Grow Light vs Cloudy Day Lumenosity
oilrigg
11 years ago
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oilrigg
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Cloudy vs sunny ... effect on germination?
Comments (2)It shouldn't slow it down, and may help the seedbed stay damp because it's not heating up as much in sunlight. Even on cloudy days a good chunk of solar radiation makes it through. This is why you can get a sunburn even in light cloud. If your clouds are very heavy it'll slow initial growth a bit, but that's about all....See MoreAnyone Extending the Growing Season in Cloudy Climates?
Comments (1)Many of the leafy cold-tolerant vegetables can be successfully grown in unheated greenhouse structures during the winter. In addition, root crops such as parsnips, rutabaga, and carrots can be grown, especially if you get them started before the days become short. The growth slows and ultimately stops for a period in winter but plants stay alive, so you simply harvest them as needed. Spinach, baby lettuce, and arugula could be planted now, though they will grow very slowly. I have only spinach, lettuce, turnip greens, and carrots growing now, since I was late removing my summer crops from my hoophouse to make room for sowing the winter crops. The best resource for learning about unheated winter growing in a greenhouse is Eliot Coleman's "Winter Harvest Handbook." It can be frustrating ferreting out the information in a way that can be easily applied, but it's pretty much all there....See MoreGrow Lights vs Outdoor Greenhouse for indoor seeds
Comments (9)Now for my fourth year I am growing hosta seedlings in my basement. I started the first seeds the middle of November and have now 3x3 inch plants. I grow them under 24 hrs fluorescent lights on two shelves in the basement. I use 4ft common fluorescent lights like you can buy at big box stores, suspend them on chains 1 inch above domes of seed trays or plant leaves. I have the seedtrays and lights enclosed with 2 walls and old towels. The heat from fluorescent lights is enough to raise the temperature under plastic domes to close to 80 dgrs, in the area without domes to 71 dgrs in a 60 dgrs basement. This is enough for hostas, so I no longer use heat mats. I also use cardboard with aluminum foil taped on it standing around the hanging lights and plant trays to reflect any light back to the plants. So I have created grow chambers which I only open once a day to check, if I need to replenish water in the trays. Water contains half-strength Miraclegrow tomato fertilizer. A former neighbor was an engineering liason to a lighting manufacturer. He said that the benefits of special growing lights are minimal, so he himself used only basic fluorescent lights in growing seedlings. Here in upstate NY temperatures will be warm enough at the beginning of May to bring my seedlings outside. I will place them in shade and bring them into the garage should temperatures dip below 50 dgrs....See MoreLong-day vs. Short-day Onions
Comments (12)Looking for the one perfect onion, huh? :-) Seriously, what is your primary goal? Flavor? Only non-sweet? Bulb size? Saving seeds while still having edible onions? Experimentation and pushing the envelope? Etc.? There are easy answers for each one of those but sadly there is no one perfect onion variety that could even come close to perfect for all those goals. Don't we wish! Seed saving for onions is a total waste of time IMO simply because the seeds have such a short life span/viability without expensive ideal storage conditions and even then it is still short. Plus, even when viable, yes there are health, sterility, and production issues with F1 seeds unless they are crossed under ideal conditions. Flavor is as much a product of the growing conditions you provide - soil pH, consistent soil moisture levels, consistent nutrient levels, spacing, planting/harvesting date, proper planting depth (bulbs form above ground), etc. - as it is of the variety. So be sure to re-evaluate all those factors too. Bulb size is exclusively a result of growing the proper day length so unless we want to move or invest in high pressure floodlights, we are stuck (so to speak). But we can make some trade offs - accept smaller bulbs to grow some of the long-day varieties (just grow more of them), change planting dates drastically and protect if necessary, and do everything we can to insure proper growing conditions soil and water wise. Several have mentioned all the great info available at Dixondale Farms in Carrizo Springs, Texas so if you haven't explored all the info they offer please do so. Dave...See Moreart33
11 years agooilrigg
11 years agoart33
11 years agoyahs_kid
8 years agoOldDutch (Zone 4 MN)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoaruzinsky
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoOldDutch (Zone 4 MN)
8 years agoSam Elder
last yearzen_man
last yearlast modified: last year
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