New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
January 25, 2018 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Maine, 4b
Posts: 73
|
Another lighting question
I plan to start seedlings (tomatoes and peppers) for the first time in my basement this spring. Will be very little natural light available. I am probably looking at 6-8 plants of each. May put a few cukes under the lights also. I am trying to get this set up as cost effective (also spelled cheap) as I can. Would something like this work?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076FQ15R6...EE431X30&psc=1 Thanks for any help with this. |
January 25, 2018 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
|
Not exactly cheap because you would be buying way more than what you need. You linked to an 8-pack of single T5 fixtures when one or two 4-foot lights is all you would need for that small quantity of plants. Yes, the T5 bulbs with the fixture(s) would work fine. I start over 200 plants with 6 T5 bulbs (2 lights per 4 foot fixture).
Maybe look at something like this T8 fixture instead: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-L...8-5-in/1208545 Last edited by rhines81; January 25, 2018 at 09:03 PM. |
January 26, 2018 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Maine, 4b
Posts: 73
|
Thanks for the feedback. I can get less of these lights but good to know these will work.
Didn't notice your link until after I posted the above. I'll have to look at these. They are available at my local Lowes. On clearance also for $10 off.
__________________
Ken Last edited by asaump; January 26, 2018 at 11:23 AM. |
January 26, 2018 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,294
|
I go with a 2 bulb cheap-o shop light available at Wal-Mart for $10. Bulbs are 5 or 6 dollars each. I have been using this system for 25+years.
__________________
there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. |
January 26, 2018 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Norway
Posts: 1,049
|
The T8 fixtures recommended by rhines81, or cheap-0 from Walmart are fine. I'd recommend you use 6500K (K = Kelvin = color temperature) "daylight" fluorescent tubes with them, as these are best for seedlings.
Steve |
January 26, 2018 | #6 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Detroit
Posts: 688
|
Quote:
Just so you know, those are LED lights in a T5 fixture, not a fluorescent T5 tube light. As someone else has already suggested, you could get a cheap T8 fluorescent tube & ballast setup for pretty cheap. And replacement T8 bulbs are also cheap and easy to source. In my opinion, that is the best balance of affordability, availability, and performance. |
|
January 27, 2018 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
|
Wiring your own lights will always be the cheapest. Most of your money will then be in the bulbs. Here's a light I made for next to nothing: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=35099
|
January 28, 2018 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: z7, Richmond VA
Posts: 187
|
Am I correct that we would need *fluorescent* lights, and not LEDs?
__________________
Identifying garlic is done mostly by consensus. Many are like trying to identify the difference between twins. |
January 28, 2018 | #9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
|
Quote:
T8 fluorescent would be recommend for a cheap solution. T5 fluorescent is even better and more efficient, but a bit more costly than T8. LED would be the best, but also the most expensive. However, if you already have T5 fixtures, upgrading those to LED lights is just a matter of buying the LED tubes to replace the T5 tubes (same connections) and that would be the next best step if you wanted an upgrade from the T5 fluorescent after they have reached the end of their life. Just took a peek and apparently you can also get plug & play LED lights for replacing the T8 tubes (and T12) as well. Last edited by rhines81; January 28, 2018 at 09:50 AM. |
|
January 28, 2018 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro
Posts: 1,910
|
A basement in Maine could be a place that benefits from the heat of fluorescents. Unless you're cold treating seedlings to possibly increase first truss fruit sets, 70's for days and 60's for nights is a nice healthy zone. Warm enough to fight damping off and not so high as to stress the plants or accelerate evaporation.
|
|
|