Grow lights for a plant cabinet
June 2, 2023 5:35 PM Subscribe
I converted an Ikea Milsbo into a plant cabinet and need to replace the grow lights I'm using. I'd like to get something appropriate but not too expensive. Any recommendations?
I only kept one shelf in it, about 3/5 up from the bottom. Currently, I have some LED grow light strips attached to the top of the cabinet (metal, with tape) and the shelf (wire rack, with zip ties), but these are leftovers from a different set-up rather than something I bought for this cabinet specifically.
Aaaaand a few days ago, the adapter burned out spectacularly.
My main concerns are buying a replacement that is safe, bright enough, and also lightweight/flat enough that I can attach it to the top of the metal cabinet with double-sided tape/command strips. I do not want to drill more holes in metal.
There are a lot of options on Amazon that look like they might work just in terms of their size and shape, but I'm in the dark (no pun intended) about how to choose for their light/safety, or where to look for higher quality options.
The plant cabinet has never gotten condensation because I don't keep a humidifer in it. It also doesn't get hot. It's really just to protect the plants from the cats.
The plants are mostly medium or "bright, indirect" light lovers.
I only kept one shelf in it, about 3/5 up from the bottom. Currently, I have some LED grow light strips attached to the top of the cabinet (metal, with tape) and the shelf (wire rack, with zip ties), but these are leftovers from a different set-up rather than something I bought for this cabinet specifically.
Aaaaand a few days ago, the adapter burned out spectacularly.
My main concerns are buying a replacement that is safe, bright enough, and also lightweight/flat enough that I can attach it to the top of the metal cabinet with double-sided tape/command strips. I do not want to drill more holes in metal.
There are a lot of options on Amazon that look like they might work just in terms of their size and shape, but I'm in the dark (no pun intended) about how to choose for their light/safety, or where to look for higher quality options.
The plant cabinet has never gotten condensation because I don't keep a humidifer in it. It also doesn't get hot. It's really just to protect the plants from the cats.
The plants are mostly medium or "bright, indirect" light lovers.
I went to a plant store and bought four LED fluorescent tube replacements and I put them in an old fluorescent fixture a friend gave me. The total cost was about fifty bucks and the time it took to rip the ballasts out and wire the tubes directly.
Bear in mind that LED tubes come in two types - direct wired and ones which run off a ballast. If you can't fix wiring, use the latter, but using the former means a lighter fixture and less of a pain in the ass when the ballast died.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 7:54 PM on June 2, 2023
Bear in mind that LED tubes come in two types - direct wired and ones which run off a ballast. If you can't fix wiring, use the latter, but using the former means a lighter fixture and less of a pain in the ass when the ballast died.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 7:54 PM on June 2, 2023
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posted by foxfirefey at 6:31 PM on June 2, 2023