Quick start, then stall

[Nan_PA_6b]

Any way you can just replace the bulbs in your old fluorescents?

Nan

[enchant]

Sadly, no. They're hardwired into the molded case.

[JRinPA]

I think you will like that light. I have a DL848 - same but with 4 ft long bulbs, I think. Build quality is kind of shoddy, but this is the third season on it. I'm not sure if the bulbs have faded, but it puts out enough light for me for 5 1020 flats under it.
These tomatoes were started very late, 4/24. I was shooting for two weeks earlier. Today is 5/5 so they are 12 days since germination started. Soil block, seeds on top, wetted tissue laid over them, 4 days under dome on mat at 80F until visible sprouts, then off mat and dome and under those four t5 HO bulbs. Fan on timer, off and on about 4 hrs a day. Germination to true leaves in 10-11 days. Light was about 6-8" above. They are all 2" tall, 8 diff varieties.

[enchant]

That light changed my life. OMG did they love it. They quickly developed much thicker and hairier stems. I plant on the same day every year and keep logs. My previous best at this point was 14" tall (and the photos show them to be a skinny 14"). This year, several are over 17". In previous years, once they get up to about the 16" level, I've had to tie them to something so they won't fall over under their own weight. This year I could build tree houses in them.

[JRinPA]

Well that is a nice 3 weeks of growth!

The hot weather stuff loves it, I agree. The cool weather stuff...it might give off too much heat to get them close enough. Maybe hold onto that old light for a bit just in case.

BTW above I meant to say "seed packet to true leaves in 10-11 days." Which seemed pretty quick, and the reason I came on today to browse threads. I was doing dense planting method previously and they never seemed that fast, and the germination was more spotty with more variation compared to this tissue paper method.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by enchant

That light changed my life. OMG did they love it. They quickly developed much thicker and hairier stems. I plant on the same day every year and keep logs. My previous best at this point was 14" tall (and the photos show them to be a skinny 14"). This year, several are over 17". In previous years, once they get up to about the 16" level, I've had to tie them to something so they won't fall over under their own weight. This year I could build tree houses in them.

Excellent!

[JRinPA]

Attached are pics of the same plants. They are now 22 days from seed start, and about 5" tall. They have been mostly outside under AG19 for the last 4-5 days. I may plant some out in the next few days.

That light now has okra seedlings under it trying to shed their seed coats and I have it set really low. Okra should love the warmth. I still need to do tomatillos, butternut, and the next stand of corn, and then I can probably turn it off for a while.

I have not had great luck with it starting spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. They get real leggy, real quick.