skip to main content

Growing under Lights

Starting seeds under lights ?

14 years ago

Hey everyone. I just started my seeds yesterday evening. I have broccoli,brussel sprouts, 3 different kinds of peppers, and some tomatoes. Do I need to start my overhead lights now or wait until they sprout to turn them on. I do have a heating mat going at 75 degrees and have them in regular seed trays with plastic domes.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

eaglesgarden
14 years ago
You should wait to turn on the overhead lights until they break the surface.

As an aside, you are going to have to remove the dome when the coles and tomatoes come up, even if the peppers are not up. The peppers will probably take a week or so longer than the others. The coles will probably be up in 3-4 days, tomatoes 4-7 days and the peppers (even with the heating mat) could take up to 3 weeks, depending on your variety.

Try to keep the lights (if they are CFLs) as close as possible to the plants and on for about 16 hours/day. 2-3 inches from the tallest leaf is standard. You may need to adjust things from tallest to shortest and raise on side of the lights higher than the other as they grow.
brandond
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for that information. When should I turn my heat mats off. Should I wait until after germination,or wait longer. I also read that broccoli,cauliflower and brussel sprouts dont require bottom heat.
Related Discussions
How do you start your cool veggies in the heat?
Q
Comments (12)
Okay. Last year, farmerdill gave me his planting schedule for fall gardens. I copied it all into my garden journal so I wouldn't forget. Here goes. Mid July: Start collards, brocolli, cauliflour, and cabbage from seed. Sow it into pots, barely covering the seed with a light dusting of potting mix. Set the pots into dappled shade and water daily. Dappled shade for me is on my deck under the deck benches. Underneath there, the plants get full sun in the morning until approximately midday and light to full shade the rest of the day. It works. This year too, remarkably. Also, in July, I pull most of my first crops: tomatoes, beans, squash, etc. which are now finished and replant them, beginning to leave room for cool season crops. This year I have successfully seeded okra, cowpeas, cucumbers, and squash, though last year mildew got the squash and cucs. Also, it's helpful to keep the squash under row covers to keep squash vine borers away from them at least until they begin to bloom. August:Late month direct sow turnips, rutabagas, mustard greens, and Asian greens. You can also sow carrots and beets, though I have yet to get a good stand of beets. Septembmer: set out your seed started brassicas from July around the middle of the month. You can still direct sow leafy greens too. Mid month, start onion seeds (short day) in flats. And in the third or fourth week, plant lettuce, garlic, spinach (tough), and red mustard. Plant the onion seedlings into the garden in late November or early December. It helps to get better germination in extreme heat if you cover the sown beds with fabric row cover and water through the fabric. I guess it holds the moisture in the beds longer. You certainly need to water daily until germination, which is really fast, 3-4 days for most things. I have only had a fall garden two years now, but it's wonderful! I keep all my greens and lettuces under floating row covers draped over fence wire hoops and both years, absolutely everything lived and produced all winter long. (Temps above 10 both winters.) I also mulch the beds well with pinestraw. This is for freeze protection, but it also has a benefit of keeping the greens perfectly clean. If you harvest the leaves with scissors and don't pull the plants out by the roots, cleaning the greens is a snap. I hope this helps you!
...See More
Starting seeds under light
Q
Comments (3)
gardengimp, Your set up looks fine to me. Your seedlings are badly leggy but that is at this point fixable when you transplant so no worries. Most people complain about the lack of a good space for a "grow station" you have a lot of room. You could easily add at least 2 more light fixtures as they are only what $12 or so each? The joy of florescent light is each fixture takes less energy than a single incandescent bulb so it is also economical. In looking at your set up if you wanted to maximize your space while also minimizing on fixtures you could lay the light fixtures out like one would hardwood flooring (sort of)....meaning start one fixture at the start of your stand and stagger them. Yes you would have some gaps but as long as you keep the lights close it would be ok. I use one of our unused bedrooms and I simply turn off the heat to the room. As a rule I am always trying to slow the seedlings down. IMHO the east window will not help much at all. What the plants want and need is intense direct sun. Direct sun and indirect light are two different critters. I keep my seedlings next to a window but that is more for ventilation and I like to open the window and give them a nice cold draft once in awhile as they start to size up. Another thing is try to give them a weak fertilizer that pushes root development. I just got my seeds started on the 16th, only one day later than schedule which isnÃ¯Â¿Â½t bad seeing I have been battling the flu for 16 freaking days now. Far as your electrical question the circuit breaker will say how many amps it is (probably 15 or 20). If it is say a 15 amp you could run 15 fixtures so 30 bulbs on that circuit and still be way inside the margin of safety. Now granted you have other things on the circuit so just using the 15 fixtures to demonstrate how miserly fluorescents are with power.
...See More
Starting seeds under lights and different heights
Q
Comments (2)
It's as easy as longer chains on one side. The lights don't have to be level. You could also use upside down pots or boxes or just about anything under the shorter plants. I would not use magazines or old books if you're using cheap shelves.
...See More
What are you starting from seed in 2012?
Q
Comments (4)
This is my second try with Indian Paintbrush. The first time I got a few to germinate but they didn't thrive. My host plant was liatris. This time I'm trying penstemon. I had lots of little penstemon seedlings that volunteered in my yard and I put a few in the container with my seeds. In another container, I added a couple larger penstemon plants. I don't know if that makes a difference. Just experimenting. I also scattered my left over seeds in the area where my penstemon volunteers are coming up. If none of those work, I might try ordering native grass to plant them with next time. That was a good link Helen, one I hadn't come across. It talks about competition which I hadn't thought about. Here are the others that I sowed this year: This is partly to help ME remember. lol Anise Hyssop Aquilegia formosa (second try with last year's seeds) Phlox - seeds saved from reverted Peppermint Twist. Pulmonaria - last year's saved seeds. Hope these come up because my pulmonaria died and it was a long bloomer. I wish I could say my yard is beautiful Sunny - Most of the time I think it looks more like a weed patch with a few flowers in it. I started out planting a long row of shrubs and trees, and have been tucking some perennials and annuals around it. I wonder if it would've been better to just stick with mostly perennials and a couple shrubs here and there since shrubs don't bloom very long. Check out what this 'new' gardener has accomplished in only a year or so. She has a few hundred MORE containers of seeds to add this spring. Here is a link that might be useful: winter sowing forum - ws'ers dream come true
...See More
eaglesgarden
14 years ago
The peppers NEED bottom heat. They really won't germinate without it. If possible, remove the bottom heat from the coles, leave it under the tomatoes and peppers. Remove the heat from the tomatoes when they sprout. Keep the heat under the peppers until they germinate.

