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Mill Bay, British Columbia

On the suggestion of my Island grower friends, I bought a grow light to use instead of placing seedlings in my window which has worked fine except for once in a while when they get a bit leggy.

I bought a GE Brightstik and my question is how far from the seedlings should the light be placed. I have installed it on a system that can be raised and lowered as the plants grow but could not find details on how far to place the light from the plants for optimum use.

Any input would be great.

Thanks/Glenn

4/18/2005 3:08:13 PM

Belgium

I keep mine about 4" above the seedlings and so far using lights I haven't gotten any leggy plants.

Jake

4/18/2005 3:31:54 PM

New Jersey

As close as possible without burning the plants. The intensity of the light will diminish with distance, so it's a balancing act with distance vs heat.

4" sounds like a safe range for flouro's...

4/18/2005 6:02:26 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

When should seedlings go under the lights? I've got some practice seeds that are starting to bust out of their potting mix. One of them is getting pretty tall already (is this what you mean by "leggy"?). So, I can't keep them in the germinator for much longer. Should they go under now?

4/18/2005 6:53:09 PM

Rhode Island

glen
ron and i have used professional grow lights after germination for a couple years now
we use two 4 ft bulbs and keep adjusting the bulbs to stay 1 and 1/2 inches above the leaves ( no higher )
professional grow bulbs dont really throw that much heat , they just provide light for growth
the higher up you keep the bulbs the taller and more leggy the seedling will want to grow
pap

4/18/2005 7:27:02 PM

Rhode Island

glen
forgot to mention we also tape a layer of aluminum foil on the front and back of the hood so more light reflects around the plants
pap

4/18/2005 7:28:39 PM

Port Alberni, BC, Canada

Glenn, I use four 4ft full spectrum fluorescent tubes. There is very little heat so keep the plants 2-4 inches below the light. Raise as neccesary. Works great.

4/19/2005 2:19:07 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Thanks everyone, competition plants start soon so I wanted to make sure I got it right.

Glenn

4/19/2005 10:56:34 AM

Joliet, IL

instead of foil, you can take mylar, 99% reflective, and
drape it around your plants and the lights for maximum
lumens hitting every angle. if you place mylar under the
plants, you also utilize reflective upward light too.
when using mylar, always place duct tape on both sides
where you are going to punch a hole through to avoid
tearing. each corner of your encircling mylar drape is
supported from wire attached to your ceiling or to a make
-shift movable posts by taking one foot square pieces of
plywood and nailing a 5' tall 2x4 to it. sort of like a
coat rack in each corner. when it hangs around the set up,
it looks a shower curtain that encircles a bathtub for when
a bathtub is used as a shower. get the 6 mil stuff that
comes in 4' rolls for maximum relflection and durability.

4/21/2005 7:57:15 PM

Brighton, MI

have any of you use grow lights in the pasture, do the plants need rest or not. Any thoughts?

4/27/2005 6:26:49 PM