Plant grow lights/lamps

[BlueMyst]

This is more of a general plant lighting question

I'm looking at either a plant lamp or a plant light bulb for my orchid and African Violet plants. I have one orchid and one African Violet.

I'm looking at these two lamps
Power Grow Lamp and


27 Watt Full Spectrum Desk Top Plant Light

Any opinions or experiences with either lamps?

An alternative is to replace the current 13 watt CFL lightbulb (this one Phillips Marathon Decorative Mini-Twister) in the desk lamp I have over the plants with a full spectrum light. The max wattage of the desk lamp is 13 watts. Can someone recommend a good 13 watt CFL type full spectrum light bulb? Is a reptile light bulb ok? I found a Repti-Glo Full Spectrum that is 13 watts CFL and full spectrum but it costs more than a similar lightbulb that you can buy at a hardware store.

[Becca]

Hi! Before making a recommendation, I would like to know what kind of orchid you will be growing under the light?

[BlueMyst]

I don't know what type of orchid I have. ----


The orchid isn't blooming at the moment.

[GrumpyBear]

...it's the gorgeous kind...

seriously tho, i just mix warm whites and cool whites and hope for the best. seems to work. you can ussually find up to 26 watt cfls at the hardware stores at least. i have loads of african violets too and they aren't that demanding with the lights. i also just use shop light fixtures since they're cheap and have clamps so i can perch them anywhere. of course they're not as aesthetically pleasing as they could be, but i'm mostly staring at the flowers not the fixtures...

[orchidlady]

Your orchid is a Dendrobium and requires quite a lot of light and warmth to grow and bloom well. It is unlikely either of these lamps will supply enough light on their own. They could possibly be used to supplement a bright window.

Might be okay for African violets.

Susan