Reasoning: Heat promotes growth. The artificial light set up will lead to leggy (tall, thin, weak stems with very few leaves) plants. Keep the room as cool as possible, and remove the heat source as soon as germination occurs, for stockier, hardier, healthier plants.
pluck
14 years ago
Hi- I have my tomato, pepper starts, artichoke, rhubarb, kale and lettuce under grow lights on a heating pad and have been leaving the lights on 24/7. Will this create any problems? Any suggestions?

Thanks for the help!
Pluck
chinamon
14 years ago
i think you should have your lights on 16 hours a day (8 hours off). plants need rest too.
eaglesgarden
14 years ago
I keep my lights on 16 hours a day normally, but if I want more heat (I use the ballast to bottom heat tomatoes and peppers), or if a seed just germinated, I will leave the lights on all night once, and then go back to the 16 hours of light.

I like to give the seedlings the most light possible when they first germinate, because leggyness can't be undone. My plants are healthy, stocky, and seem to be quite "happy".

I would not leave the lights on 24/7, but an occasional extended period of light shouldn't be a real problem for them.
wordwiz
14 years ago
There's a thread in this section where a guy did an experiment with 24/7 vs. 16/8. Here's a link to it.

Mike
eaglesgarden
14 years ago
Thanks Mike!

After reading that thread...I won't be turning off my lights! I'm willing to risk it!

I want my peppers and tomatoes to produce early, and if running the lights 24/7 does that for his peppers, it can do it for MINE too! It also frees me up from plugging and unplugging every day!

Thanks again!

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Seeds or Seedlings? How to Get Your Garden Started

By Abundant City

Growing delicious herbs and vegetables starts with knowing your goals and when you want to plant

Houzz Interview: Miss Mustard Seed’s Charming Pennsylvania Home

CONTAINER GARDENS 8 Easy Container Plants to Grow From Seed

Get beautiful blooms and herbs in summer by starting these choice garden picks from seed in spring

GARDENING GUIDES How to Plant a New Lawn From Seed

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Choose from more grass varieties and save money over sod by starting your lawn from seed

DECORATING GUIDES How to Decorate When You're Starting Out or Starting Over

No need to feel overwhelmed. Our step-by-step decorating guide can help you put together a home look you'll love

HOUSEPLANTS How to Grow Orchids Indoors

By Marianne Lipanovich

Orchids are the exotic aristocrats of the flower world and can make themselves comfortable in almost any home

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Tips to Start a Garden — Can-Do Ideas for Beginners

By Alison Hodgson

Green up your landscape even if you're short on time, money and knowledge, with these manageable steps for first-time gardeners

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES A Quick-Start Guide to Bird-Watching for Fun and Learning

By Alison Hodgson

Set out some seed and grab your field guide. Bird-watching is an easy, entertaining and educational activity for the whole family

GARDENING GUIDES How to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Clay Soil

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Clay has many more benefits than you might imagine

FUN HOUZZ 14 Things You Need to Start Doing Now for Your Spouse’s Sake

By Mitchell Parker

You have no idea how annoying your habits at home can be. We’re here to tell you

Sponsored

More Discussions

Agrobrite bulb FLC27D 27W 5400K 120V 60Hz: suitable 4 seed starting?

0

Anyone use heat mats for cuttings?

9

What is the secret to full, lush zinnias from seed?

7