Lights for seedlings

[Tomatovator]

I've been growing some plants from seed just to get it down by next season when I grow them for the garden. I've been using a 24" fluorescent fixture but it got too small. I picked up a 48" shoplight today and 2 40w fluorescent lights. One is a "Sunlight" light and one is a "Aquarium and Plant" light. Are these OK to use. From what I've read you are to use one cool light and one sunlight type. I didn't get the cool white as the store only had it in 32w. I got the aquarium/plant light instead.

[JerryL]

I’ve been using whatever is on sale for years. I have 12 - 48” double bulb fixtures that have 32w and 40w mixed. Some fixtures are T8 and some are T12 with daylight, cool white, sunlight and probably some others I don’t remember the name of all mixed together. All my plants have done very well each year.

My $.02 says it doesn’t make much difference.

[dcarch]

Originally Posted by Tomatovator

I've been growing some plants from seed just to get it down by next season when I grow them for the garden. I've been using a 24" flourescent fixture but it got too small. I picked up a 48" shoplight today and 2 40w flourescent lights. One is a "Sunlight" light and one is a "Aquarium and Plant" light. Are these OK to use. From what I've read you are to use one cool light and one sunlight type. I didn't get the cool white as the store only had it in 32w. I got the aquarium/plant light instead.

Aquarium lights may be too blue.

32w may have the same lumin output as 40w bulbs.

Most fixtures have poor reflectors. You can try gluing aluminum foil (shine side) on the reflector. You get lots more light output.

Invest in the best and most efficient fixtures. It really pays in the long run.

dcarch

[Tomatovator]

I found a 48" DiamondPlate fixture at Home Depot that is all chrome or bright steel. It is not white. It has a mirror-like finish and is very reflective. I have high hopes for this one.

[LoreD]

If you want the ultimate drool item go to Farmtek online and check out their SIX BULB shoplight with aluminum reflectors. Six bulb shoplight and six grow light bulbs for $179.00 plus shipping.

My daughter said that if I put one of these babies in each of my shelves that I would have a problem with airplanes trying to land in my bedroom window.

MORE GROW POWER!

LoreD

[username5]

Originally Posted by LoreD

If you want the ultimate drool item go to Farmtek online and check out their SIX BULB shoplight with aluminum reflectors. Six bulb shoplight and six grow light bulbs for $179.00 plus shipping.

My daughter said that if I put one of these babies in each of my shelves that I would have a problem with airplanes trying to land in my bedroom window.

MORE GROW POWER!

LoreD

Years ago when I considered the lighting options I just went with HID lighting. Sure, it is more expensive upfront, but more lumens per watt, lasts nearly forever and those bad boys can penetrate 18" of plant canopy no problem.

I think the primary thing that convinced me to spend the extra cash upfront was seeing people spend well over $100 on 'fancy' flouros or absurdly overpriced plant stands. $250 gets a 400 watt MH light, ballast and reflector.

The other thing was 'light creep'. Year one someone would go out and buy a couple cheapy 48" shop lights and standard bulbs, next year they would invest in the overpriced 'grow bulbs' and buy an additional unit and on and on until the person had spent more than they would have just buying the HID lighting in the first place

[montanamato]

It really depends on how long and what you are growing under lights...I simply use them for seed starting, and once they are a few inches high they go into south windows...I have been lucky to have large south facing windows almost everywhere I have lived....Last year was my first year using lights, in 20+ years of seed starting, and I actually saw no difference in my seedlings ...except crud for the first year ever...
I agree with Jerry...For my purposes, general shop lights give me some additional space for sheer volume, but I don't think I would gain much my spending more...

Jeanne

[bcday]

The lights you have are OK to use. You don't have to use cool white tubes. It's just generally suggested because they are less expensive, and they give enough light to raise seedlings for transplant.

The plant light will work, though. I use the same plant lights for raising tomato seedlings in the spring that I use for indoor flowering plants over the winter. They do fine.

Keep track of the number of hours the lights are used, because fluorescent light output falls off after a while. Even though the light will still look bright to you, it won't be bright enough for growing plants and your seedlings will show the effects. Fluorescent tubes that are used year-round for growing plants are supposed to be replaced every year. If you only use them for a few weeks a year, you can keep them longer.

[dcarch]

Please check with your local regulations regarding propper disposal of fluorescent bulbs.

dcarch

[Plant Lady]

I have been using 48" cheap double tube shop light fixtures for years, and what ever tubes I can find at the time. But if you have one cool tube and one warm tube then you will get a fairly good color spectrum without all the exspense of other tubes. My tomatoes and peppers do fine under these until they go outside. One reminder...Be sure that the lights are no futher then 2-4 inches away from the plants at all times, you can always use something under your seedlings to bring them up to the light and then adjust them as they grow. Also there is less light at the end of the tubes, so you may want to rotate your flats so that all seedlings get the same amount of light. Another thing I do is to always have extra tubes on hand, since I live in the boonies running to the store to get tubes is not always an option, when I might need one.

[tjg911]

I've grown under shop lights for 2 seasons. I recommend the 48" cheap ($7.50 a set) home depot light fixtures (no special reflectors) with 99 cent tubes. I researched this at GW in the growing under lights forum for a while. I never do anything without researching. My conclusion was that this stated setup was fine. Instead I used 1 cool and 1 warm bulb per fixture. 1 of those tubes was 99 cents the other $5. I grow a lot of things from seeds under these lights and the results are excellent.

My friend was impressed with this idea (starting under lights vs spindly window sill plants), he was getting back into gardening and checked out my setup. He built the same pvc stand and bought the same fixtures but he used the 99 cent tubes. His tomatoes grew faster and much larger than mine by early May. I was stunned at the difference but he fertilized too much imho. Now there could be many other variables and I am sure there are but my point is the 99 cent tubes work just fine. If I had to replace one of my $5 tubes I assure you it would be with a 99 cent tube. My plants are very healthy (all types of vegetables not just tomatoes).

If money is no object buy expensive fancy scmancy expensive tubes. It's your choice. Hey, if money was no object I'd drive a Porsche 911 Turbo with 480 horsepower, 460 lb ft of torque, 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, 1/4 mile in 12 seconds for about $150,000 nicely equipped. Money is an object so I drive a Honda Civic with 93 horsepower the rest of the stats don't matter.

YMMV,

Tom

[dcarch]

My setup:

I bought some ballasts cheap on eBay, and home-made the fixtures.

250 watt metal halide ($35.00) color temperature: 3500K
2 x 65 watt power compact fluorescent ($40.00) color temperature 6000K.

Very very very bright. I can do more than just seedlings.

Next year I will try over-driving regular fluorescent tubes.
dcarch

[George Sims]

Agree with tig911. I've just been using some old castoff 24" fixtures (single-tube) that came from my kids' old study tables. No problems. No special bulbs. Maybe the expensive ones work better, but I haven't had any trouble out of these!!

[gardengalrn]

I think I agree with those that say regular old shop lights work well cause that is what I use ;P I have quite an assortment of sizes and shapes and have probably spent enough on them over the years to account for a cool growing system you can buy from one of the catalogs. I'm just not that gentle with them and tend to replace bulbs and whatnot frequently and since I think my plants do well, I'll probably stick to this method. Generally, my plants do well until it's time to start getting them outside, and that is just a whole other story, LOL.