Home Made Grow Lights

[Kristen]

The bulbs I have, are they suitable for this use? As in will they provide enough light for the seedlings?

Sorry, I don't know. I've only ever used lamps from specialist sellers, so don't know how regular bulbs compare.

[Jonny.D]

Hi Guys,
Does the heat from lights aid germination in the same was as a heated propagator?

[Jungle Jane]

Hi Guys,
Does the heat from lights aid germination in the same was as a heated propagator?

The lights I use are for my tropical aquarium. The lights mimic the natural sun which helps the plants with photosynthesis. My plants always have stronger,thicker looking stems when I germinate under the light. I've never used a heated propagator, but that's just heat,not light.

[Bigmallly]

Hi Guys,
Does the heat from lights aid germination in the same was as a heated propagator?

Light is not normally needed for germination. The lights are used to stop seedlings going leggy.

[libbyloulou]

Hi Guys,
Does the heat from lights aid germination in the same was as a heated propagator?

It does yes, but also be aware the because the heat will be from overhead and liable to dry the substrate out quite quick.

[Bigmallly]

I'm finding this quite confusing as I was lead to believe you do not use hot tubes/bulbs as grow lights. I used cool light tubes which threw no heat out at all. It's light that is important not heat.

[Kristen]

Fluourescent tubes / CFL "bulbs" don't have much heat, but they do have some. I am doubtful that even at 1" it would be too hot for the plants, but I haven't got one running to be able to check ...

My Metal Halide lamp would be too hot at 18" ... maybe even 24".

LED bulbs have virtually no heat at all ...

I think holding back-of-hand at the height of the plant leaves is a useful test to be sure that the bulbs (whatever type) are not going to be too hot for the plants.

Might be overkill for LED ... and also Tubes?? its a while since I last checked them.

[Jungle Jane]

My aquarium light is a 36" power glo t8 tube light. When you put your hand under it at 1" or 3" it's just lovely & warm,doesn't burn & watering once a day is fine for germination & plants. Warmth is needed for germination but some seeds want light too. The lights have (colour spectrums?) that stimulate plant growth,so you could grow veg all year. Germination is better with lights because I can make it a 'sunny' day,every day for the seed,so it has maximum potential of being a strong seedling. You can't do that in a heated propagator. So they're a bit different?

[Penellype]

The tubes on my grow light garden get quite warm. One day I think we must have had a minor earthquake or something, and the top slipped down onto some peas (its been fine before and since, hence the earthquake theory). Luckily the tubes missed most of the plants and got caught on the edge of a pot, but a couple of plants were in the firing line, and by the time I discovered the problem they were quite badly scorched.

[Spunky]

I use a couple of these http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=281143032460
There good as gold and never missed a beat so far

[maverick451]

What ive noticed is while most varieties are thriving under the heat and light of the growlights they are a couple of varieties that just arent happy.

Ferline and Latah both have curled leaves and even have dropped leaves, Ive moved these into the conservatory and they look a lot happier, interestingly both are these are marketed as outdoor types so maybe they prefer cooler conditions?

They rest are romping away, I only sowed these mid February.

[bramble]

They look great Maverick and very healthy.

[maverick451]

Just a little update

Some of the plants are showing a few small signs of stress, a couple even have flower trusses forming! and they just seem a little more pale with a couple of slightly yellow leaves at the bottom.

I think I made a mistake in not feeding them, I thought they would be ok for a few weeks in their own pots but on reflection I think they were growing very fast and they seem to have just run out of nutrients.

Next year ill make a note to myself to feed them every week with a very dilute feed.

Ive moved any stressed ones into the conservatory (the first lot I moved look much better after a few days and to perk the others up a bit im going to give them a feed and cut the number of tubes down to just 2 so theres little stress on them.

Next weekend ill move them into the greenhouse (heated at night)

[Kristen]

I feed my plants under lights with Canna Terra Vega (I don't wait for 6 weeks to use up what [might] be in the compost, but I start feeding very weak, particularly seedlings). I have no idea if it is beneficial to use that, rather than a bog-standard liquid feed, but its what the Cough! indoor growing boys use and a lot of their products/procedures work well for them, albeit different species of Cough! herb, so I just followed their lead.

First year under lights I raised Cannas from seed and Mrs K remarked "How extraordinary that there is a special fertiliser just for Cannas"

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I use a couple of these http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=281143032460
There good as gold and never missed a beat so far

Spunky! I have posted on another thread, not about the fans, just intrigued as to how you got on with your new lighting system you "Rigged Up" a few weeks back!

Any good?