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Growing peppers on two T5s

I have a light fixture with two 4' T5s that I use to start my vegetables indoors.  Once we hit our last frost date, I put the plants in the garden outdoors.  After this point I store the light away until the fall when I want to start a fall crop.
 
I'm interested in growing a couple pepper plants this year indoors as well as what I usually put outside, but I don't want to buy any more equipment.  Has anyone ever successfully grown pepper plants under just two T5s that fruited?
 
Yes, I have had plants ripen pods under a pair of T5s. The plants will be smaller and less productive than they would be under better lighting, so don't expect too much from them under those conditions. I am thinking that naturally smaller plants, like the little dwarf annuum ornamentals, might give you the best results. With that being said, even superhots are possible:
 
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The two pods on the right were both grown under a pair of 54W 6400k T5s. The pod on the left was grown under a pair of 32W 4100k T8s.The plants were grown Kratky-style in 2 liter bottles with Masterblend nutrients. 
 
Again, I would expect production to be low if you are just using one pair of T5s, and you might want to seriously consider adding more lighting as the plants grow larger. Still, you will likely be able to harvest at least a few pods using what you already have.
 
This should be posted in "Grow Tech" where:   Discuss lights, heaters, irrigation systems, greenhouses, and DIY solutions. Show off your inventions!
 
BlackFatalii said:
Yes, I have had plants ripen pods under a pair of T5s. The plants will be smaller and less productive than they would be under better lighting, so don't expect too much from them under those conditions. I am thinking that naturally smaller plants, like the little dwarf annuum ornamentals, might give you the best results. With that being said, even superhots are possible:
 
 
 
Very nice, were you growing two plants per pair of bulbs?  I'm now thinking I may do a mixture of indoor/outdoor lighting.  Put them out in the morning on the nice days and bring them in for a bit of extra light in the afternoon.  Last year we had an incredibly wet summer and my peppers really suffered.  
willard3 said:
This should be posted in "Grow Tech" where:   Discuss lights, heaters, irrigation systems, greenhouses, and DIY solutions. Show off your inventions!
 I disagree.  I'm asking about the growth of the plants themselves, not anything about the lighting itself.
 
Three plants under one 4' ballast. Growing in relatively small containers under just a pair of fluorescent lights results in smaller adult plants. 
 
As for putting them outside in the morning, yes, I imagine that would help a lot with their light needs. Just make sure that you harden them off a bit before putting them out in the sun too long. 
 
Personally, the only time I run plants in and out of the house is when hardening off plants that are going to be grown outside. That is to avoid bringing garden pests inside. Something like an aphid infestation can get out of hand quickly indoors due to the lack of natural predators to help control them. So my indoor plants stay indoors, and my outdoor plants stay outdoors, as a rule. Maybe you could find another way to shelter your plants during inclement weather, like moving them under a covered patio or something.
 
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