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snoodog  ·  2647 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: January 18, 2017

Seems like the light is a bit low for what you need. The problem is that if you hit them with the amount they need for good growth its too bright and blinds you and/or you end up with a weird color spectrum (pink/blue lights). In living areas you almost need to have them setup as inverse proximity sensors where they turn on when nobody is there to be annoyed by the bring lights.

One trick I've seem for places that do plant walls but dont have enough lights is that they rotate the plants in and out every week or two. You have a place setup off-site that has brighter lights and you grow the plants there for a bit and then move them back into your decorative locations. Its a pain in the ass but it can be done effectively.

My favorite lights are Metal halide, they aren't as efficient as HPS for plant growth but you get one with a wide natural color spectrum. When I had one setup for the indoor Tomatoes I'd just sit under it on rainy days and it would genuinely make me feel happier. You get around 75-100 Lumens/Watt which is close to what you get in high end LEDs (CREE, Philips) and better than Chinese LED's. The problem is how you incorporate them into you design at this point.