Lights for starting from seed.

[Qweniden]

Will regular floresant lights suffice for germinating seeds and growing them for two months until its time to bring them outside? Do I need special grow lights?

[fortyonenorth]

Regular fluorescent tubes will be fine for seed starting. I use a 2-tube fixture with one warm and one cool tube. You'll want to keep the tubes very close to the seedlings, in most cases - generally just a few inches above.

[matilda'skid]

I use two of the most inexpensive 40 watt fluorescent in a cheap shop light. I think they are cool white. I am also using three CFLs in a lamp on top of my refrigerator.

[Qweniden]

Thank you. Does "seed starting" include growing them for two months until they are ready to go outside?

[gryffin]

Most of the research I did shows that people use either one or two regular "shoplight" fixtures per shelf. Each fixture has 2xT8 or 2xT12 standard fluorescent bulbs.

In the past, I used only one of these shoplights per shelf and I felt that the seedlings would have done better with more light- but I got by. It also depends on how wide your shelfs are.

This year, I don't have room for a 4ft long shelf assembly, so I am using a fish tank stand that has two shelfs and is 30in long. I needed 2ft light fixtures and had a choice between a light fixture with 1xT5HO bulb or a fixture with 2xT5HO bulbs. I decided to splurge and go for the 2xT5HO bulb fixture. T5HO fixtures are more expensive, but they emit more light and run more efficiently than T8s/T12s. I think the 2xT5HO bulb fixture is about equivalent to two side by side 2xT8 (or 2xT12) shop lights (4 bulbs total).

It may be overkill, but in my zone, the seedlings may end up stuck inside longer than I would like, so I figured more light is probably better- I can always regulate the amount of light by the number of hours I leave them on.

I plan to purchase 2 fixtures, one for each shelf. I've only gotten the first one so far.

[ContainerTed]

Check Lowes. They have a 4 foot long, two bulb T12 fixture for about $10 each. Then look over in the florescent bulbs and you will find a box of 10 four foot bulbs with a rating of 6400K for about $20. The fixtures have plug-in cords and on/off switches. They also have plugs which allows you to power the second and so-on fixtures while only consuming one plug in your wall receptacle or extension cord.

I run 5 four footers, 3 three footers, and 6 screw-in CFL's on one power strip and am only consuming about 300 watts. Each grouping of lights can be used independent of all the others.

Don'tcha just love it????

Ted

[sfmathews]

Ditto what Ted said, I use the same thing. Used it last year, works great!

[maf]

I find the seedlings grow well enough under ordinary CFL's (2700k color temp) alone. Over here in the UK the 15W and 20W ("A" rated for efficiency) CFL's are often available for the equivalent of $0.40c each. The government or the EU is subsidising the price, I guess, to encourage people to be more energy efficient in the home. (I don't know how much the CFL's cost in the USA.) The fluorescent tubes on the other hand are probably more expensive than in the US. I simply screw a few plastic light fixings to a length of wood and run the wire along the back of the wood to the plug. The whole thing can then be attached to shelves or whatever in the same way as a tube fixture.

The point is that the seedlings do well enough under what might be called "regular" light spectrum bulbs, no need to pay extra for grow tubes or even particular color temperatures, just get whatever is cheapest where you are, as long as it it energy efficient, the plants are more responsive to the brightness of the lights rather than the exact spectrum. I've grown seedlings for two months plus this way with with no problems.

[tjg911]

been doing this for several years. buy the cheapest tubes you can they are fine. i have used 1 warm and 1 cool in a fixture while a friend used the 99 cents tubes and his plants did better than mine. expensive tubes are a waste of your money but it's your money. from now on i'm buying the least expensive tubes.

[Idahowoman]

Great information in this thread.

[erlyberd]

From experience I do know that growing under the cheap shop lights with T-8 32 watt bulbs, one warm, one cool produces nice stocky 5" seedlings in around 30 days. Can't answer the 60 day question for you though. I just read tonight that another villian uses the T-5 and grows his/her plants for almost 3 months to heights of like 16" If I remember correctly. Also, get the T-8 32 watt bulb/shop light combo if you want to save some on your electric bill. Two 32 watters plus ballast uses 67 watts total vs. two T-12 40 watters and ballast uses 93 watts. It adds up if you have a six units.

[feldon30]

Click for Larger Size

I have had success with Fluorescent lights growing for up to 2 months. The plants may get a little bit leggy, but you can just bury some of the stem.

[gryffin]

For those of you who mount your lights on wire shelfing (as shown in feldon30's picture)- do you use 4 foot wide shelf units?

[BlackestKrim]

Originally Posted by gryffin

For those of you who mount your lights on wire shelfing (as shown in feldon30's picture)- do you use 4 foot wide shelf units?

I do. One shelf then fits a very large number of seedlings. So far I have plants on 3 of the shelves and the rest I use to store seed, potting soil, etc.

[BSue54]

I have a rookie question. At what point in the process do I start using the lights? Mind you - my seed were only put in the Jiffy pellets on February 1, and I'm only just now beginning to see signs of life.
Thanx
BSue