New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
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February 17, 2021 | #31 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Philly 7A
Posts: 739
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Good to know, thanks. |
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February 24, 2021 | #32 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 128
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March 2, 2021 | #33 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ozark, Mo.
Posts: 201
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We have lots of 4-foot double-bulb flourescent shop lights in and around our home - they're in my wood shop, on the patio, in our recessed kitchen ceiling, and every spring I raise tomato and pepper seedlings under three hanging shop lights, 6 bulbs total, covering an area of 4' x 2'.
I bought a case of 25 LED tube bulbs and I'm replacing all the flourescent bulbs with them. The bulbs I bought are "T8 LED Bulbs, 5000K Daylight, Ballast Bypass Tubes; 14 watt - 1800 lumens - One Sided Direct Wire - 4 Ft." We really like the ones I've installed so far. I intend to install these in the shop lights I use for seedlings also. Those fixtures are old and I've been putting up with flickering lights, buzzing ballasts, and old bulbs that often burn out. With the LED's I shouldn't have any of those problems. Possibly 6500K bulbs would have been better than 5000's for seedlings, but I'd like to use the bulbs I bought - after all, I'll be using 6 bulbs for only 8 square feet. Thinking that should work OK, what do you think? Thx. |
March 2, 2021 | #34 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3
Posts: 3,231
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March 2, 2021 | #35 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Ústí nad Labem in the north of the Czech Republic
Posts: 332
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From the plants' point of view, it's a good idea to have a look at their color spectrum. Not that fluorescent tubes are optimal in that respect. With 5,000°K, I wonder if the LED bulbs radiate enough energy in the blue wavelengths. Milan HP |
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March 3, 2021 | #36 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ozark, Mo.
Posts: 201
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With the new "ballast bypass LED bulbs" each light fixture's wiring is much simplified and the changeover only takes about 10 minutes per fixture. The new bulbs do have the same two prongs at each end. Easy instructions for doing the conversion come with the LED bulbs, and the only tools needed are a screwdriver, wire cutter pliers, and wire nuts. These LED tube bulbs put out more light while using only about 1/3 as much electricity. They are supposed to last for 50,000 hours, too - and they turn on and off instantly like an incandescent bulb, with no blinking or flickering. |
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March 3, 2021 | #37 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3
Posts: 3,231
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Thanks, Ozark! This was just what I was wondering about. I suppose I should go on YouTube and see how and if it's something I feel can do. I have this fear of messing with electricity, even with instructions.
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