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Growing from Seed

T5 vs T12 lighting

15 years ago

Hello everyone new gardener here. I am building a seed starting station and was going through all the old post I could find, but they all seem to be a few yrs old .

Looking around at the diy stores they seem to have alot of T5 fixtures now. I don't have the $ to just buy a grow stand, and trying to be as cost saving as I can. ie building it myself.

Is T12 on the way out? Will a 2 tube T5 fixture due for seed starting?

And if anyone is interested, my plan is. Putting the light under my aquarium 2x4 stand and starting the seeds on the bottom.shelf.

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Comments (3)

rinomanfroni
15 years ago
For personal current experience, I can tell you that the grow light should be 2" away from the tray.

T12 can be good to germinate seedlings, but it will be bad for the overall growth. On the other hand, a T5 is good both for germination AND for the plant growth. That means your plant would most likely become leggy under a T12 light, but still it will be much better than no light at all though.

You can buy some cheap ballast for your fluorescent bulbs at the Home Depot or even at Walmart, (I think you would not spent more than 10 dollars for each one). I also know that many people who just want to germinate and maintain their seedlings alive until transplant buy 40 Watt fluorescent bulbs, which come for just $3 each. That's pretty much a bargain compared to a full spectrum T5 bulb, and it will allow you to buy more than one.
jeremyjs
15 years ago
There are only 3 important differences I've been able to ascertain. The t5 is more efficient, costs more, and has a longer bulb/ballast life. Other than that there are no differences as far as growing plants. The t5 gets about 10-12 more lumens per watt than the t12, but you can get 3 4' t12 lamps and good bulbs for about the cost as 1 t5 with good bulbs.
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The sprawlmarts where I live (and they are HUGE Walmarts with full grocery) do NOT carry shop lights. Not all sprawlmarts are created equal! ;-) I have one T8 and one T12 fixture. In some ways I like the T12 better for the plants because it seems to be wider. The bulbs are a little bigger, and they are spaced a little further apart, so the overall shop light is wider. When I slide my tray under it, I seem to get much better coverage then I do from the T8. Here in Southern Ontario, I can't find a shop light for under $35.00. I bought a T8 for $39.00 as it seemed to make sense that if I was going to fork out that much money, what is another $4.00 for a more energy efficiant fixture that will likely still have bulbs available and easy to find 5-10 years from now?? (sorry about the hijacking the thread, from what I have read, either fixture is fine, they both put off the same amount of light. I am sure you can find fixtures that are wider and thiner in both t12 and t8. This has just been my personal experiance!)
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rawb
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey all, thanks for the replies. I think I am going to go with two 2ft T8's. I would like to go 2 wide, but alas the budget won't allow for that this yr. So I am hoping two should suffice.

I am growing under an abandoned 55 gal aquarium stand, and will have the area inclosed with foil covered cardboard. Hopefully that will keep it bright enough, that the seedlings not directly under the lights won't get leggy. Guess I'll find out! LoL.. Thanks again.

Rob

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