Re: Halide lamps

Don (dngess01@vlsi.ct.louisville.edu)
Mon, 7 Jun 93 19:25:22 -0400

> Does anyone have any information on using/buying
> metal halide lamps as grow lights for CP? I'm planning
> a growth chamber for lowland Nepenthes and am thinking
> that these type of lamps might be the best solution.
> However there are a couple of issues to be resolved:

Two places for buying mail order HID lights are:
Light Mfg. Co: call 1-800-669-5483 for a catalog.
New Earth: call 1-800-462-5953 for a catalog.
Prices: $200 for 1000 watt system (with bulb), $125 for 175 watt.
1000 watts is enough for an area 10' x 10', 175 watts is
enough for an area 4' x 4'.
BS in the New Earth catalog says to replace bulbs every 3 to 6 months.
This is way too often. They should last a year. The bulbs cost $80
for 1000 watt, $45 for 175 watt.
You can probably find someplace local that sells these fixtures - try a
large lighting supplies store.

Just germinating: about 5 seedlings of D. graminifolia from Allen Lowrie's
seeds. More D. sp. 'Auyan Tepui' are germinating too.
I only have 2 plants left out of the dozen or so D. hilaris. This past
weekend, there was a BIG thunderstorm with hail and about 3 inches of
rain all in a few hours. The D. hilaris must have washed away or gotten
buried in the peat moss. Generally, most Drosera grow quickly, but these
D. hilaris and D. chrysolepis are still very small seedlings.

Tom Johnson doesn't think the seeds distributed by the seed bank last
year labelled as "D. madagascariensis" are the real species. He's listing
it as "D. sp. 'Magaliesburg'". I'll stick with "D. madagascariensis
'non-caulescent'".