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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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 119
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This is my first year starting ANY seeds indoors; I am planning on sowing 11 varieties of tomatoe seeds. I have a shoplight with four flourescent bulbs (6500K, 2850 lumens) and a timer.
I've read 10-14 hours per day and local daylight hours is 12 (in May, when the seeds can be direct-sown) and increases to 13 the next month. What is the optimum for my indoor growing?? Should I mimic the increasing daylight hours?? Choose a time and keep it the same?? What works best? |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: glendora ca
Posts: 2,560
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Mine see 16 to 17 hours of artificial light a day and they love it. It seems to really bring them along nicely.
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“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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I agree with 16 or 17 no more or no less.
Worth |
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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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!' |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posts: 3,099
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I have been doing 12 to 14 guess I need to bump it up a notch.
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake
Posts: 1,244
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I set my lights for 16 hours per day. My choice was arbitrary and capricious, not based on any science that I've read. Seems to mimic growing conditions in June when the tomatoes are thriving.
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,291
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Come on Worth, don't be so wishy-washy all of a sudden....16 or 17? You know it should be 16 hours 4 minutes and 32 seconds. That's my time....more or less.
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there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. |
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#8 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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![]() Quote:
![]() I got the information from a marijuana growing guide someone forced me to read many years ago. ![]() Worth |
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#9 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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I give them 24 hours of light and they do fine. 80 kinds of peppers are currently thriving.
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#10 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,291
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I mailed my dog-eared copy to a friend in Colorado.
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there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. |
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#12 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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__________________
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!' |
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#13 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Tomatoes and peppers are day-length neutral. They don't need a dark period. I don't see why one wouldn't want photosynthesis happening 24 hours a day. Light creates growth. |
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#14 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,001
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"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers |
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Southern Maryland 7a
Posts: 200
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I get up at 4am turn light on and go to bed (or fall asleep watching TV and turn light off at 7:30 pm and go to bed. Is that 15 1/2 hrs? (i need a 3rd hand to count on) I guess I have no life and I may not be able to count
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Anybody see where I sat my beer? -crazyoldgooseman |
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