Re: Grow lights - Best results!
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Grow lights - Best results!
- From: S*@aol.com
- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 15:56:49 EDT
O.K., I've done a lot of research on this. First of all you should NEVER use
incandescent bulbs! You can use just 2 COOL WHITE flourescent tubes (40W),
which will provide the bluer end of the wavelength which is needed for stocky
growth.
BUT, there have been many studies done, and the BEST combination is one tube
of regular 40 Watt COOL WHITE flourescent, and one 40W WARM WHITE flourescent
tube, (OR if you cannot find WARM WHITE, go with one "grow light" tube which
will provide enough of the warmer end of the spectrum, while keeping overall
balance towards the cooler end, which helps encourange stockiness).
Next, make sure you use NEW tubes. After a couple weeks of use, take them out
and use them for regular lighting fixtures and use NEW tubes for the plants.
You may not see any difference, but the decreased output will be noticed by
the plants.
Next, the tops of the plants (especially seedlings!) need to be as CLOSE to
the tube surface as possible without touching it, no more than 2 inches for
seedlings (seedlings need more intense lighting than bigger plants), but
probably not closer then an inch, since they can grow to touch the tube in a
few hours and touching the tube could cause some tissue damage because of the
heat).
Next, place the plants in the MIDDLE of the tubes, do not place any plants
under the last 6 inches on each end of them, since the light output is not
intense enough and seedlings will be more spindly.
NEXT, rotate the plants. Rotate 180 degrees every other day so that each side
of plants gets a balanced mixture of the different spectrums of light from
each bulb.
NEXT, KEEP THEM COOL. Even though flourescent tubes are relatively cool, when
they are close to the tubes, it definitely is warmer. Seedlings should be
grown at no more than 70 degres F during the day, and 10 degrees cooler at
night. This is harder to do than you might think indoors.
NEXT, DO NOT keep the lights on all night! Some people think this is good,
but it just messes up the plants natural system. It doesn't benefit them at
all.
Keep the lights on about 15 hours a day, and no more than 16. I always use a
timer to turn them on and off automatically, because there is no way you can
remember to do it ALL the time manually! Trust me! At night, make sure that
the plants get darkness.
Finally, keep the plants away from drafts, BUT make sure there is good
circulation at the same time. Keeo them evenly moist, (I use a really diluted
Miracle Grow solution for watering about every other day. It keeps growth
even. As soon as the first true leaves start to appear, it needs some sort of
soil nutrients.
And of course, you don;t want to keep seedlings of A.G.'s growing like this
for too long, since they don't take easy to transplanting. I personally
prefer direct seeding becaus eof this, but if you really need an early start,
this method is the best.
For other plants, this produces MUCH BETTER plants than could ever be grown
in a greenhouse or outdoors!
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