Growing plants under lights. A Fluorescent lighting unit is ideal for a propagation set up or keeping a mother plant. Ecolights or Envirolights are high output compact fluorescents(CFL) lamps, self ballasted, so just plug in and switch on- they are best used with a timer, but no Powerstar contactor or contactor relay is needed(as is needed with a High Pressure Sodium HPS set up). This is due to them being low wattage, but we always suggest using a better quality Grasslin Timer in any Lighting or Hydroponic situation where a contactor is not being used.

CFL’s are now better quality than they were a few years back when they were new horticultural technology, but Plant and Propagation lighting has moved onwards and upwards.

Take care not to touch the lamp when screwing it into your CFL lamp hanger, Euro reflector or CFL Pro Reflector. This applies to any type of Horticultural lamp and most especially High Pressure Sodium lamps eg Son T Plus, Grolux, Sunmaster Dual Spectrum or the new Super High Output Sunmaster lamps. Oils on your hands- even after washing them- will shorten the life of any lamp. Use a totally clean soft cloth(preferably lint free).

T5 4 tube and 8 tube reflectors and tubes are newly ready for sale and are made by Maxigrow and were only released for sale in 2010 after years of intensive and rigorous field testing and we think they are brilliant- especially where a larger nursery is needed, because they cover a larger area evenly, whereas an Ecolight is great for smaller numbers but will always produce uneven sized baby plants if you are propagating in larger numbers.

The T5 lamp is a far more efficient form of lighting for propagating than any other (we think)and it is better in running costs. They are available in Blue Daylight or Red Flowering lamps, in 4ft and 2ft. Probably , the only drawback we have found is the fragility of the T5 tubes which are less than an inch in diameter and are quite breakable until in situ. An excellent piece of useful equipment once up and running.