Minimum daylight requirements

[HeyWayne]

I know there's a useful thread regarding minimum germination temperatures, but does the information exist to provide minimum amounts of daylight required by plants?

I don't tend to have too much of a problem germinating seeds, but my problem is giving them enough daylight/sunshine to grow properly, and as a result if sown too early I end up with leggy and useless plants.

Our house is quite dark, and we are sheltered by large trees and an embankment so the sun is only on the house/garden for a short period during the day at this time of year.

[Flummery]

I know a lot of people like to jump the gun at this time of year but I find that if you actually read and believe the sowing suggestions on the back of the packet, the day length will be sufficient!

[Bren In Pots]

I covered some cardboard with kitchen foil and stand behind my seeds on the window sill it seems to stop them growing too leggy.

[Bigmallly]

Do you have a greenhouse on lottie Wayne? if so could they go there once germinated.

[Alison]

Do you have a greenhouse on lottie Wayne? if so could they go there once germinated.

No good for tender stuff at this time of year though. I'm with Flum, it's not worth sowing too much, too early but you have to be careful where you say that

[HeyWayne]

Do you have a greenhouse on lottie Wayne? if so could they go there once germinated.

Thank you thank you thank you. I haven't used this line in ages.

"No permanent erections permitted on the site"

Alas no - and I don't have the room or sunshine available at home either, plus like Alison says - they'd be all tender and alone for days at a time.

[binley100]

T

"No permanent erections permitted on the site"

Our rules say that but it means brickbuilt buildings .

[Bigmallly]

Innocence is a wonderful attribute.............

[sagegreen]

I know a lot of people like to jump the gun at this time of year but I find that if you actually read and believe the sowing suggestions on the back of the packet, the day length will be sufficient!

Completely agree with Flummery. Even in the far west of Cornwall where I am seeds sown at the right time of the season catch-up and usually crop better than those leggy, early ones

[jaykay]

I bought John Harrison's book 'Veg growing month by month' a few weeks ago. In the January chapter, he gives day length in hours as

January: 7.5 - 8.5
February: 9 - 10.5
March: 11 - 12.5

and says it is the increase in daylight hours in March that triggers the growing season. He remarks that 'Growing too far outside of a plant's natural season will often fail, since the plant knows there is not enough daylight.'

Hope this is useful!

[Two_Sheds]

does the information exist to provide minimum amounts of daylight required by plants?

day length in ...March: 11 - 12.5 [hours]

I'd go along with that: ie. plants need 'about' 12 hours daylight a day. You can extend the season somewhat if you have ideal conditions. My ideal is to be living in a relatively mild area, to have a south-facing windowsill (only one though) and a heated propagator.

I can start plants a bit early (late Jan) but not many ... only as many as will fit on my south windowsill (I tried the north-facers last year, and everything just went mouldy).

Come March, it's a race against time, because everything is good to go

[Tomatoking]

I spent a few years in the north of England commercially growing lettuce and tomatoes. In the winter months with very low light levels, we had a long tunnel in the greenhouse, lined with silver foil and with strip lighting overhead. The seedlings were raised under this before being transplanted into the soil.
There is no reason why you could not make a small home version, strip lights do not cost a fortune to run and would give any seedlings a good healthy start.
In Guernsey, we also used to have whole large glasshouses lit in the winter with strip lighting all night to force on flowers. So there are ways of compensating for low light, but this again was for large commercial use. I think the light pollution used to annoy some neighbours though!

[Dane End Dolly]

Thank you thank you thank you. I haven't used this line in ages.

"No permanent erections permitted on the site"

Alas no - and I don't have the room or sunshine available at home either, plus like Alison says - they'd be all tender and alone for days at a time.

oh Wayne any excuse....i think you must have worn out the norty step by now

[bendm]

light

I know there's a useful thread regarding minimum germination temperatures, but does the information exist to provide minimum amounts of daylight required by plants?

I don't tend to have too much of a problem germinating seeds, but my problem is giving them enough daylight/sunshine to grow properly, and as a result if sown too early I end up with leggy and useless plants.

Our house is quite dark, and we are sheltered by large trees and an embankment so the sun is only on the house/garden for a short period during the day at this time of year.

I'd get a growlamp.The CFL ones provide a lot of light and are very energy efficient.
Check out Progrow,they've got good ones for about 40 quid.