Phwoar, this is so so good, feel like I just completed a university course in grow lights. So much of the language and specifications around lights are competely impenetrable to a beginner, but not if they've seen this. Thanks for such a brilliant video Shaun!
@@ChilliChump thanks for the prompt reply. Any chance you could do a video on grow tents and the challenges etc. Unless you have already done this of course. Apologies. New to your channel but really enjoying it.
This was the perfect information I was searching for, thank you! I was just given my first chili plant a few days ago, which I'm guessing is about 1-2 months old, and the Target LUX graph was exactly what I needed and couldn't find anywhere else. It was already stressed when I got it, and I was giving my poor plant twice as much light as it needed.
I grow orchids and some off them from seeds. it is astonishing how I came to learn and understand some paramethers and topics that are, in a way, common to different groups of plants. Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed this episode and learnt something new! If you don't have a LUX meter ( geni.us/unitlux ) or PAR meter ( geni.us/mq500 ) Examples of lights I would recommend: 🚦LED Viparspectra XS1000: geni.us/xs1000 Spiderfarmer sf1000: geni.us/spiderfarmersf1000 Marshydro TS3000: geni.us/mh_ts_lights (Massive coverage) 💡Flourescent 2ft x 4 bulb: geni.us/t5maxibright Cheap CFL 24w: geni.us/cfl_24w Higher output CFL: geni.us/t5_105w
I have always heard that plants need UV light. But that doesn't appear to be what you're saying here. I'm told my apartment's windows have a special UV-blocking coating on them. Would that stop my peppers from growing well (all other things being equal)? Thanks!
They do use some UV....but more about the overall light intensity that UV provides. Most modern windows have a coating on that will restrict the overall light intensity for the plants quite a bit
I’ve been struggling for months to understand how PAR and Lux and Lumens relate, as well as which parts of the spectrum are best for plants. This was an excellent & very easily understandable video. Can’t thank u enough!
Thanks for the great channel💕 Calgary Alberta 🇨🇦zone 3… today I am starting jalapeño, Hungarian hot, cow horn, Marconi, purple beauty, early cal wonder, long cayenne, Anaheim, poblano, lemon drop, Greek golden, sun bright, and red hot cherry 💕
FANTASTIC video, I can tell I"m going to have a binge watch day soon. Thank you so much for giving us some guidelines using a lux meter, I just ordered one from your link. Last year was a disaster, I ruined my peppers by giving them too much light having switched to led's from cfl's. As you said they didn't look that bright but I ran them 24x7 thinking more light would simply be better. It was never an issue with my CFL's but I guess these viparspectra lights are way more powerful. Mine thankfully have a dimmer like the ones you showed.
Fantastic video! I'm glad to finally have a video where I can point folks who are asking about lights. Normally I would direct them to the Migro channel, but that always made me uncomfortable because they sell their lights and I don't want to feel like I'm pushing their product. They've got some really good info on lights, and some really fantastic experiments which I personally find interesting but I can't think of any videos they put together which are quite as concise as this one. I'm totally loving the new series, and can't wait for the next episode!
Thanks Paul. I will do separate going into a bit more information when I have a break later in the season. This one is aimed at the beginners guide, but hopefully has a good basis for growers starting out with growlights.
I started my chillis early Jan and used a low wattage growlux aquarium light for a while. Seemed to do them good but they are just on the windowsill now as light time increases every day. Best to not over think it. If they look ok,they are ok. : }
Love your content. I'm just now getting into growing chilies in a serious fashion. I live in central MN, USA so I really need to get a start on the growing season. I have the lights and am ready to roll! I really appreciate the facts up front and then we chose to keep watching - very upright approach! I did watch the whole thing though and will rewatch it several times.
Very useful video. Yup, had my lights way too close last year, especially in the seedling stage. I did try to let the plants talk to me but I just figured the more light the better. Thanks Shaun! The graphs are awesome as a quick check 👌 BTW, still can't get over how beautiful your new property is, that's the dream for sure.
Hey CC! Great video and have watched many of them once over. My seedlings seems to be getting to much light. Is 3500 Lux enough? Their first set of true leaves seem very small compared to if I grew hydroponically with stronger light. Upon sprouting it was about 10K Lux but due to the size scaled it back. Wondering if you think this could resolve the issue of size of the leaves! Thanks!
Very informative and timely video Shaun! With such diversity specific to grow lights it is nice to have a current video reference that explains the technical side of lighting so simply. Here I have been known to resort to a timer to set to operate the plant lighting. I noticed a concern for too much light "power" for lighting that does not come with a dimmer switch. Would you think that a simple inline rheostat could also offer a dimmable operation for individuals with some degree of electrical skill? Or access to a proper electrician? I believe you will bring a sigh of relief to many growers with this video. Stay Spicy! -Bob...
