Question
Hi,
I have a lighting question. Do these LED lights from China work? The prices are low,and they claim the plant only needs the Red and Blue spectrum.
I've been useing the walmart brand of the full spectrum, useing two 60 watt equivalent bulbs. Those 100 watts get to hot.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-Spectrum-Dimmable-300W-IR-LED-Grow-Light-Panel-For-

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60-500LED-Grow-Light-Bulb-RED-BLUE-Flower-Veg-Plant-Hydr

Answer
Hi Steven,

The LED lights work.  They can be very different from unit to unit, so if you get one you just have to experiment at first to see what kind of results you are getting and adjust the distance from the plants.  LED's can be so bright, yet they give off little heat, your plants can be getting much more light than it seems.  They use mostly red and blue diodes since that is where chlorophyll absorbs the most energy.

Having said that, LED's are still in their infancy with CP growers.  We use them in our Nepenthes greenhouse, but we've had to make adjustments, and they can be a little tricky.  As you're finding too, there are so many different units out there, that it boggles the mind.

On the other hand, white light sources, while not as energy efficient, are a know commodity. I wasn't sure what kind of bulbs you had from Walmart, but with traditional lights you only want to use fluorescent or Compact Fluorescent lights.  All standard incandescent bulbs are inappropriate even if they are called "grow lights".  Sylvania "Spot Grow" is an example of this.  Don't use those.  A couple good all around options for a small plant collection would be a 48" T-5 (two-tube) fixture, or a standard T-8 or T-12 shoplight type fixture.  Use the "Daylight" (6500K) tubes.  The T-5's are more expensive, but are much brighter.  One 48" fixture gives you enough spaces for about two standard nursery flats of plants.  Combining a light with a window can give very good results.  We talk about lighting in more detail in our volume #2 DVD.  http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com/Grow-Carnivorous-Plants-DVD-2-p/01112.htm

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com