Well, if the choice is partial sunlight outside or no lights inside, I'd say might as well try it. Even an overcast sky provides more solar energy than indoors. If you can get them on the south side for maximum exposure that would be good, too. If they aren't hardened off, a cloudy day might be better than a sunny one anyway.

You remember those tanning reflectors people used to put under their chins when laying out under a bleak sun? Foil taped to the side of a cardboard box or three, with a rock inside to keep the wind at bay, might do some good when used as a backdrop with wings. Cheap too.

Are you sure 50-ish degree lows will hurt them? You might leave them out and toss a sheet or two over them at dusk.

You'll have to harden them off first. They can't just go cold turkey from inside to outside. And you risk stunting not to mention the stress of going in and out and having to adjust to environmental changes over and over. And light isn't the only concern. Wind and temps are a greater threat to young seedlings.

Don't know your location so no idea how long before you'd be planting out normally but if you want the best results in the long run then sacrifice some of the extra plants for the good of the others. Or install more lights.

Dave

I think
many of us have some issues when it comes to getting rid of extra seedlings. I
know I certainly do. When you say you
"can't throw out a seedling", I think I can relate to what you're
going through. You look at that small
seedling and thinking of what it can become someday - a huge productive tomato
plant. Your natural reaction is to save
it and give it hope for a happy life.

However,
since you had "better than expected germination rates", I would
surmise that you now have many more plants than you originally intended to have
at this stage. Is your intention to grow
the extras outside increasing your total number of plants? If so, you’ll need to treat the extras with
the same care you’d give the others.
Depending on your location, any attempt to raise the extras outside could
yield tenuous results. Lows could be in
the 50’s this week, but drop back to the 40’s or lower next week.

So, I
think your options are…

• Find the
  strength to discard the extras.

• Find
  someone you could give the extras to (which is what I always attempt to do)

• Do as Dave
  says and find a way to add an additional light fixture.

"

Ran out of room under the grow lights.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Has happened to me.

Just get another set of T8. I started with one, now I have 3 of them running.

Seysonn

I ran out of room under my lights too! haha. This is a good thing...I say save them all...for friends/family. Fifty degrees at night and sixty during the day poses no problem. As stated above...start the sunlight for 1 hr, then 2 hrs, then 3 per day. You get the idea.

Thanks all! I am in zone 7b with a last frost date of 4/15. Been researching all morning for some ideas of what to do. I am growing for myself and friends and needed 30 tomatoes, 12 herbs and 8 pepper plants. I always like to have a few extra "just in case" and started enough for a 75% germination rate, got almost 100%. As of right now they are crammed under the grow lights, some not directly under the lights. I have about 20 plants that I need an alternative for. I do not want to invest in another light strip as next year I want to upgrade my entire system. I am using four F40T12 fluoerscents with 1600 lumens each. (learning a lot this am about lumens) They are in an unheated storeroom on the second floor. The room was sprayed with foam, so maintains a temperature within 5-10 degrees of the house. Temps are usually around 62- 65 degrees up there, give or take a few. I don't want to just throw the seedlings away. Extras I had in the past I gave to the church plant sale. I am thinking of a makeshift coldframe for the extras. I have a storm door on the back that I can replace with the screen now and use the glass window for the "lid". This week and next are supposed to be in the 60's (except Thursday and Friday which will be colder). I have a sheltered south facing location next to the house. It is in partial shade. But I don't have to worry about sun until Sunday, we have a gloomy forecast for the next week. The days won't be a shock for the seedlings, but the nights are forecast to range from 40 - 50 degrees. I have one of those caged lights on a long cord that I could put in the cold frame when heat is needed. Would that generate enough heat in a small space? Think I am going to give this a try. And would appreciate any thoughts you have on this idea.

Jennie

A 100 watt equivalent CFL in a clamp lamp can be good for overflow. Cheap way to add lighting.

I have a hard time following what your set up really looks like and a picture would be worth a 1000 words.

After seriously considering leaving my extras on the steps of the local fire station, I decided to double shift the plants, so the lights are on 24 hours.

My 1st string plants are under them in the pm from according to the plan of 12 to 12, but usually get more, and the 2nd string plants are my am plants. They are not looking as well (getting leggy) but still thriving.

I actually move the lights, not plants, btw. Just put it on stacks of books on each side of each sets of plants. I am working hard since yesterday transplanting since they tolerated this, but it is only a band-aid for a week in a pinch. Do yourself a favor and don't ask for trouble. Select for the best plants like nature would and make life simple. They will be healthier if you dote on your primary family of plants. I never understood cat-ladies. But since becoming a tomato gentleman, I do ;-)

PC

Thanks CaraRose, I have a hinged artist lamp that attaches to a table. Just went searching for it and found it. It has a 22 watt 8 inch circular fluoerescent bulb with a 20 watt CFL in the center. I think combined it would give enough lumens for the herbs and peppers? Moved those underneath it and rearranged tomatoes and I have enough room! Thank you for that suggestion! Next year I am budgeting for a new light set up. So glad I am able to make do with this setup until then.

