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Most plants grow best under at least 25 watts per square
foot of garden space. That means a lamp that is 175
watts or less will cover about four square feet. When
you step up to a 250-watt light, you can cover roughly
nine square feet. A 400-watt lamp will light 16 square
feet, and, if you have an even larger indoor garden,
you could use 600 to 1000 watts which can cover 40
to 100 square feet.
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| A reflector
lens can get your light closer to the
plants. |
No matter what size light system
you choose, the closer your plants are to the lamp,
the more lumens they will get. In other words, a lamp
placed high above your plants will spread less intense
light over a large area, and a lamp placed close to
your plants will provide more intense light over a
smaller area.
Before you install your lamp, make sure you have ground-fault-interrupt outlets and a surge-protected power strip. Place your ballast in a safe, dry spot. A high, out-of-the-way shelf works well for this. Your reflector should be mounted with sturdy, weight-bearing hooks and chain. Leave at least one foot between the top of the reflector and the spot from which it hangs.
Make sure you are using the right bulb wattage and type (metal halide or high pressure sodium) for your system and then screw the bulb into the reflector socket. If you opt to use one, now's the time to insert your safety lens.
Finally, you should plug your surge-protected power strip into your electrical outlet. Make sure the power strip is in the "OFF" position. Now plug the reflector cord into your ballast and then plug the ballast cord into the power strip. From now on you'll turn your lamp off or on via the switch on your power strip. Because of the large amount of voltage required to power up, you should turn your light system on only once a day. Also, the more you turn your light on and off, the faster your bulb will burn out. If you do have to restart your lamp for any reason, wait at least 15 minutes first so that it has a chance to cool completely.
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