How I Grow My Seedlings

amideutch · March 24, 2008

Just a few pictures of my setup for growing my tomato seedlings. The difference between this year and last is I added two more tubes to my lighting fixture. Now I have 3 power twist grow lamps and 2 cool white tubes for a total of 180 watts. Ami

Tomstrees · March 24, 2008

Good deal ! Nice setup man !!!

~ Tom

NCTIM · March 24, 2008

Spring comes at least 2 months early with a setup like that. Very nice Ami.

Tim

ddrsheden · March 24, 2008

Power twisth grow lamps??? What are those exactly?

BTW. Nice set up. I will try to get pics of my set up on here sometime this week.

The seedlings look good. I use the jiffy pellets also. It sure makes it easy to transplant.

amideutch · March 25, 2008

Heres a couple web sites concerning the Power-Twist Vita Lite.
Ami
http://full-spectrum-lighting.com/du...ower-Twist.htm

http://www.naturallighting.com/web/s...on=show_detail

Worth1 · March 26, 2008

SWEEEEET!!!

This whole deal makes me want to start more seeds.

Worth

Hairy Moose Knuckles · March 26, 2008

Hey, Worth. Did you notice that they are in Texas. Woo Hoo!

akgardengirl · March 28, 2008

Ami,
Would you recommend 1 Power Twist and 1 cool white per 2 bulb fixture? I haven't seen the 5 bulb fixture like you have. I have 4 fixtures with 2 bulbs ea. and I use 2 fixtures taped side by side to make it wider.
Thanks,
Sue

amideutch · March 28, 2008

Sue, sure you can use 1 PowerTwist and 1 CW. My light fixture was origially a 3 tube setup with electronic ballasts. Where I work they replaced all the ceiling light fixtures and I saved a few of the old ones which were only a year old at the time. I removed a 2 light ballast from another fixture with the wiring and end caps and put it in my 3 light fixture for a total of 5 lights. As the ballasts are electronic they use less energy and don't heat up like the old type ballasts. I used large wooden dowels (2" in diameter) for the supports and put slabs of insulating foam under the lights for the seed trays to set on. As the seedlings grow I pull a foam slab out to lower the seedling height from the tubes. Ami

bigcheef · March 28, 2008

Sweet set up there Ami,

I didn't know you were such the handy man. What differences have you expereinced with the "power twist" grow lights compared to just the regular white bulbs?

RIK

amideutch · March 29, 2008

RIK, It's hard to say. 2 years ago I built a 4 tube unit using single light fixtures with cool white bulbs. Last year I had the 3 bulb unit with the power twists and now the 5 tube with C/W-P/T combo . The C/W bulbs are around 4200k and the P/T are around 5500k which is about the same as sunlight. You don't have as much in the red spectrum with the C/W's.
I would say the 3 P/T setup out performed the 4 C/W. Seedlings weren't as leggy. This setup with the P/T-C/W combo seems to be the best of the three. Heres a site showing the differance in spectrum outputs for the P/T and C/W. Ami

http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=565

March 24, 2008	#2
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Good deal ! Nice setup man !!! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 24, 2008	#3
NCTIM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: zone 8 NC Posts: 286	Spring comes at least 2 months early with a setup like that. Very nice Ami. Tim __________________ "You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra

March 25, 2008	#5
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Heres a couple web sites concerning the Power-Twist Vita Lite. Ami http://full-spectrum-lighting.com/du...ower-Twist.htm http://www.naturallighting.com/web/s...on=show_detail __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

March 28, 2008	#8
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	How I grow my seedlings Ami, Would you recommend 1 Power Twist and 1 cool white per 2 bulb fixture? I haven't seen the 5 bulb fixture like you have. I have 4 fixtures with 2 bulbs ea. and I use 2 fixtures taped side by side to make it wider. Thanks, Sue

March 28, 2008	#9
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Sue, sure you can use 1 PowerTwist and 1 CW. My light fixture was origially a 3 tube setup with electronic ballasts. Where I work they replaced all the ceiling light fixtures and I saved a few of the old ones which were only a year old at the time. I removed a 2 light ballast from another fixture with the wiring and end caps and put it in my 3 light fixture for a total of 5 lights. As the ballasts are electronic they use less energy and don't heat up like the old type ballasts. I used large wooden dowels (2" in diameter) for the supports and put slabs of insulating foam under the lights for the seed trays to set on. As the seedlings grow I pull a foam slab out to lower the seedling height from the tubes. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

March 24, 2008	#4
ddrsheden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bushnell, Illinois Posts: 38	Power twisth grow lamps??? What are those exactly? BTW. Nice set up. I will try to get pics of my set up on here sometime this week. The seedlings look good. I use the jiffy pellets also. It sure makes it easy to transplant.

March 26, 2008	#6
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	SWEEEEET!!! This whole deal makes me want to start more seeds. Worth

March 26, 2008	#7
Hairy Moose Knuckles Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Zone 8 Texas Posts: 172	Hey, Worth. Did you notice that they are in Texas. Woo Hoo!

March 28, 2008	#10
bigcheef Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: TN Posts: 316	Sweet set up there Ami, I didn't know you were such the handy man. What differences have you expereinced with the "power twist" grow lights compared to just the regular white bulbs? RIK __________________ When I die don't bury me In a box in a cold dark cemetery Out in the garden would be much better Cause I could be pushin up a home grown tomater Lyrics by Guy Clark

March 29, 2008	#11
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	RIK, It's hard to say. 2 years ago I built a 4 tube unit using single light fixtures with cool white bulbs. Last year I had the 3 bulb unit with the power twists and now the 5 tube with C/W-P/T combo . The C/W bulbs are around 4200k and the P/T are around 5500k which is about the same as sunlight. You don't have as much in the red spectrum with the C/W's. I would say the 3 P/T setup out performed the 4 C/W. Seedlings weren't as leggy. This setup with the P/T-C/W combo seems to be the best of the three. Heres a site showing the differance in spectrum outputs for the P/T and C/W. Ami http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=565 __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'