Can you do a video series comparing similar strains? I think a lot of us beginners have trouble choosing strains, especially because we don't know if the difference between strains is big enough to justify growing multiple ones. A direct side by side comparison of for example thunder mountain longhorn vs bangladore whippets tail vs joe's long cayenne would be very helpful. Other examples would be: -aji baccatums: amarillo, cristal, pineapple, etc -turbo pube vs manzano vs other rocotos -aji charapita vs some other tiny chillies (i think a lot of them are supposed to be bigger but fill the same purpose as the charapita) -habanero vs bahamian goat vs scotch bonnet I know it would take a lot of work but until now nobody I know of has done this type of content and I am sure it would be much appreciated
Is there a simple way to estimate how much light (mmol) comes through a south facing window? I'm in NL and we have similar weather to the UK, so very drab/gray weather in the early months, but still occasional very sunny days. Wondering how much light I need to add to give my plants enough light.
Nice video, i'd add that you can also manipulate the bloom cycle of photoperiod plants by giving them far red light. Adding far red light can enable you to bloom a plant that requires 12/12 light/dark ratio in a 14/10 light/dark ratio instead, giving additional valuable hours each day of photosynthesis. Hitting your plants with burst periods of UV light (don't have it on while you're in the grow room) throughout the light portion of their light/dark cycle will also prompt your plants to bolster its intrinsic defenses, and to protect themselves via whatever sunblocking mechanism they have; For aromatic plants this translates to increased trichome production, which is often very desirable. You can further amplify the benefits of these two light additions by foliar spraying with EM1, as there are microbes within that increase photosynthetic efficiency.
@Account Name this is true, apologies. The general info is applicable to all plants, but my specific recommendations for light duration and intensity is focussed on chillies. Many plants wouldn't do well with lights on for as long as my recommendations in the graphs. Your info is certainly good info for plants that are photoperiodic.
Having problems … using LEDs … T8 6500k vs T5 6500k. LUX readings around 15xxx-20xxx some early leaves looking like they’re getting sunburnt. The Lumen specifications are quite different with the T8s throwing out quite a bit more. Don’t think they allow a dimmer but may try. Should I cut time down from the 16hours?
Hey Shaun, Is it a problem when the propagator is covered by its lid when you start the chillies and the artificial light is hangig above the lid so outside the porpagator. I am wondering if the plastic lid blocks any light? It is not 100% transparent but a little 'milky'. I can remove the lid but then the moisture will not be as high. What's more important: high quality light or high quality moisture? Thanks for always answering us 🙏
It won't be much of a concern because even if the lid is blocking some of the light, when the plant is still so young, it doesn't need as much light. The lid will actually help disperse the light so you don't overdo it.
Just got the Apogee light meter... money well spent. My cheapo meters were WAY off and I was getting leaf curl and edema. Wish I had got the Apogee meter to begin with!
My South facing window causes my grow light lux level set at 8500 to jump up to 22,000 on sunny days, should the light be turned off when it gets this high?
Great way of explaining the theory about it! Do you have experience with different cheaper types of grow light? Are they trustworthy about their spectrum?
I have quite a few cheaper LEDs, often they overstate their spectrum and/or intensity. I will do a video going through all my lights and show the actual power draw and micromole/PAR and LUX output.
My growlights date from a few years ago when we had a very hard freeze that lasted a few days. Thick Mars Hydro grow lights that have LEDs in blue, red, and green. The only issue I had is when all are switched everything turns purple.
Can you give some numbers on the lights you have hanging there? Like height above the plants and dimmer setting for (for example) the viparspectra lights to get an idea of which setting you currently use to get to a specific lux/par value?
I was struggling with lighting issues using a simple LUX Meter. I posted something on a Facebook group about it. Someone recommended the Photone App for measuring PPFD and DLI to set my lights properly. Would you be willing to do a short video comparing this app with a proper PPFD Meter or even a response with how accurate it is compared to one of your meters?
@ChilliChump Right. This is why I am curious about how accurate it is. Is it responsible enough that I can rely on that more than a simple LUX Meter cause a quality PAR Meter is out of my budget and the LUX Meters seem to vary as well.
@@VeggieBeard if you get a quality daylight spectrum light source, then the graph I show on the screen in this video will be relevant (for lux). If you are using a purple light or something else that is strange...then it will be more challenging to get a real output. With regarding to the app Vs a lux meter...I am not sure. I would say if you use android, then stick to a lux meter (too many hardware variables between the different devices).
