potting up

TightenUp · January 17, 2013

i keep adding gardening space and of course more and more tomatoes. this year i plan to start 72 tomato plants using a 72 cell starter kit with dome.

last year i potted up into 3 and 4 inch containers and had nice big beautiful strong plants at plant out time and all was good. but since i'm starting about double the amount of seeds this year i fear i wont have room under the lights for all these plants after i pot up.

so my question is does anyone start seeds maybe a week or two later and not pot up?

fortyonenorth · January 17, 2013

When I run out of room, I move to a 2-shift setup where I put 1/2 of the plants under the lights from 7am to 7pm and then move the other half under from 7pm to 7am.

TightenUp · January 17, 2013

do you see any signs of stress when the plants under the lights at night get switched to a daytime light schedule? i assume you just go right into it when beginning to harden off?

JamesL · January 17, 2013

Jeff,
The simple solution is of course - get more lights!

TightenUp · January 17, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL

Jeff,
The simple solution is of course - get more lights!

and more bench space, more potting mix, more 3 inch containers, more ferts

i need a new room in the house designated for the garden. the closet isnt getting the job done anymore

fortyonenorth · January 17, 2013

I've always been extremely pleased with my transplants--never any issues with stress. My set up is in the basement, so there's very little ambient light.

kath · January 17, 2013

I have planted in 72 cell starters and potted up to 2" pots and then to the garden. Would you be able to fit those under your light set up if you used the "share plan" suggested by 41N?

If not, 72 cells would be pretty small to support your plants until set out, but sowing in 32 cell starters would work and would be able to grow plants to a size that could handle life in your garden. I used that method once when a spring frost killed a bunch of plants that were already set in the ground. I resowed and had plants ready for transplant in less than 5 weeks because by that time it was warm enough for them to grow outside on the porch during the day with a little supplemental light after sundown. They were already hardened off, too, after spending a couple nights outdoors just before I set them into their final homes.

Depending on how early you're going to plant, once they're too big for the lights you could always just keep them outdoors during the day and bring them in at night. Once they're transplant size I think they can do fine without the lights or you might be able to have half under the lights every other night, etc.

Of course if you want super large transplants at set out time, this might not work as well.

JamesL · January 17, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by TightenUp

and more bench space, more potting mix, more 3 inch containers, more ferts

i need a new room in the house designated for the garden. the closet isnt getting the job done anymore

I know, I was being a wise ***. Similar issues, although i am not starting anywhere near your volume.
Set up a wire shelving rack w/lights near my boiler in the basement. Once they get to true leaves they go into the garage for "cold treatment" under lights till they get planted.
They do grow a lot slower in the garage.

TightenUp · January 17, 2013

Kath

i had large plant outs last year and they really did well.

JamesL

i think your "simple solution" might be the way i go

anyone have suggestions on a fixture and bulbs from the big box store? i currenty use a bunch of CFLs which work great but its not practical to to keep buying them. a 2 bulb fixture with about 4 foot bulbs would be what i'm interested in. i'm also looking for the inexpensive but get the job done type bulbs and fixture

Crandrew · January 17, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by fortyonenorth

When I run out of room, I move to a 2-shift setup where I put 1/2 of the plants under the lights from 7am to 7pm and then move the other half under from 7pm to 7am.

I would divide into two waves:
I would work to harden off the first group quickly and get them outside and have the other set germinating while the others are hardening off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TightenUp

do you see any signs of stress when the plants under the lights at night get switched to a daytime light schedule? i assume you just go right into it when beginning to harden off?

They will be stressed for maybe a few hours but get over it quickly. I've ran mators on 24/0 cycle, 18/6, 16/8 , 12/ 12 and transitioned between with very little shock. I would not worry about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL

Jeff,
The simple solution is of course - get more lights!

indeed

Crandrew · January 17, 2013

What is your budget on the lights? do you want T5/H0 style fixtures and bulbs or just the standard?

