Seedling Starts & Cloning

For small space gardens, powerful biax lighting allows cuttings and seedlings to be started strong and healthy, ready to transplant, without shock or a long "hardening off" period when moving plants outdoors.

For cloning use the common clear acrylic cover about 8" high over standard flats. Keep this closed tray "moist". A white cloth laid over the top of the cover helps newly rooting plants handle the bright light. Over a few days gradually remove the cloth. Your plants will respond to such care with robust growth.

Use of open shading fabrics permits lush growth anywhere indoors and greatly enhances natural orchid colors. FROM A DISTANCE OF < > SIX FEET wide-spectrum lights grow phalaenopsis orchids to perfection. DO NOT GO TOO CLOSE; THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FLUORESCENT LIGHT!

Small-Space Gardening

The Sunstreamer is a matched companion for small-space hydroponics setups such as Emily's Garden, a simple, near fool-proof combination of good ideas. Emily's Garden comes complete with everything you need to enjoy the many advantages of inexpensive hydroponics.

Growing both hydro and soil gardens allows better understanding of our customers varied needs. By growing our plants in small enclosures, we know what works in small-space gardening. Try starting your own exotic peppers, from seed to howling hot in 90 days. Fried banana peppers in less time. Tomatoes are easy. (Try "better bush" long production—will stay in bounds when pinched.)

Growing Tips

Newly developed miniature roses fit in and grow very well under our light. Herbs like lemon basil are easy; salad greens grow in abundance in about sixty days.

We pinch our pepper tops to encourage horizontal growth while reducing height. Keeping plants the same height and trimming those older leaves that shade fruiting points allows light to reach the lowest foliage. Move your light closer to plants until you see rapid growth. Approach this carefully, lowering about an inch per day at most. If uppermost leaves discolor or begin to curl, you are too close; move your light up a couple of inches. Let plants grow TO the light! Then move the light up with growth, keeping it close to the tops of the plants.

Using a Sunstreamer on one side of your existing HID grow area allows tall plants to receive strong light top to bottom. PUT ALL YOUR LEAVES TO WORK! Leaving half your plant in shade is not a good thing. Plan to rotate each plant position past this side light. Place lower edge of fixture 6" above first branch.

Using our 24" light stand, with knobs clamped at 90 degrees, allows the Sunstreamer to be raised or lowered and tilted up or down, placing light where needed. Since the Sunstreamer allows well-conditioned plants to be placed very close, with light intensity approaching 100,000 lux, your growing area will be intense, allowing maximum fruiting & flowering on robust mature plants.

Use high-quality potting soil mixed with perlite, 4 parts of soil with 1 part of perlite. Mix until smooth without clumps; don't compact this soil. Go easy on fertilizer; too much is a real setback. Fresh tap water should sit open overnight, allowing chlorine to evaporate before using. Try bottom watering, sitting plants in 3" of room temperature water for 20 minutes. Drain well, remove saucer, and dump any water left. Water only with "light on" cycle, never before "light off." Run an exhaust fan of 50 to 75 cfm CONTINUOUSLY. This does not over dry the enclosure. (USING SUPPLEMENTAL CO2 REQUIRES EXHAUST CYCLING.)

Many plant problems are the result of over-watering and running a very humid enclosure. Try it this way, we think you'll like it: If you must mist, do it early in the "light-on" cycle. This works well with an 8-inch oscillating fan left running 24/7. This will reduce moisture support to fungi, pests & mold, and moving the plants in the wind as in nature, produces strong healthy plants. The air temperature and fresh air distribution within your enclosure IS MUCH IMPROVED.

Annual replacement of lamps is a smart thing to do. Lamps wear out slowly like tires. While you don't notice lower lux, plant growth will SUFFER.