My understanding is all the apps are bunk to measure light. I follow Dr Bugsby and hes a phd and has excellent videos on lights from his studies, albeit geared on cannabis..just think tomatoes ;)
Oh you can maximize ppfd with added co2 to handle more light. Can add mushrooms to the mix but i dont think its worth the extra money for minimal extra bounty for myself.
Hi Shuan, i have plants growing in direct sunlight and others growing in the shaded part of the garden (no direct sunlight at all but plenty of indirect daylight, Lum around 7k i think). I've observed that the plants in the shade are growing faster and the leaves look healthier. Not sure what to make of it, do you have any similar experiences? Fyi most my varieties are c.chinense
If they are younger plants that would make sense. Direct sunlight can be too strong for them. Also would depend on your location and just how much direct sunlight you get in a day and the angle it's coming in at
@@ChilliChump I'm in Lebanon weather is approx 30 C, the shaded plants are getting no direct sunlight. Maybe the ones in the sun are getting too much light and too hot? they're in the final pot but still on the smaller size.
Shaun, greetings from Siberia) The video turned out to be very interesting. Will the issue of humidity and air circulation be discussed? Do you use CO2 in your greenhouse?
Thanks for another great video. Unfortunately I’m taped out of money this year for any investments. We will see next year. Keep it spicy. Marc Montreal
Great video, thanks Shaun. I have purchased a fairly powerful grow light to start my plants this year (600W compared to around 100W last year) and have been struggling to find the best information on light intensity. My plants look pretty healthy but the leaves are very twisted, and I suspect that too much light may be the cause. I have the light on 14 hours per day, so going by your graphs, plants need about 7000 lux - adjusting my light to meet this has reduced the PPFD reading to around 200 umol, does this seem normal?
@@ChilliChump just an app on my phone so I totally acknowledge that it's not going to give the most accurate value! However I got some confidence from the readings matching the outputs provided by the manufacturer. Either way, do you think I should just go on the lux values?
If it is a full spectrum LED growlight, similar to the ones I'm using, then yeah...go with the LUX rating. Like I show in the video, the spectrum that your phone can actually measure is limited to a small slice of the visible spectrum. So will give odd readings with full spectrum grow lights. Sometimes you may get lucky with the reading....but it won't be consistent or reliable.
Hi Dave, this would depend on how long you have your lights on. Have a look at the graph I put up on the screen during the video. For example, for 16 hours a day, I would aim for around 280 μmol/6450 LUX (if you are using a modern, full spectrum growlight)
@@ChilliChump Thanks for the quick reply, I just wasn't too sure at how many leaf sets to jump from the seedling column to the vegetative growth column(1-3 month), I see you are quoting values from the Vegetative growth column so thanks for the clarification. I am only using a phone app that measures PPFD & LUX. Oddly the app correlates pretty closely to Published data on my VIPARSPECTA grow light.
Amazing video for begginers, I deffinetely need to get a lamp for my plants. Grow mine indors on the window but since im in the north the season of good light is verry short. Maby annybody has anny good recomendations for reasonably priced lamps for plants ? ( one detail - has to be a stand or a clip on :) It's easy to get lost in amazon and hard to know wich ones are good.
Glad you enjoyed it! Have a look in the description of the video, I have some lighting recommendations there, all at different price points. If that doesn't help, let me know.
@@ChilliChump Thank you for your reply, the lamps in your description are great unfortunately it's nt possible for to do hanging lights, so i'm looking for standing or clip ons, becouse I do not have much space in the apartment Would you recomend just red and blue or full specrum ones.
No....plants respond more towards the blue end of the spectrum for the vegetative growth of the plant. The red end of the spectrum is more useful for flowering and fruiting
@@slicktmi full spectrum would be best...but yes, the 2700k would be used quite a bit at this stage. You still need to blue end to help with keeping it healthy
@@ChilliChump ok i was just aiming for optimal growth and development of the fruit as i usually just keep the 5k bulb on it never really change to more red spectrum thought maybe it would speed up the growth of the fruit it's a Persian lime btw
Oops! So 50,000 lux is a bit too much for my seedlings then 😅 I'm using an SAD light box that produces 10,000 lux at a distance of 20cm, but currently holding it about 4cm away.
yes, incandescent or even LED shop lights do not put out anywhere near the required light intensity. when i was still mucking about doing it the diy way, wasted a lot of effort/time/money producing weak leggy seedlings, and looking for other reasons why they didnt do well. after finally buying proper grow lights, have no such problems. a head start on growing all veggies as seedlings, translates to most efficient use of limited space, so if you time it right, you can harvest earlier crops and go directly to new seedlings into ground, at right time of year. starting seeds outside, apart from few veggies that need it, is a poor success rate pathway.
cost benefit on 1 jar sauce to you grow set up please green house lights soil fertilizer fail yields. i understand its a hobbie but iv wasted more $ growing then buying powder or sauce
Sorry my comment isnt fitting well to this video. But anyway, if you start a new fermentation put a drop of a former fermentation into it and look how fast it will start to work.
