• Members of the previous forum can retrieve their temporary password here, (login and check your PM).

Question on growing cacti under fluorescent tube

Migrated topic.
Michal_R

Michal_R

Rising Star
Hi,

I have been growing a few T.Pachanois from seed, as well as some Peruvianus and Pachanois from cuttings.

Two months ago, I put my cacti under fluorescent light (2 x 55W), where I also keep my Salvia cuttings, Cannabis saplings and alike. I soon realized that the cacti quite like my fluorescent tubes, definitely much more than they (dis)liked the natural light I was able to offer them (I live in an apartment, having no outside garden or greenhouse availabe :( ).

I have a question concerning the annual/seasonal growing cycle... (Sorry for possibly stupid question, but I really don´t know that much about growing cacti)

Is it OK to have my cacti under the fluorescent tube constantly (cca 18 hours light + 6 hours of darkness daily), regardless of the actual season? Or should I "simulate" natural seasons, e.g. put my cacti to the hibernation mode during winter etc...?

Thanks for your hints :thumb_up:
 
I only had my cacti under lights for a couple of years- but they did great unde HID lighting.
put them in my veg room 24hrs a day of 1000w MH
they grew as fast and as thick as they did outside

others have told me they must have some dormant time. not ime....
 
Thanks for your reply.

So I guess I´ll just leave them under the light for 1 or 2 years; the small ones really seem to enjoy it :)
 
if they look happy keep them there. Anything more would ruin your seedlings ( In my experience) You can move them outside already the second year if ya want (but with shadecloth).

good luck!
 
Flouro's are prettty good/effecient for their price, i have to move my cacti inside for the winter here pretty soon, and rather than winterize them, i think i'll put them under 2x50w t5's, one 6000k and one 3500k, with a small (35-70w) ceramic metal halide hid light to give it some full spectrum light, uv, and all those other nice spectra our columar friends like.

Should prevent them from getting spindily, (reaching for the light) with the t5's, and i can get those close. Then the cmh, or cmh low wattage (sub 50w bulbs) should kick off enough heat, and extra spectra as well.

Since they're not 400w bulbs, i'd imagine you could get them much closer to the cacti, and get some heating action going on at the same time.
 
Cacti being relatively new to me, here's my 0.002 cents...

Artificial lights and skipping hibernation will make them grow faster, but the alkaloid content would not be as high as from a cactus that hibernates a few months per year...

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong...

btw the amount of water given is also a factor in growth rate vs. alk production

PLUR
 
Back
Top Bottom