TightenUp · January 17, 2013

i dont have a budget, just dont feel the need to get anything crazy. if it works it works

kath · January 17, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by TightenUp

anyone have suggestions on a fixture and bulbs from the big box store? a 2 bulb fixture with about 4 foot bulbs would be what i'm interested in. i'm also looking for the inexpensive but get the job done type bulbs and fixture

The cheapest way to go for me was either Lowe's or Home Depot which have 4' long 2-bulb shoplights for about $10, but I wind up using 2 fixtures side-by-side. Don't know the price of the 4-bulb fixtures. The least expensive bulbs (by far) were T12s in a bulk pkg. (Philip's Daylight bulbs)- forget if it's Lowe's or HD that has them. I used to use one warm & one cool bulb in each fixture, but the transplants seem just as happy with two of the Daylight bulbs.

TightenUp · January 17, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

The cheapest way to go for me was either Lowe's or Home Depot which have 4' long 2-bulb shoplights for about $10, but I wind up using 2 fixtures side-by-side. Don't know the price of the 4-bulb fixtures. The least expensive bulbs (by far) were T12s in a bulk pkg. (Philip's Daylight bulbs)- forget if it's Lowe's or HD that has them. I used to use one warm & one cool bulb in each fixture, but the transplants seem just as happy with two of the Daylight bulbs.

the t12 was what i was looking for. i've read about other t# bulbs and know some are expensive, some cheap. i remember reading somewhere that one make was no longer being made. t5? t12? or another, not sure

i'm aware of the need for the "cool" bulbs during the veg state but i do plan on using both cool and warm bulbs as i do now with the CFLs.

Thanks

TightenUp · January 17, 2013

whats the diff between t12, t8, t5 etc.????

January 17, 2013	#1
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	potting up i keep adding gardening space and of course more and more tomatoes. this year i plan to start 72 tomato plants using a 72 cell starter kit with dome. last year i potted up into 3 and 4 inch containers and had nice big beautiful strong plants at plant out time and all was good. but since i'm starting about double the amount of seeds this year i fear i wont have room under the lights for all these plants after i pot up. so my question is does anyone start seeds maybe a week or two later and not pot up? __________________

January 17, 2013	#3
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	do you see any signs of stress when the plants under the lights at night get switched to a daytime light schedule? i assume you just go right into it when beginning to harden off? __________________

January 17, 2013	#7
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I have planted in 72 cell starters and potted up to 2" pots and then to the garden. Would you be able to fit those under your light set up if you used the "share plan" suggested by 41N? If not, 72 cells would be pretty small to support your plants until set out, but sowing in 32 cell starters would work and would be able to grow plants to a size that could handle life in your garden. I used that method once when a spring frost killed a bunch of plants that were already set in the ground. I resowed and had plants ready for transplant in less than 5 weeks because by that time it was warm enough for them to grow outside on the porch during the day with a little supplemental light after sundown. They were already hardened off, too, after spending a couple nights outdoors just before I set them into their final homes. Depending on how early you're going to plant, once they're too big for the lights you could always just keep them outdoors during the day and bring them in at night. Once they're transplant size I think they can do fine without the lights or you might be able to have half under the lights every other night, etc. Of course if you want super large transplants at set out time, this might not work as well. Last edited by kath; January 17, 2013 at 04:41 PM.

January 17, 2013	#9
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	Kath i had large plant outs last year and they really did well. JamesL i think your "simple solution" might be the way i go anyone have suggestions on a fixture and bulbs from the big box store? i currenty use a bunch of CFLs which work great but its not practical to to keep buying them. a 2 bulb fixture with about 4 foot bulbs would be what i'm interested in. i'm also looking for the inexpensive but get the job done type bulbs and fixture __________________

January 17, 2013	#12
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	i dont have a budget, just dont feel the need to get anything crazy. if it works it works __________________

January 17, 2013	#2
fortyonenorth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 1,150	When I run out of room, I move to a 2-shift setup where I put 1/2 of the plants under the lights from 7am to 7pm and then move the other half under from 7pm to 7am.

January 17, 2013	#4
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Jeff, The simple solution is of course - get more lights!

January 17, 2013	#11
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	What is your budget on the lights? do you want T5/H0 style fixtures and bulbs or just the standard?