Metal Halide will give you good results for the start of the season. I used to use one 15 or so years ago. Fantastic light output. But just too expensive to run these days unfortunately. If electricity cost wasn't a concern, it would be my light of choice. HPS is great for later on for flowering and fruiting, if you are growing fully indoors.
@@ChilliChump my chillies responded surprisingly well to the excessive heat from hps/mh and the ballasts, where the other plants shriveled up without maximum ventilation. Tbh i have been reluctant to turn them on again this year the electricity cost is really going trough the roof I salvaged lots of commercial LED fixtures and drivers from the bin at work, but not sure about the par output and the datasheet is stingy with information
cheers bud im enjoying the content and its so funny but everything you talk about is basically how us cannabis growers deal with light and we deal with meters as well there is a Led producer @Migro he is here on youtube and he has done a lot of testing and you do not need to buy an expensive par meter there is an app "Photone" its fantastic and very accurate there is an $8 fee to unlock to accurately gauge Par
Phwoar, this is so so good, feel like I just completed a university course in grow lights. So much of the language and specifications around lights are competely impenetrable to a beginner, but not if they've seen this.
Thanks for such a brilliant video Shaun!
Thank you mate. It's can be tough to strike a balance between going too technical and not technical enough!
@@ChilliChump So information dense in just 12 minutes, but also really easy to understand!
What's your thoughts on grow tents etc for chilli plants?
I have used grow tents quite a bit. You will see them in some of my older videos. Work great....does present a couple challenges too though.
@@ChilliChump thanks for the prompt reply. Any chance you could do a video on grow tents and the challenges etc. Unless you have already done this of course. Apologies. New to your channel but really enjoying it.
Awesome video mate. Full of relevant info by and very well explained loved the bucket analogy
Thanks Tony. I love a good analaogy 😁
This was the perfect information I was searching for, thank you! I was just given my first chili plant a few days ago, which I'm guessing is about 1-2 months old, and the Target LUX graph was exactly what I needed and couldn't find anywhere else. It was already stressed when I got it, and I was giving my poor plant twice as much light as it needed.
I'm glad you found it useful Justin! Have a great growing season
Thank you for the great insights. Keep up the good work, and thank you for educating us all the time!
I grow orchids and some off them from seeds. it is astonishing how I came to learn and understand some paramethers and topics that are, in a way, common to different groups of plants. Thank you!
some of the advice in this video has already made a big difference to my plants.
I'm glad it helped mate!
I hope you enjoyed this episode and learnt something new!
If you don't have a LUX meter ( geni.us/unitlux ) or PAR meter ( geni.us/mq500 )
Examples of lights I would recommend:
🚦LED
Viparspectra XS1000: geni.us/xs1000
Spiderfarmer sf1000: geni.us/spiderfarmersf1000
Marshydro TS3000: geni.us/mh_ts_lights (Massive coverage)
💡Flourescent
2ft x 4 bulb: geni.us/t5maxibright
Cheap CFL 24w: geni.us/cfl_24w
Higher output CFL: geni.us/t5_105w
I have always heard that plants need UV light. But that doesn't appear to be what you're saying here. I'm told my apartment's windows have a special UV-blocking coating on them. Would that stop my peppers from growing well (all other things being equal)? Thanks!
They do use some UV....but more about the overall light intensity that UV provides. Most modern windows have a coating on that will restrict the overall light intensity for the plants quite a bit
@@ChilliChump That's really interesting! U didn't know that! Thanks, man.
Links are dead
@@rafael.s Should be working again (it was including the bracket for some reason)
Oh wow, that was a great video. Will be back for the article link to get a closer look at the charts for sure!
I’ve been struggling for months to understand how PAR and Lux and Lumens relate, as well as which parts of the spectrum are best for plants. This was an excellent & very easily understandable video. Can’t thank u enough!
It's my pleasure. I'm glad you found it useful!
The best thing said about a growing lights 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Fantastic video. Just filled with good information, and I love the details and editing.