PC, My lights are hung from the rafters so I can adjust the chains as needed. I have four 40watt t12 CFL over each table. (two tables) The fixtures are very closely spaced hoping to give stronger light. I just moved the herbs and peppers under the artist lamp, so now have room for all the tomatoes. Here's what one setup looks like. And looking over the varieties, I think I could pitch about 5 of the Green Giants and 5 of the Lillian's yellow. My friends and I love the Green when ripes and the yellows, but I don't think they would do well at a church plant sale. I think this should do for a few weeks until weather warms up.

A 20 watt CFL is equivalent to 75 watt. I'd keep it 8-12" above the plants but then rotate the seedlings on the edges to the middle every few days.

<I am in zone 7b with a last frost date of 4/15. >

Then you have a good 6 weeks before plant out and are already out of room. You either started too early or at least transplanted to the cups way too early. Don't see how you are going to be able to avoid sacrificing plants or getting more lights.

Dave

Dave, I think I will be fine now with the extra room I got from moving the herbs and peppers to under the artist lamp and getting rid of the extra Green when ripes and yellows. (Very sad to toss them, but I did) They all have plenty of room under the lights now. I started seeds on the 18th of February, 8 weeks before the last frost date. Which I have always done and believe that is what is recommended. I do dense seeding (well, not real dense, probably 4 seeds to a cell) so as soon as the first true leaves are showing, I transplant them to the dixie cups. That way the roots don't get tangled together as they would if I left them until later. They are tiny, but they always survive. They are tough little plants. I plant them in a cup only half full of potting mix, this allows me to fill in with more mix as they grow and gives them a stronger root system. Here in North Carolina, our springs are generally warm so I will start hardening them off about two weeks before plant out. And they are going into containers, so if it is an unusually cold spring, they can come be moved into the garage during a cold snap. This is how I have always done it since moving to North Carolina and it has worked for me. I was worried about not enough room under the lights, but have solved that problem so I think they will do fine now.

Jennie

I just looked at my calendar, and I started the seeds the 15th, not the 18th. Potted them up yesterday and they were looking pretty wimpy immediately afterwards. If there are 4 in a cell and only 3 have their true leaves, the 4th gets dumped. They usually perk back up really quickly. Went up this afternoon and they are all doing great, in fact I swear they have grown an inch!

<I started seeds on the 18th of February, 8 weeks before the last frost date. Which I have always done and believe that is what is recommended.>

What is usually recommended is to start the plants 6-8 weeks prior to your plant out date (which is not the same as your last frost date). Plant out is normally 10 days to 2 weeks after last frost date to allow the soil to warm sufficiently and the plants to be hardened off properly.

If you can get away with doing both hardening and planting so close to your last frost date, great. But it is risky and can easily cost you all your plants.

Dave

I start to harden mine off 2 weeks before the last frost date, and am just prepared to cover or move them back inside if the weather takes a turn. I almost always plant out the weekend after (or of if it falls on a weekend) of May 15.

Though I've had some planting calendars say my LFD is May 1st (Zone 5b). But most seem to say May 15.

CaraRose, I start hardening mine off 2 weeks prior to zone 7B average last frost date also. The last frost date for my area in Greensboro is April 6, but I never go by that. I plant out April 15th, with an eye to the forecast. If there is a freeze predicted in the 10 day forecast I hold off. We are in the piedmont area, so are usually buffered from the cold fronts by the Blue Ridge and Appalacians to the west. As I plant in containers, if there is a surprise we can haul them into the garage. Takes two of us though! Only had to do that in April 2013.

Dave, I can understand your concern. You are growing hundreds of plants and they are your livelihood. You can't very well haul them all into your garage if the weather turns bad. :-( I am a small time back yard gardener, with only 10 to 15 tomatoes all in containers. This gives me the luxury of being able to protect them if the weather turns unexpectedly. Now when I did have a big garden and the plants were in the ground I was much more conservative.

I have run out of room under the grow lights.

somehow, somewhere, you have to find room. grow lights are cheap. Even if you have to clean off the top shelf of your pantry or closet, you can find room for a 4-ft light. Use the bathtub and find some books to stack at each end to prop up the light. Or give them to friends as suggested above. Grats on your success! Rejoice. Be happy. Be creative.

Jennie, the other thing you might have done, is to run your lights 24 hrs, and rotate out half of the plants for each 12 hour session. I've never had to, but know others that have done it when faced with overflow.