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8W lightning sufficient?

future_man

future_man

Hello, I realize that for succesfull indoor germination plants require 60W fluorescent lighntning (above 3000 lumens) but what happens if you don't have enough?
 
Here is my story. I bought this cheap fluorescent light fixing, daylight color with 8W that produces 500 lumens. I bought it without sufficient knowledge and besides I am on low budget so I can't afford more powerfull lightning. However my seeds (Habanero, Tondo picante, Hungarian wax) germinated in 5 days! Yes 5 days because I had temperature constantly around 86° and in moist environment due to nice heater I bought. So when litttle tiny worms poked out of the ground they were white. Now only in one day of 16hour light exposure they became green. Which I hope means my lightning is good enough.
 
But is it? Will my plants have any problems with low luminosity?
 
I don't think it's enough. Time will show you if it is or not. If it isn't enough lighting, they will get leggy. I suggest putting them pretty close to the light (give them an inch). How close are you to growing weather in Slovenia?
 
It's fine for the time being. Better than nothing, but if you have a south facing window, I would move the sprouts there until you can get more lighting.
 
Hmmm, well we have sunny weather here with occasional cloudy day at the moment but we don't really get 14-16 hours of daylight, more like around 12 max. So if I don't change anything my plants are going to get leggy? What does this mean for the development exactly?
 
Currently they are developing tiny green leaves though, so the light must be doing something atleast...
 
future_man said:
Hmmm, well we have sunny weather here with occasional cloudy day at the moment but we don't really get 14-16 hours of daylight, more like around 12 max. So if I don't change anything my plants are going to get leggy? What does this mean for the development exactly?
 
Currently they are developing tiny green leaves though, so the light must be doing something atleast...
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The tiny green leaves are the cotyledons, which will form regardless of light.  They are what will provide energy for the first leaves to form.  After the first leaves form, the plant relies on photosynthesis to make energy for itself.  Without sufficient light, photosynthesis will not be optimal.  Leggy means that the stems will get really long as the seedling tries to stretch for more light.  This results in very weak stems that can easily fall over.  This obviously is not healthy at all for the plant.  I'm also in agreement that you do not have enough light.  Your plants will get quite leggy.
 
compmodder26 said:
 
The tiny green leaves are the cotyledons, which will form regardless of light.  They are what will provide energy for the first leaves to form.  After the first leaves form, the plant relies on photosynthesis to make energy for itself.  Without sufficient light, photosynthesis will not be optimal.  Leggy means that the stems will get really long as the seedling tries to stretch for more light.  This results in very weak stems that can easily fall over.  This obviously is not healthy at all for the plant.  I'm also in agreement that you do not have enough light.  Your plants will get quite leggy.
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Thanks for the answer. I was reading http://www.thechilliking.com/let-there-be-light/ and got the impression that any DIY light will do. However I really don't have money for more powerfull lights. The sufficient light tube and all the equipment it needs like casing, electronics etc. would cost me around 70€ that is around 100$.
 
Do you guys have any suggestions for cheaper adequate lightning?
 
compmodder26 said:
Sunlight from a south facing window would be much better.  Even if it was only for 8-10 hours a day.
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I assume indoors at first?
 
Or maybe I can find some cheap lightning in a local store? 80W fluorescent. Thing is our weather is very unpredictable and it gets cloudy for weeks also our house is between trees, forest at the back and hills... We have garden though but for chillies I dunno, we would need more sun overall. Not to mention we don't have any south facing windows D: this is bad.
 
Ok since they are getting too thin and long I decided to move my plants outside.
 
Is it fine if they are in a enclosed plastic box made for germination? I poked the holes for oxygen, they will be outside though under some roof. Will too much bright sunlight hurt them?
 
Screw this! I put my seedlings out on sunlight and they all died within an hour! Shit, so much for the sun advice :tear:  and they were doing so nicely
 
future_man said:
 
Thanks for the answer. I was reading http://www.thechilliking.com/let-there-be-light/ and got the impression that any DIY light will do. However I really don't have money for more powerfull lights. The sufficient light tube and all the equipment it needs like casing, electronics etc. would cost me around 70€ that is around 100$.
 
Do you guys have any suggestions for cheaper adequate lightning?
Click to expand...
Hey future,
 
I had great luck starting seedlings under CFLs in the little round silver spotlight setups.
 
They look like this: http://www.hydrofarm.com/i/jpg/10484_26060.jpg
 
You can find them cheap at a hardware store, you can move and position them easily, and you can buy more slowly if needed.
 
Here's a ghost pepper that I grew under a setup like that using about 4-6 of those lights that I described... so it will work for sure: http://i58.tinypic.com/2rrrq6x.jpg
Too bad the spider mites got to that one before I learned of the beautiful thing that is neem oil
 
CFL what are those, fluorescent lights? You grew a nice plant there. For now I think I will just move my plants to the sun
 
If they were started indoors, you can't just throw them out in the direct sunlight.  The UV rays from the sun will be too much for them, as you just found out.  That's why it was mentioned to put them in a south facing window (indoors), as the windows will filter most of the UV rays.  Look up information on how to harden off plants before attempting to put new ones outside again.
 
compmodder26 said:
If they were started indoors, you can't just throw them out in the direct sunlight.  The UV rays from the sun will be too much for them, as you just found out.  That's why it was mentioned to put them in a south facing window (indoors), as the windows will filter most of the UV rays.  Look up information on how to harden off plants before attempting to put new ones outside again.
Click to expand...
 
Someone suggested making a shade for them at first, maybe put a sheet of fabric above them, would that help? (I have no place indoors and no south facing location with shade, just constant sun)
 
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