Thank you sir!
I loved all the Science behind your light requirements for plants. Thanks for sharing!
Lots of number in the video 😃. Will check what lux reading I get from my lights. Very useful video!
Great video. one of the best on indoor lighting for plants.
Thank you chillichump. An amazing level of knowledge conveyed very well. It also helps me identify where I have been making mistakes.
Stay Spicy.
My pleasure, I hope it helps you out!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge! The video was very enlightening. Greetings from Germany
Guten Tag! My pleasure!
Thanks for the great channel💕 Calgary Alberta 🇨🇦zone 3… today I am starting jalapeño, Hungarian hot, cow horn, Marconi, purple beauty, early cal wonder, long cayenne, Anaheim, poblano, lemon drop, Greek golden, sun bright, and red hot cherry 💕
Thanks for watching. And good luck with your season!
Another very good and very helpful video!
FANTASTIC video, I can tell I"m going to have a binge watch day soon. Thank you so much for giving us some guidelines using a lux meter, I just ordered one from your link. Last year was a disaster, I ruined my peppers by giving them too much light having switched to led's from cfl's. As you said they didn't look that bright but I ran them 24x7 thinking more light would simply be better. It was never an issue with my CFL's but I guess these viparspectra lights are way more powerful. Mine thankfully have a dimmer like the ones you showed.
Fantastic video! I'm glad to finally have a video where I can point folks who are asking about lights. Normally I would direct them to the Migro channel, but that always made me uncomfortable because they sell their lights and I don't want to feel like I'm pushing their product. They've got some really good info on lights, and some really fantastic experiments which I personally find interesting but I can't think of any videos they put together which are quite as concise as this one.
I'm totally loving the new series, and can't wait for the next episode!
Thanks Paul. I will do separate going into a bit more information when I have a break later in the season. This one is aimed at the beginners guide, but hopefully has a good basis for growers starting out with growlights.
I started my chillis early Jan and used a low wattage growlux aquarium light for a while. Seemed to do them good but they are just on the windowsill now as light time increases every day. Best to not over think it. If they look ok,they are ok. : }
I am glad you covered efficiency. Energy prices are getting to hard to bear at the moment so small changes make a big difference!
finally ordered my 1st lux light meter... in your description
Thanks Gazelle. It's a decent meter. I still use it for quick checks.
Great video- I have 40 plants under t5 lights in my hotpress- about 24c. Plants are really flying!!
Love your content. I'm just now getting into growing chilies in a serious fashion. I live in central MN, USA so I really need to get a start on the growing season. I have the lights and am ready to roll! I really appreciate the facts up front and then we chose to keep watching - very upright approach! I did watch the whole thing though and will rewatch it several times.
My pleasure Paul...and good luck with your season!
I've been looking forward to this video for some time, phenomenal as usual Shaun! Stay spicy.
Thank you sir
Just what I needed as I have quite a few under lights at the moment. By the time we got to the end I was expecting homework or a test :)
That's next week 😉
Im ready for the next ep CC!
Very useful video. Yup, had my lights way too close last year, especially in the seedling stage. I did try to let the plants talk to me but I just figured the more light the better. Thanks Shaun!
The graphs are awesome as a quick check 👌 BTW, still can't get over how beautiful your new property is, that's the dream for sure.
Hey CC! Great video and have watched many of them once over. My seedlings seems to be getting to much light. Is 3500 Lux enough? Their first set of true leaves seem very small compared to if I grew hydroponically with stronger light. Upon sprouting it was about 10K Lux but due to the size scaled it back. Wondering if you think this could resolve the issue of size of the leaves! Thanks!
Hi. Thanks for the content. What temperature do you set for your greenhouse in March? Do you go by soil temperature or air temperature? Thanks
Wow..
Info rich
🥰😎
Very informative and timely video Shaun! With such diversity specific to grow lights it is nice to have a current video reference that explains the technical side of lighting so simply. Here I have been known to resort to a timer to set to operate the plant lighting. I noticed a concern for too much light "power" for lighting that does not come with a dimmer switch. Would you think that a simple inline rheostat could also offer a dimmable operation for individuals with some degree of electrical skill? Or access to a proper electrician? I believe you will bring a sigh of relief to many growers with this video. Stay Spicy! -Bob...
I would be cautious using a rheostat... I will do some testing though and see what I can come up with!
Great video, thanks. You can also rent a par meter too, there's a place that does them for £50 for a week.
That's worth it to get your grow space set up
Can you do a video series comparing similar strains? I think a lot of us beginners have trouble choosing strains, especially because we don't know if the difference between strains is big enough to justify growing multiple ones.
