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Carrollton, Ga.

Hi,
How many of you use regular fluorescent lights? What kind of tubes do you use in them? Warm, cool? Just wanted to see what different kinds people use. I am not able to use real grow lights, so just looking for a good substitute. I found this link http://www.walterreeves.com/how_to/article.phtml?cat=26&id=354 that shows how to build a neat fluorescent light stand. It says to use one cool white and one warm white tube to get proper light for plants. This site also has other neat things in the how to section.

Doug Adams
1st Cor. 3:7

4/29/2005 8:22:56 AM

Western NY

I use those big lighting fixtures that hold 4 standard 4' bulbs. i mix two grow lights with two of the cheap shop lights. for the vegetables that are in flats, i turn the flats around every other day so that they get hit with the different lights.i have 3 of these lighting fixtures in a big "chamber" with doors that open out. lights are about 6 inches above the plants on average. i'll try to get a pic of it sometime. works pretty well.

4/29/2005 8:34:41 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

One Cool/One Warm is what we always use.

4/29/2005 9:08:40 AM

Montoursville, PA

Doug, Four to six days after emergence you want to get out there in the patch. In those few days any light close in on the seedlings is fine. Keep them close and give them fifteen to eighteen hours a day.

If you are hanging a dandy out, in the cold frame I would mix the bulbs and keep them up a couple, of inches. In your mind visualize a few days, of hardening off the seedlings with light support. In this case I would reduce the hours every two days attempting to lead the plant into the real world daylight situation. On a few of those next several days you will likely be giving them as much or more light than you get on a cloudy day.

As easily as you can harden them off and as soon as you get them tuned into the real world the sooner they will be ready to take off when the temperatures rise a little.

4/29/2005 12:28:26 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

I agree with what's been said... one major point that needs
to be said here is with flourescent tubes, get them very close
to the seedlings. Like 2 inches close... this is much more
important than the types of bulbs used, although that can
also me a consideration.

4/29/2005 1:48:02 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

...be a consideration.

4/29/2005 1:48:31 PM

i just use cool white bulbs. they're not under it for very long anyway. a week tops.

4/29/2005 2:50:03 PM

Colo.Spgs.CO. Pikes Peak Chapter @ [email protected]

I mix them up in the big 4 foot fixtures like andy,and I use a cool, warm,chroma50,and or sunshine bulbs as then the plants will get all the different spectrums of beneficial light they need. I used this method years ago keeping clones alive all winter, and it works very well, although as your bulbs age their performance drops dramatically, which in turn affects plant growth...Word of advice is don't use old worn out bulbs if you want to see your plant's true potential..Also the entirety of the area where where the plants and fixtures are, I painted white so that the light reflects,and maximizes the full lighting potential of the fixtures, and also , it is also best to keep the area enclosed so that the heat from the lights will also be of a great benefit to your plants,and if you need a little air circulation around the plants,one can always put a little fan inside of the enclosure...Happy growing.....JK

4/30/2005 4:17:52 AM

Follansbee, Wv

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=30676

That is an excerpt from my diary. It describes the bulbs I use. A few posts later shows a pic of a 16 day old plant grown under those bulbs. The plant was very healthy.

4/30/2005 10:03:15 AM