Re: light for seedlings in greenhouse vs house

Gilder, pretty good thoughts, I should say....I suspect you're right as I
think there are as many ways of starting seedlings as there are gardeners. 
For seeds requiring warmth to germinate; start in the house and move to
greenhouse or coldframe upon germination.  For seeds requiring cool temps
to germinate; start in cool greenhouse, cold frame or by putting pots/flats
outside until they germinate, plus many variations on the theme.  There is
no one RIGHT way to start seeds...whatever works best is it!

I'm no greenhouse authority, just getting one last fall, but do believe
that the amount of daylight received by any plants in a glass greenhouse
will be of much higher intensity than artificial light...unless maybe
you've got one of those situations with fluorescent lights a few inches
from the seedlings and which can be raised as the seedlings grow...and new
lamps for the fixtures.  Or the - is it metal halide? lights which put out
very high intensity light.

Of course, unless you provide artificial light during hours of darkness,
they won't be getting light for as long as they would under "lights".

If your greenhouse is oriented properly to receive east, south and west
sun, seedlings, even without supplemental light, should do just fine. 
Actually, they'll do just fine even without optimum orientation.  I've got
quite a few in mine, which is basically an east/south/north orientation and
is shaded by the house in the afternoon...a little bit of leaning toward
east, but that's easily offset by turning the pots and flats....seem to be
growing quite strongly.  One plus for a marginally heated greenhouse is the
temps. stay cool, which helps make more compact and tougher seedlings.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Glider Onair <mephitus@hotmail.com>
> Date: Wednesday, March 17, 1999 3:39 PM
> 
> 
> 
> <<if I had a greenhouse and put the seedlings into it right now, they 
> wouldn't
> have the same amount of light they are getting artificially;
> 
> doesn't that matter?>>
> 
> I imagine it does matter, but then I don't have a greenhouse to test my 
> theory for certain.
> 
> I would suggest that most people starting seeds in a greenhouse probably 
> use supplemental lighting?  Or else start the seeds indoors and move 
> them out to the greenhouse after they get bigger?  Just thoughts from 
> the top of my head, which is generally empty.
> 
> Thanks for flying,
> Glider in Zone 5

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