A direct side by side comparison of for example thunder mountain longhorn vs bangladore whippets tail vs joe's long cayenne would be very helpful.
Other examples would be:
-aji baccatums: amarillo, cristal, pineapple, etc
-turbo pube vs manzano vs other rocotos
-aji charapita vs some other tiny chillies (i think a lot of them are supposed to be bigger but fill the same purpose as the charapita)
-habanero vs bahamian goat vs scotch bonnet
I know it would take a lot of work but until now nobody I know of has done this type of content and I am sure it would be much appreciated
That's one of the reasons I developed SeedsIO.com to be able to do these experiments easily.
Great video, thanks!
Is there a simple way to estimate how much light (mmol) comes through a south facing window? I'm in NL and we have similar weather to the UK, so very drab/gray weather in the early months, but still occasional very sunny days. Wondering how much light I need to add to give my plants enough light.
Hey CC, this series has been very helpful. I have a question though, do you need a tent to grow chillies with a grow light?
Glad you like it! And no, you don't need a tent. You can see I'm growing in a shed.
5:20 I expected the Futurama theme to kick in 😅
Nice video, i'd add that you can also manipulate the bloom cycle of photoperiod plants by giving them far red light. Adding far red light can enable you to bloom a plant that requires 12/12 light/dark ratio in a 14/10 light/dark ratio instead, giving additional valuable hours each day of photosynthesis.
Hitting your plants with burst periods of UV light (don't have it on while you're in the grow room) throughout the light portion of their light/dark cycle will also prompt your plants to bolster its intrinsic defenses, and to protect themselves via whatever sunblocking mechanism they have; For aromatic plants this translates to increased trichome production, which is often very desirable.
You can further amplify the benefits of these two light additions by foliar spraying with EM1, as there are microbes within that increase photosynthetic efficiency.
Chilli pepper plants aren't photoperiodic, so it has no real affect of them.
@@ChilliChump Your title is "for plants" not "for chilli plants"
@Account Name this is true, apologies. The general info is applicable to all plants, but my specific recommendations for light duration and intensity is focussed on chillies. Many plants wouldn't do well with lights on for as long as my recommendations in the graphs. Your info is certainly good info for plants that are photoperiodic.
Love the video
Great video, when do you typically start to sow your seeds?
Last year I started the majority of my seeds in late Jan
Having problems … using LEDs … T8 6500k vs T5 6500k. LUX readings around 15xxx-20xxx some early leaves looking like they’re getting sunburnt. The Lumen specifications are quite different with the T8s throwing out quite a bit more. Don’t think they allow a dimmer but may try. Should I cut time down from the 16hours?
That's way too high. Did you see the graph I showed in the video? You need to get the lights raised higher...or dimmed.
@@ChilliChumpyea … I screwed up by not seeing the x10 on the meter. Gonna have to find different lighting but thankfully seedlings surviving.
Thank you 🌶️
Hey Shaun,
Is it a problem when the propagator is covered by its lid when you start the chillies and the artificial light is hangig above the lid so outside the porpagator. I am wondering if the plastic lid blocks any light? It is not 100% transparent but a little 'milky'.
I can remove the lid but then the moisture will not be as high. What's more important: high quality light or high quality moisture?
Thanks for always answering us 🙏
It won't be much of a concern because even if the lid is blocking some of the light, when the plant is still so young, it doesn't need as much light. The lid will actually help disperse the light so you don't overdo it.
Just got the Apogee light meter... money well spent. My cheapo meters were WAY off and I was getting leaf curl and edema. Wish I had got the Apogee meter to begin with!
My South facing window causes my grow light lux level set at 8500 to jump up to 22,000 on sunny days, should the light be turned off when it gets this high?
Try setting the timer for your lights to only cover off the early and late part of the day. Will save electricity and your plants should respond well
Great way of explaining the theory about it!
Do you have experience with different cheaper types of grow light? Are they trustworthy about their spectrum?
I have quite a few cheaper LEDs, often they overstate their spectrum and/or intensity. I will do a video going through all my lights and show the actual power draw and micromole/PAR and LUX output.
@@ChilliChump That's awesome :D Thank you Shaun
My growlights date from a few years ago when we had a very hard freeze that lasted a few days. Thick Mars Hydro grow lights that have LEDs in blue, red, and green. The only issue I had is when all are switched everything turns purple.
Can you give some numbers on the lights you have hanging there? Like height above the plants and dimmer setting for (for example) the viparspectra lights to get an idea of which setting you currently use to get to a specific lux/par value?
