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: Feb 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 625
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Today I was daydreaming about getting a few of my super hot peppers started and realizing how nice it would be to have a small lamp for 4-6 plants rather than sticking them under my grow system all alone using up needless electricity. Then it dawned on me that I have a Verilux lamp that I used when I was making jewelry. Will this lamp be sufficient for this?
http://preview.tinyurl.com/o46jn37 |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Near Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 1,940
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Don't know why it wouldn't. See how they do; leggy = not enough light. Get the bulb as close to the seedlings as possible without touching the leaves.
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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LED lights made for people tend to be white. When they are made for plants, the light is blue or red.
I think most of the light will be wasted, because the spectrum is wrong, but that is not the same as saying it will not work. |
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 625
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Hmmm... interesting. i don't really know enough about light bulbs. I know that the bulbs I use in my shop lights work well for my seedlings but wasn't sure about the Verilux bulb.
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Gloster, Lousiana 71030 Zone 8a
Posts: 253
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I am using a GE Bright Stick (24 inch single tube fluoresce). Seedlings are growing, but not sure this is the proper light spectrum.
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
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My seedling grow just fine for 2.5months under regular cheap T8s Alto Daylight Deluxe bulbs from Home Depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded...1998/204384429
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Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! Last edited by luigiwu; February 5, 2015 at 08:46 PM. |
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Near Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 1,940
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Looked like a fluorescent bulb to me in the product description. White isn't well matched to the spectrum of chlorophyll but does include the ends of the spectrum that work well for photosynthesis and these bulbs tend to be quite bright. Call it an experiment!
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2012
Location: NW Indiana
Posts: 355
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I use grow lights. You want 6500k spectrum for the vegetative stage.
The bulb doesn't have any reference to what spectrum or luminosity. Spend 50 bucks at Menards buy 2 double bulb fixtures. 10.99 each and 4 Sylvania 6500k 32 watt bulbs, and place them 3 inches above your plants. http://www.menards.com/main/lighting...411-c-7495.htm Last edited by Tapout; February 3, 2015 at 10:47 PM. |
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 625
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Thanks.
I think some of you have missed that I already have a grow system set up. It just seemed like a waste of electricity for just a handful of my super hots so I was considering purchasing a small grow light when it dawned on me that my verilux might work for the 4-6 plants I want to start. My current system is set up to accommodate the 200 or so other seedlings that I get started later in the season. |
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#10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Gloster, Lousiana 71030 Zone 8a
Posts: 253
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 625
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UFXEFU, What were the results of that experiment?
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#12 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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If you are growing with an LED light with UV bulbs [like I am] then make sure you start your seed under that light. Otherwise, if you start seed under a desk lamp or other lamp without UV bulbs then you will burn your foliage up real quick when you switch from shop lights to LED lights with UV bulbs. I just had this happen to me and I had to cut back all the "burned" foliage. If I had used my head I could have avoided this. So for this time, until you have a "system" in place for starting a small amount of seed, I would still use your overs-sized system.
If your system does not have UV bulbs then you should be good. Last edited by WillysWoodPile; February 4, 2015 at 12:19 PM. |
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#13 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cheektowaga, NY
Posts: 2,466
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They don't have specs on the bulb but it appears to be a full spectrum CFL. At 27Watts it must be pretty bright, I'm sure it will work to get a few seedlings going in the early stages. |
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 625
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Thanks for the tip, WWP! I suppose if I start them under the verilux and leave them under there rather than transferring to my shop light grow system, I should be okay?
RayR, it is bright but just wasn't sure of the spectrum. I think I will give it a shot. I always believe that nothing ventured, nothing gained so I will do a test and report back (not that most people will take interest because it is a specialized light that many won't have). Thanks again! |
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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oh, ok. I didn't realize it was a cfl. It looked like an led, but I'm just seeing the cover on it.
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