Customer Reviews

Glentronics PL-1 Intelligent Plant Light

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This "plant light" may be okay for a low grown plant that needs little light, but is definitely not as good as it claimed for most bonsai trees for the following reasons:
1. The 9 watt florescent light is not sufficient for bonsai (as a full grown tree).
2. The sensor only works in regular potting soils but not bonsai soils since bonsai soils promote drainage.
3. Although the pebbled base holds water, it only provides a minimum of the surrounded humidity to your tree since the place is not enclosed.
4. The said "Intelligent Four Seasons" light has never been useful indoors since the indoor's temperature has never changed as it has done in nature. That is, your tree will not go through dormancy indoors; an insufficient light during winter will definitely kill your indoor tree.
Get a 50 watt Phillips made Agro-Lite plant light bulb plus a humidity tray in your local hardware store instead. It costs you less than $10; and, it will provide a better result. Even with the help of the plant light, it is recommended that your bonsai tree needs sufficient sunlight in order to thrive!

When I bought this lamp (for a mini rose), it seemed to have every option covered. When I got it, I found a couple of faults, one a major problem: the minute you plug it in, the timer assumes it is dawn, around 7 AM (Midwest time), and it starts its daylong timing from plug-in.

When you plug it in at 4 PM (as I did), the lamp still thinks it's dawn! I gave this to my mother who cannot reach down to unplug and plug in the lamp at dawn. Stupid error on lamp maker's part. They should have included a way to set the time, not only the season.

Second: The water probe needs to be almost falling out for a plant like the rose. If set in all the way, it calls for water ONLY when the soil is completely dry (cacti?)...another not too intelligent way to operate on what are obviously small potted plants. This might be ok for a huge pot, but not on the mini rose.

We've kept the lamp and I cross my fingers that it works as stated, re: adequate amount of light. I like the all-in-one features: the adjustable height, the fact that it is a fluoro, with true daylight color, the water tray with pebbles to raise up the pot, and the color and size which seem to blend in almost anywhere. The little yellow rose looks nice when lit...now if only I can get back to Mom's house at dawn to reset the timer (unplug and replug) so that she can see the plant all day!

Otherwise it seems to be pretty convenient for someone who does not have a green thumb, or has a "black thumb" as the blurb on the package says.

One more thought: this lamp is very hard to find on sale anyplace other than amazon...all (99%) roads lead back to amazon. I wrote to the mfgr about this and was given a very limited list of geographic locations for purchase, none of which was even close to where I live (CT). It was on wait-list at amazon!

I really didn't expect it to do too well as I planned on using it for emergency revival of my two sickly bonsai. I got it set up in my office (no windows at all) and placed my two sad trees under it.

One is a serissa, surviving its dim place in the house, the other is a small ligustrum which has been dropping leaves over the last 3 weeks. On friday I watered them, turned on the light (set for winter) and set the lamp 3 inches over the ligustrum (the taller of the two).

Monday I came in and the ligustrum already has new growth... I'm happy and the bonsai are happy.

I have replaced the florescent bulb twice after the original one quit working. I believe that the bulbs would work if the device that charges the florescent worked, but the light just flickers without turning on fully. I've now spent money twice to fix a problem that remains unresolved. So, the plant light worked great until the bulb went out. Then you might as well purchase a new light, otherwise good luck trying to get it fixed.

it's great. I DONT HAVE TO TURN IT ON EACH DAY, IT AUTOMATICALLY
TURS ON. MY BONSAI ARE THRIVING. GREAT PRODUCT!

My wife and I are avid orchid growers, and find the 9W lamp perfect for displaying low-light plants (such as phalenopsis) that are in bloom. The colors are pleasant, and the plants seem to do well. We do not use the watering probes as we have our own watering schedules for the various plants, so I can't rate how well they work.

We have owned six of these lights over the last five years, and all six have had their timers either fail to switch the light on, or fail to switch the light off. We also had an out-of-box failure that Amazon exchanged immediately. They last no more than about two years. I'm currently sitting with three dead PL-1 lamps next to me, and came here while searching the web looking for instructions on how to "hot wire" the circuit board so the bulb will just stay on. That way I could keep using them with a $4.95 mechanical timer.

If they just had a bulb and a switch, they'd be perfect. Unfortunately, the "intelligent" electronics die quickly.

Do not buy this lamp - bulbs are nigh impossible to find. The bulb lasted about 3 weeks for me and now can't find a replacement anywhere - not on Amazon, local hardware, local electrical store nor major DIY outlets. So its $$$ down the drain for the entire lamp.

I love the timer on this lamp, which adjusts for the seasons--this is important for lots of flowering plants. The watering gague is nice too. My only wish is that the lamp telescoped higher as one of my plants got too tall very quickly, but this is a great product for plants that stay fairly short.

The plant light will turn on and off by itself imitating the sun. This is the first time that I have not dried out or flooded my African Violet. It has a device that tells you that your plant needs water. I actually have it on top of my bookshelf and it looks nice. Be aware that the plant light is made for small potted plants.

I could not keep a bonsai alive for more than 2 weeks. With this light I have been able to keep my bonsai alive for more than a month and it is flourishing. I love this item, especially the "time to water light". Thanks to a review I read, it is best to turn on in the AM because it goes the length of a day during the day. If the electric goes off, be sure to wait until AM to turn on. Also makes a unique accent to your room. I highly recommend.