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Light distance and watts

U

unska

Hey.

I'm extremely confused about the right amount of light to my chilis.

At the moment I have been growing them on 2X 15W ESL and 2X 16W ESL, around 15-20 CM away from the plants in a room surrounded with tinfoil and they look like this:

http://www.unska.com/chili1.jpg
http://www.unska.com/chili2.jpg

Oh, they are both around 2 weeks old, I guess I've ruined them?

Could you tell me how much light does a sprout need? And how much does a plant with first real leaves need?

As a help to other users you could do a list where you tell how much light a plant needs in different phases.

Thanks in advance!
 
unska,

Welcome to THP forum!

I'm a newbie, having just started growing from seeds this year. IMO, the plants need at least 1100 lumens hitting the leaves but do much better with 3,000 lumens at the plant canopy.

But your plants don't look, to me, like it is a light deficiency but maybe nutrients. What are you watering them with and are you watering from the bottom?

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
unska,

Welcome to THP forum!

I'm a newbie, having just started growing from seeds this year. IMO, the plants need at least 1100 lumens hitting the leaves but do much better with 3,000 lumens at the plant canopy.

But your plants don't look, to me, like it is a light deficiency but maybe nutrients. What are you watering them with and are you watering from the bottom?

Mike
Click to expand...

Hey, I'm using FloraGro with 3 ML each of the bottles on a 10L bucket.

I'm not yet watering from bottom, I'm just pouring the water through the wool.
 
Out of my league, Unska. I used dirt to germinate my seeds. But the amount of nitrate is fairly low in your fert.

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Out of my league, Unska. I used dirt to germinate my seeds. But the amount of nitrate is fairly low in your fert.

Mike
Click to expand...

The bottle says 3 ML each. I wonder what I have done wrong.
 
Do you chech the pH of your nutrient solution? Plants cannot uptake certain nutrients in hydro if the pH is either too high or too low. I'd shoot for a pH somewhere around 6.0 couldn't hurt. You'll need more light if you ever want these chilis to bear fruit.
 
Pepper Ridge Farm said:
Do you chech the pH of your nutrient solution? Plants cannot uptake certain nutrients in hydro if the pH is either too high or too low. I'd shoot for a pH somewhere around 6.0 couldn't hurt. You'll need more light if you ever want these chilis to bear fruit.
Click to expand...

No, I have not checked the pH. I thought of myself too. I guess I go have to buy some pH checkers on monday.

Offtopic: I wonder how many plants can grow in 2x 200W 6400K ESL?
 
I was using papers and consistently getting a reading of about 6. Got a pH meter yesterday and it is (was) reading as high as 9.2. I don't know if the papers were old or what, but I really am sold on the idea that if one is going to grow hydroponically, a pH meter is a must and a TDS meter can help.

Mike
 
I had the same problem with papers; I use papers for meter back-up and found that they were too old and gave erroneous readings. I now get new papers when I use them.

If you are going to grow in hydro, good Ph and EC meters and Ph and EC control are critical to success with chiles. Worry about these before you worry about lighting.
 
Thanks!

I might be wrong but I think I've already seen some difference in the growth, eventhough it's only been a few hours!
 
I got 2x40w EcoGrow flouros about 3" from plants and they seem to work just fine. They are wide-spectrum lights (purple light), and about 1900 lumens each bulb.
 
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