Removing Annuals from the Lights

[mobiledynamics]

Never really seeded annuals@home before. I need the light/shelf space for something else germinating. What ill effect would I have on a annual flower if I take it off the lights and put it by the window for a month .

It's been on the lights 16 hrs a day for almost 3 months...
As a test bed, I even took the same germinated seeds and put them by the window. The ones by the window are still the same size as when it sprouted (1st set of leaves 1/8" big post sprouting). Whereas the ones under lights are obviously leafy and bloomed. Still very small though. And this is a sunny window

Will I stunt the plant if it's not going to get light for 3 weeks or so.
It's too cold to put them out now but I just need the light shelf space for some other new things...

And or I be on 24 hr on call duty and rotate them on them shelves ;-)

[Nan_PA_6b]

Here's a solution. Call up Mom, and ask if you can put up a shop light in her basement...

Seriously, sounds like the window is inferior to the lights. You can rotate things in and out of the window & lights. Also you can "stretch" the light's range a little by hanging aluminum foil (shiny side in) around the outside of the lights, making aluminum foil walls. This reflects back the light that would be lost out the sides of your lights. Now you can squeeze a few more plants around the outside edges, just inside the aluminum foil. In any case you should rotate the plants from lesser light spaces to better spaces and vice versa.

Nan

[mobiledynamics]

I just went to look at the seeded annuals to give a more accurate description of the ones I left on the window. This windows sees bright sun from 6:30AM to around 4'-5'ish (as the days get longer).

I left 5 germinated seeds in a small pot. 3 of those are still on it's 1st leaves - 1/4 long by 1/18" wide at most ! The other other has a real set of leaves at 1/16" long and maybe 1'32" wide. And as crazy as this may sound, it's been about 3 months, so I would day the leaves have been like this for at least 75 days !

As a test bed, I took 2 of these out of the window and put it under the growing lights - and yes, the finally actually started to ~grow~ for real. I think my window is just blocking out too much of the good stuff...

Orchids do fine by this window though

[oakley]

I'm about to pot up another round of tomatoes into 4". I'll just do the dance for the next couple weeks like every year. The toms will get the best attention but all will get some
time under lights, then in a South window bay for a couple days. Back and forth.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Originally Posted by mobiledynamics

...Orchids do fine by this window though

Most orchids do well in low light. Somehow, that window isn't cutting it for your annuals.

In Zone 7b, are you starting to get days warm enough to take things outside on nice days? That's another way to get enough light. Rotate, rotate, rotate.

Nan

[mobiledynamics]

Not quite yet on the temps. My schedule does not work out that I can get them inside at a decent hr.

Between transplanting to 1G on the tomatoes, boi of boy, even rotating out the 1G's due to space feels like a lotta extra work already. Eh, I guess what you put in....is what you get out.

[Nan_PA_6b]

No chance of putting up an extra light?

Nan