Home Made Grow Lights

[veggiechicken]

And YES you are naughty
Potty

........

7 hours a day worked fine for me last year. In fact they need to rest and could get exausted and run to flower/seed. So you are trying to emulate nature. Because the light if full on intense you can just skip dawn and dusk and go straight to long lovely sunny June day light (7 hours). Lucky things. Be sure when the light is off that they get 100% darkness. If there is any light at all they will reach for it and get leggy. So plug out your light and chuck a blanket or something over them. It's like they really do go to sleep. I'd take a look during the day when the light was off and the Tomato leaves would be pointing upwards like they were closing their eyes, mad. Or maybe I am? Just from observation they seem to suck up the energy and bask when the light is on and then do their growing in the dark.

Nice to know there's somebody sensible around here, Redser. Someone who tucks their plants up under a blanket at night Probably reads them a bedtime story too

[redser]

Dont be rediculous.
btw - they like the little engine that could, spurs them on. Keep it to yourself.

[Bigmallly]

Bu99er the blanket, I'll just draw the curtain.............

[veggiechicken]

But you will keep the noise down so that they can sleep..........

[redser]

No! They love music. It's like you can see them swaying their little green arms, lighters in hand. Try Hey Jude.
Right I'm off to bed myself

[Ananke]

Am gonnae get banned from visiting this forum. I've talked OH into converting an old computer desk/cupboard into a grow box

Of course him saying he'll do it and it actually getting done are two different things.

[SarzWix]

That's the reason I have foiled the whole window. The local cop shop is only 50 mts from me & I don't want a visit at silly hour just so they can see my peppers.

If you have nosy neighbours, it might be worth inviting your local PCSO round to see what you're doing anyway, just to save the hassle...

[Bigmallly]

Thanks for the advice Sarah, I share a house with 17 others who would probably lean to growing their own...............

[chris]

Last year when I got my Grow light Garden I had the timer set to 14 hours a day, but the seedlings had no natural light at all.

And YES you are naughty

Potty

Thanks, was just wondering this myself. I've taken the plunge and bought one too. Took 5 mins to setup, it's rather large - thought it'd be smaller.. think my wife is going to kill me as I was planning on having it in the kitchen!! Probably not now..

[SarzWix]

Mine's on the dining room table, and is quite near the patio doors, so I might have to throw a sheet or something over it - never thought of natural light being a problem!

[Bigmallly]

7 hours a day worked fine for me last year. In fact they need to rest and could get exausted and run to flower/seed. So you are trying to emulate nature. Because the light if full on intense you can just skip dawn and dusk and go straight to long lovely sunny June day light (7 hours). Lucky things. Be sure when the light is off that they get 100% darkness. If there is any light at all they will reach for it and get leggy. So plug out your light and chuck a blanket or something over them. It's like they really do go to sleep. I'd take a look during the day when the light was off and the Tomato leaves would be pointing upwards like they were closing their eyes, mad. Or maybe I am? Just from observation they seem to suck up the energy and bask when the light is on and then do their growing in the dark.

This confuses me a tad Red.......I was planning on having the lights on at night & off during the day but that does not replicate a sunny day............ Does it matter when the lights are on & off?

[bearded bloke]

I guess redser did it that way to take advantage of the reduced nighttime electricity tariff BM

[Aberdeenplotter]

This confuses me a tad Red.......I was planning on having the lights on at night & off during the day but that does not replicate a sunny day............ Does it matter when the lights are on & off?

BM, the idea is to supplement natural light and give the plants what they would have at the height of the growing season. I had my onions and leeks under 24 hr lights until a week or so ago and now they have no supplementation at all as the days are lengthening. Others do it differently but that's gardening for you.

[redser]

This confuses me a tad Red.......I was planning on having the lights on at night & off during the day but that does not replicate a sunny day............ Does it matter when the lights are on & off?

No it doesn't matter, the plants won't notice being out of sync with actual daylight. So night or day is fine. I do it at night for the lower tariff as bb says and also its less of a temptation for the kids.

[veggiechicken]

I think I'll leave mine on overnight too - instead of a nightlight for the dogs
Would putting them in a warm place - like the boiler cupboard - help or not?