I will be doing a video showing those values for all my lights soon
@@ChilliChump Great, I will be looking forward to that.
I was struggling with lighting issues using a simple LUX Meter. I posted something on a Facebook group about it. Someone recommended the Photone App for measuring PPFD and DLI to set my lights properly. Would you be willing to do a short video comparing this app with a proper PPFD Meter or even a response with how accurate it is compared to one of your meters?
I will see what I can do. The problem with those apps is depending on the light source/Kelvin rating, it can really skew the results.
@ChilliChump Right. This is why I am curious about how accurate it is. Is it responsible enough that I can rely on that more than a simple LUX Meter cause a quality PAR Meter is out of my budget and the LUX Meters seem to vary as well.
@@VeggieBeard if you get a quality daylight spectrum light source, then the graph I show on the screen in this video will be relevant (for lux). If you are using a purple light or something else that is strange...then it will be more challenging to get a real output. With regarding to the app Vs a lux meter...I am not sure. I would say if you use android, then stick to a lux meter (too many hardware variables between the different devices).
My understanding is all the apps are bunk to measure light. I follow Dr Bugsby and hes a phd and has excellent videos on lights from his studies, albeit geared on cannabis..just think tomatoes ;)
Oh you can maximize ppfd with added co2 to handle more light. Can add mushrooms to the mix but i dont think its worth the extra money for minimal extra bounty for myself.
Hi Shuan, i have plants growing in direct sunlight and others growing in the shaded part of the garden (no direct sunlight at all but plenty of indirect daylight, Lum around 7k i think). I've observed that the plants in the shade are growing faster and the leaves look healthier.
Not sure what to make of it, do you have any similar experiences?
Fyi most my varieties are c.chinense
If they are younger plants that would make sense. Direct sunlight can be too strong for them. Also would depend on your location and just how much direct sunlight you get in a day and the angle it's coming in at
@@ChilliChump I'm in Lebanon weather is approx 30 C, the shaded plants are getting no direct sunlight. Maybe the ones in the sun are getting too much light and too hot? they're in the final pot but still on the smaller size.
@davidfleb yeah...they are likely overheating and getting too much light. Growers closer to the equator will be using partial shading from nets
@@ChilliChump thanks Shaun much appreciated 👍
How much reflective surfaces help with energy consumption and growth?
It helps a bit, but not as much as some people like to think.
Wow! what variety is the one that looks like a cat!? (0:50 :-) ) Love the videos.
Thank you! Gotta pay the cat tax 🙂
Shaun, greetings from Siberia) The video turned out to be very interesting. Will the issue of humidity and air circulation be discussed? Do you use CO2 in your greenhouse?
Yes, these aspects will be discussed. And no, I don't use extra co2 in my greenhouses. With the testing I did, there was no real benefit to it
Thanks for another great video. Unfortunately I’m taped out of money this year for any investments. We will see next year. Keep it spicy. Marc Montreal
Great video, thanks Shaun. I have purchased a fairly powerful grow light to start my plants this year (600W compared to around 100W last year) and have been struggling to find the best information on light intensity. My plants look pretty healthy but the leaves are very twisted, and I suspect that too much light may be the cause. I have the light on 14 hours per day, so going by your graphs, plants need about 7000 lux - adjusting my light to meet this has reduced the PPFD reading to around 200 umol, does this seem normal?
Do you have a proper quantum PAR meter, or are you using an app on your phone?
@@ChilliChump just an app on my phone so I totally acknowledge that it's not going to give the most accurate value! However I got some confidence from the readings matching the outputs provided by the manufacturer. Either way, do you think I should just go on the lux values?
If it is a full spectrum LED growlight, similar to the ones I'm using, then yeah...go with the LUX rating. Like I show in the video, the spectrum that your phone can actually measure is limited to a small slice of the visible spectrum. So will give odd readings with full spectrum grow lights. Sometimes you may get lucky with the reading....but it won't be consistent or reliable.
@@ChilliChump perfect, thanks for the help and advice! I've already turned my lights down by 25%, intrigued to see the difference it makes!
I have 600w lights and I would use them around 15-20% until they have around 4 nodes
Hi, once my plants have 2 sets of real leaves what Lux or PPFD should i set my lights at?
