Shedding Light on Grow Lights
Grow lights are helpful for seed starting and don't have to be expensive.
WHAT TO BUY
Q: What grow lights should I buy?
Answers:
• Any cool temperature light will do for seed starting.
• Don't waste money on expensive lighting systems unless you plan to grow the plants to maturity.
• Walmart 4 ft. Led shoplight 5500 lumens. Great for seedlings and small plants
• I have been using regular florescent shop lights for over 20 years. They are fine for baby veggies.
REFLECTIVE MATERIAL
If you use reflective materials around the growing area, you could use less lights!
Reflector material means a little light goes a long way. It can help keep seedlings from stretching to find light.
The past few years I've used cardboard lined with aluminum foil. This year I'll use mylar material(what party balloons are made of).
Many people are successful with mylar emergency blankets or heavier rolled mylar.
The caution I give is that you monitor the temperature and soil moisture if you have seedlings facing a south window to catch sunshine with reflective material behind them. Don't burn up or dry out your seedlings!
DISTANCE
Q: I bought a grow light. How far should it be placed above my plants? How long should they be on?
Answers:
• Read the directions they will tell you for your light.
• Place the back of your hand below light. Move up until back of hand gets hot. This is the danger zone for too close. Place plants where you can hold your hand comfortably under light.
• Depends on the light. If like a shop light, I put them super close. If an led (like a spyder or maars hydro), then maybe low setting at 6-10 inches away. Watch them. If the start getting leggy, move them closer. If they start looking burned, put a little farther away.
• I also use foil baking pans with clear lids with my seeds in solo cups as a green house till the sprout then take lid off and place grow light over them about 2 “ high so they will have strong stems. When they get about 3” with thick stems keep light 6” above until they start bushing out, then I raise the light 12” above and transplant up. At that point I can move them to a greenhouse to be planted in the ground. I live in northern Michigan and this is the best method for me.
• Maximum is 16 hours of light
TIME
Q: My first 2 years starting seeds indoors I had my grow light set to 12 hours on, 12 hours off. I feel like this year I'm hearing 16 hours on, 8 hours off everywhere. Is there a reason why you would choose one over the other? Pros & Cons?
Answers:
• That's a complicated question. It really depends on PAR output of the light and the plants requirements. 16 hours is the max
• For my lights, I do Spring 13 hours of light. Summer 18 hours of light.
• The pros and cons really boil down to cost and plant growth. More time on means more plant growth, but more cost. If you are seed starting with low intensity lights, you can run into a lower limit where the plants don't get enough total light and the plants get leggy. If you have a lower intensity light setup, then you may need the lights on for 16 hours to get enough total light. If you didn't have leggy plants last year and were happy with their growth, then it sounds like 12 hours was sufficient. You may also start with a longer time and dial it back some after you get true leaves. More leaf area means more light is absorbed by the plant.
• I have my lights set for sunrise to sunset. Mimics outdoors as the time under the lights naturally gets longer.
• I set mine on a timer for 14 hours on. That gives them a long rest period, which is where a lot of growth actually happens
• I put my onions on the top shelf with their lights on one timer - they get 10 hours. Everything else is below, with all the other lights on a second timer - they get 14 hours.
Quick video about the basics https://www.facebook.com/reel/1542519706249328?mibextid=9drbnH&s=yWDuG2&fs=e
🌱🌞 Build Your Own Custom Grow Light Stand : A Budget-Friendly DIY Guide 🌞🌱
Grow light kits from garden specialty brands are way too expensive. With a few basic parts from the hardware store (and no tools or special skills), you can build your own grow light stand and grow up to 720 beautiful transplants for this spring’s garden. Learn how to build your own grow stand on the blog!
https://strawberrymoonfarm.com/build-your-own-custom-grow-light-stand-a-budget-friendly-diy-guide/
#learnandgrow
#trysomethingnew #tryagain
#yesyoucan #dontquit
