AboutDarlene K. Kittle Expertise I have been a Master Gardener for 20 years and I raise around 300 houseplants a year including tropicals, succulents, and cacti.
Experience She is also studying the Japanese art of bonsai with tropical plants and is President of the Fort Wayne, IN Bonsai Club.
Education/Credentials I am not a hortculturist. I am a Purdue University Master Gardener for over 20 years. I have studied plants on a personal level by growing hundreds of plants annually for the last 35 years. I have also studied under several nationally known American Bonsai experts.
Question I have houseplants placed in front of an east window that faces alot of trees which block the sun. I would like to use artificial lights but the metal halide bulbs are too bright for my living room. The T5 fluorescent bulbs are also very bright. Can i put a compact fluorecent bulb in a regular lamp fixture and aim it toward my plants? What do you recommend? thank you
Answer Susanne,
Your plants need the additional light during the day time hours. The lights should not be that glaring during the day. Compact fluorescent bulbs in a regular lamp fixture will not provide enough light unless each plant has it's own 60-75 watt equivalent light and that light is no more than 12 inches above the plant. Standard florescent tubes in a 2 tube fixture would be better. You could build a wooden box to attach to the ceiling and put the florescent fixture ( or 2 fixtures if you have a lot of plants) in the box and hide them with diffusers. I raise a lot of plants under florescent light in my basement. It works well. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.