Hi Dave, this would depend on how long you have your lights on. Have a look at the graph I put up on the screen during the video. For example, for 16 hours a day, I would aim for around 280 μmol/6450 LUX (if you are using a modern, full spectrum growlight)
@@ChilliChump Thanks for the quick reply, I just wasn't too sure at how many leaf sets to jump from the seedling column to the vegetative growth column(1-3 month), I see you are quoting values from the Vegetative growth column so thanks for the clarification. I am only using a phone app that measures PPFD & LUX. Oddly the app correlates pretty closely to Published data on my VIPARSPECTA grow light.
Amazing video for begginers, I deffinetely need to get a lamp for my plants. Grow mine indors on the window but since im in the north the season of good light is verry short. Maby annybody has anny good recomendations for reasonably priced lamps for plants ? ( one detail - has to be a stand or a clip on :) It's easy to get lost in amazon and hard to know wich ones are good.
Glad you enjoyed it! Have a look in the description of the video, I have some lighting recommendations there, all at different price points. If that doesn't help, let me know.
@@ChilliChump Thank you for your reply, the lamps in your description are great unfortunately it's nt possible for to do hanging lights, so i'm looking for standing or clip ons, becouse I do not have much space in the apartment Would you recomend just red and blue or full specrum ones.
full spectrum would be a better option. Are you in the UK?
@@ChilliChump Once again thanks for the reply. No i'm in Lithuania, also a cold and dark country for growing sun needy plants :)
This is a good option, if you can find it in Lithuania amzn.to/3ZbMRph
Smartphones can be used as lux meters. Many apps available for that
FYI, fluorescent tubes is banned in UK now and Europe too I think
So does this mean a 2700 Kelvin bulb would produce more growth than a 5000 since its more in the red spectrum?
No....plants respond more towards the blue end of the spectrum for the vegetative growth of the plant. The red end of the spectrum is more useful for flowering and fruiting
@ChilliChump so if my plant is currently fruiting should i put a 2700k bulb will that be better than a 5000k that i currently have on it?
@@slicktmi full spectrum would be best...but yes, the 2700k would be used quite a bit at this stage. You still need to blue end to help with keeping it healthy
@@ChilliChump ok i was just aiming for optimal growth and development of the fruit as i usually just keep the 5k bulb on it never really change to more red spectrum thought maybe it would speed up the growth of the fruit it's a Persian lime btw
Thank you for the quick and informative responses i really appreciate it!
Oops! So 50,000 lux is a bit too much for my seedlings then 😅 I'm using an SAD light box that produces 10,000 lux at a distance of 20cm, but currently holding it about 4cm away.
yes, incandescent or even LED shop lights do not put out anywhere near the required light intensity. when i was still mucking about doing it the diy way, wasted a lot of effort/time/money producing weak leggy seedlings, and looking for other reasons why they didnt do well. after finally buying proper grow lights, have no such problems. a head start on growing all veggies as seedlings, translates to most efficient use of limited space, so if you time it right, you can harvest earlier crops and go directly to new seedlings into ground, at right time of year. starting seeds outside, apart from few veggies that need it, is a poor success rate pathway.
The first thing I did after your last live stream was hang my lights higher. They are terrible and (apparently) way to bright.
Hope that you have had an improvement in your plants since the change!
cost benefit on 1 jar sauce to you grow set up please
green house lights soil fertilizer fail yields. i understand its a hobbie but iv wasted more $ growing then buying powder or sauce
This isn't just a hobby for me. Sauces etc are my business.
Sorry my comment isnt fitting well to this video. But anyway, if you start a new fermentation put a drop of a former fermentation into it and look how fast it will start to work.
This is the most random comment I've ever seen...
LEDs are for chumps, my HPS doubles as a space heater
Metal Halide will give you good results for the start of the season. I used to use one 15 or so years ago. Fantastic light output. But just too expensive to run these days unfortunately. If electricity cost wasn't a concern, it would be my light of choice. HPS is great for later on for flowering and fruiting, if you are growing fully indoors.
@@ChilliChump my chillies responded surprisingly well to the excessive heat from hps/mh and the ballasts, where the other plants shriveled up without maximum ventilation.
Tbh i have been reluctant to turn them on again this year the electricity cost is really going trough the roof
I salvaged lots of commercial LED fixtures and drivers from the bin at work, but not sure about the par output and the datasheet is stingy with information
Thanks but you complicate things to much.
This is an in depth guide...it's meant to have a lot of detail, to help people that want that info.
first 😎
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cheers bud im enjoying the content and its so funny but everything you talk about is basically how us cannabis growers deal with light and we deal with meters as well there is a Led producer @Migro he is here on youtube and he has done a lot of testing and you do not need to buy an expensive par meter there is an app "Photone" its fantastic and very accurate there is an $8 fee to unlock to accurately gauge Par