good but I thought I would plant them, give them water and kick on that light for 8 hours or so a day. I have never tried this before but seems like it should work, I have 4 plants all about 3 ft tall or so and this fixture is the type you would see hanging from ceiling in a store such as sams club or cosco, walmart you get the idea. Its very bright and placed in my basement hanging from the floor joist its above the plants about 3 ft as of now. Any ideas or suggestions please let me know. __________________ Its always tiki time at the LaVa Lounge, Come join us!!! " free drinks tomorrow"..

03-23-2011, 06:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
The Hollyberry Lady The Hollyberry Lady 's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 15,161 BananaBucks : 1,317,962 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 12,042 Times Was Thanked 11,326 Times in 5,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 102 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light Oh it'll work alright. I have a 400 W metal halide system too, and have experienced it to be an excellent source of light for mostly all of my plants. I use a SunMaster warm deluxe bulb. Just don't keep the banana plants too close to the strong light at first...let them get used to it over time. Keep them well watered because they dry out fast under the lights. Make sure the bulb isn't old either...new bulbs grow better plants. Use fertilizer too, to enhance the growth. Good luck. : )

03-23-2011, 07:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 544,527 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light T5 High-Output full-spectrum plant bulbs would be a better choice. __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

03-23-2011, 07:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
The Hollyberry Lady The Hollyberry Lady 's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 15,161 BananaBucks : 1,317,962 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 12,042 Times Was Thanked 11,326 Times in 5,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 102 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light Only in your opinion Richard...yet you never show pics to prove your claims. Odd. My bulb is also full spectrum. : )

03-24-2011, 08:51 AM	#5 (permalink)
RayS RayS's Photo Gallery Location: Mansfield, MA Find me on the map! Zone: 6-7 Name: Ray Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 92 BananaBucks : 8,002 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 162 Times Was Thanked 107 Times in 57 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 58 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light I have my mine on my work bench in the garage, with a 250 MH overhead. __________________ Ray

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03-24-2011, 08:57 AM	#6 (permalink)
musa_monkey musa_monkey's Photo Gallery Location: Burnham, Bucks, UK Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 217 BananaBucks : 28,422 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 53 Times Was Thanked 147 Times in 71 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light In my experience you dont need anything like that amount of light to get them started. If i want to start mine early i put them on a 30w vivarium heat matt under a 25w full spectrum power saving lamp. I do tend to leave them on 24/7. They never fail to start pushing out new leaves in a very short space of time.

03-24-2011, 04:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
lava lounge lava lounge's Photo Gallery Location: Mid Michigan Zone: 5 Name: Clint Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 38 BananaBucks : 23,070 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 35 Times in 17 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light Ok thanks everyone, I had the 400 mh already so that why I thought I would try it. I will post results but looks like one day has them moving because I see some green poking above the brown outer dead leaves from being taken out of the ground and stored in the crawlspace for the winter. My musa's dont look so good so I may need to get a few more and try again. but my praying hands and esente look like they are going to make it. __________________ Its always tiki time at the LaVa Lounge, Come join us!!! " free drinks tomorrow"..

03-26-2011, 08:39 PM	#8 (permalink)
mrbungalow Freezing member mrbungalow's Photo Gallery Location: Bergen, Norway Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Name: Erlend Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 598 BananaBucks : 50,785 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 165 Times in 78 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light Trust me, it will work well. Interestingly, it works best if you limit the number of plants. __________________

06-26-2012, 08:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
jakesebastin hydroponics Location: uk Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 23 BananaBucks : 2,537 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Metal Halide Grow Light I t will be very good to use this metal halide grow light. Till now i was using the leds but as this lights are looking to give good results so would like to try it for sure on the experiment basis. __________________ Long lasting Grow Light easily

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