Light bulbs for plants starting inside?

[meanwhile]

Will regular twist type energy eff florescent light bulbs work to start plants inside? Also I have boxes with lettuce and kale we are trying to grow inside - will a regular light bulb help or do you have to buy a special one? Thanks.

[highlands]

The plants need pretty intensive energy. What looks bright indoors to our eyes is very dim. Take a bulb outdoors on a sunny day and compare it to the surrounding light. It's very dim looking. Plants need high energy radiation, of the right spectrum, to properly operate their chlorophyll. I would suggest getting proper bulbs.

Of note, I start seedlings by my aquariums. They have intense full to blue spectrum lightning. Works great. To begin with I start the seedlings on the top of the lamps because at that point they need the warmth.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

[comfortablynumb]

seedlings grow well under HPS security lights.
floro tubes have to be almost touching the plants.

dont use mercury vapor lights, plants wont grow under those well.

of you can find metal hallide securty lamps, thats a good middle of the road light for growing stuff indoors.

when I had my seedling box set up, I used a bank of 6 shop lights side by side and the seed trays about 1 inch from the tubes. wooks ok but you have to keep raising the shop lights up as the plants grow.

I got better results from two 70 watt HPS lights 12 inches above the seed trays.

[blufford]

You would be better off with a Gro-Lux tube that has the proper light spectrum for growing plants. Here is a little better explanation.

http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/fluorescent.html

[morrowsmowers]

I have experimented with various lamps and haven't seen much difference in results.

First, I tried building my own fluorescent grow lights using overdriven ballasts and daylight bulbs.

Next, I tried using a metal halide fixture with a bulb made to replicate the sun.

Next, I tried a fluorescent fixture with grow bulbs in it.

Lastly, I tried a fixture that I built. I used incandescent grow bulbs, fluorescent grow bulbs, and now those spiral CFL's in it.

The results all seem the same. The plants under the lights all seem to grow well. Maybe the ones under the metal halide do a little bit better, but then they are also in front of two large windows.

Ken in Glassboro, NJ

[humbug]

I just used standard fluorescent shop lights. Seems to work just fine for me. I usually start all of my own garden plants.

[meanwhile]

Ok = main thing is that it is more complicated than I thought! Thanks! I have several old fixtures in the barn and will experiment to see what will fit in my laundry room - where I am trying to grow the plants.

Highlands: I have just discovered your site and am enjoying reading and the pictures. Thanks for sharing it all.

comfortablynumb: that skull is way too scary! my kids walked by my office, saw it and loved it!

[blufford]

Here is another link with some good information for you.


http://progressivegardening.com/plantgrowinglights.html

[Delrio]

Originally Posted by meanwhile

Ok = main thing is that it is more complicated than I thought! Thanks! I have several old fixtures in the barn and will experiment to see what will fit in my laundry room!

Everyone just made it sound complicated, it's really not. We just use the plain old flourescent bulbs, hung from the ceiling on chains so you can raise them when needed. Been doing it this way for years, no problems.

[blufford]

[QUOTE=meanwhile]Ok = main thing is that it is more complicated than I thought! Thanks! I have several old fixtures in the barn and will experiment to see what will fit in my laundry room - where I am trying to grow the plants.
QUOTE]


The laundryroom is the perfect place to start plants. Plenty of humidity and you can transplant between wash cycles...lols

[Callieslamb]

I think you only need the full spectrum lights if you want them to bloom indoors. Otherwise, you will do fine to grow vegetable garden seedlings under flor.tube lights. I try to find one warm and one cool for each fixture- and use 2 fixtures over a 2' deep shelf. (4 bulbs total) I also put aluminum foil on the back side of the shelf so the light is reflected back into the shelf area. I have done this for years with very good results.

[meanwhile]

OH! Humbug - I am on dial up and so I did not see your picture yesterday! It did not load but tonight it is there and what a great set up you have! I am printing a picture so the children and I can try to rig up something similar. I have a rack already and I have two of those metal flor. light fixtures - so we will rig up something like that.

blufford - thank you for the link, that helps too. I have a wonderful laundry room! We built it ourselves this summer. It has an old sink with drain board in there, tons of windows and shelves - it is really will be great place to start up the plants.

I have not tried to start plants inside for years - probably 20 years (hummmm lets see....my oldest son will be 20 yrs old in 4 weeks.....I wonder if that means something?)....and people have given us lots of seeds this year and we would like to try to start them inside. Thank you for the ideas and links everyone.

Thank you to all.

[humbug]

Meanwhile..I sent you a pm about the stand..and thanks I am very happy with it..if anyone wants a copy of the plans pm me with your email and I will send them to you.

[saramark]

humbug, your house looks just like mine. Even the rug is the EXACT same. Do you happen to have a Tower Doublewide Trailer? It is uncanny the resemblance. I also use shop light 4' ballasts. We use grow light bulbs and have had pretty good results in the last few weeks, even though the weather in Maine in January is pretty dim.

Mark

[humbug]

Saramark... mine is a Champion...I want to replace the carpet with hardwood floors...ahh..maybe someday...

[hunter63]

First let me say, Humbug, I like your stand, especially the adjustable light hangers, as the distance from the light to the plants seem to be more important than the type of light used (There, I said it)

Tried all sorta of lights over the years and never saw much difference between them, even a 2500 watt Mec-vapor w/transformer, (got it from a guy that grew "other crops"). Light shown out the basement windows, looked like a space ship down there and the cheap timer cycled ever 1-1/2 hrs or so. Gave it back.

I use the cheap 5 shelf metal units that are always on sale at the "Menards, Home Depot etc". About $10 to 15 bucks. About 70" tall, 5 shelves, approx 16" between them.
Each shelf will hold 2 flats, so a full "Rack" will hold 10 flats, w/5 lights
Lights are 48" "shop lites" also cheap, (on sale sometimes only $3-10 bucks each, w/38 watt fluorescent (2 bulbs per fixture).
I use 2 of the flats with holes, wire tied together, to raise the planted flats to a couple of inches from the bulb, removing layers as the plants grow.
This seems to be the most important part, you don't get "leggy" plants.

I have backed off, first, the bottom layer on each rack, (at almost ground level), because it's hard to bend over to water and the cat thought they were litter boxes?
Also backed off the top shelf, also a pain to water. Still leaves 9 positions.
They don't look as good as yours, but I have been using them for 25 years.

(Interestingly enough, you can really tell the older racks from the later one as the metal thickness and over fit was much better on the older ones.)

Had three racks at one time (30 flats) but have backed off to just one. You don't have to plant ever seed in the pack, just what your gonna use.
Other shelves are now hold my "Prep" stuff.
Good luck on the upcoming growing season.