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How many fluoros necessary?

Roguejim

Roguejim

First post here...

Before I ask questions, I'll state my goal: I want to germinate ~20 seedlings indoors to be transplanted later outdoors into pots.

Since I've never done this, I'm not even sure if fluoros are adequate. Maybe there are better options?

How many fluoros at 48" will be necessary to sustain 20 plants for ~16 weeks before transplanting? I'm just guessing at the time frame and bulb size (T5s, T8s...?). Not sure how many weeks before the last frost I should plant the seeds.
 
2-4 4' T8 or T12 lights will be just fine for that period. Don't expect fruir set, but you can grow very nice plants with that set-up. I do it that way for the most part. Starting C. chinense 3-4 months before last frost works well. Other species (C. annuums) can be started 8-10 weeks before frost. DO NOT underestimate plant growth rates or you can be stuck with large plants indoors. It can be a hassle. I used to make this mistake, but I became more patient. :)
 
Thanks for the details.
Can you give me a ballpark figure as to how tall the chinense will get over a 4 month period under 2-48" bulbs, T8s?

I'm looking for 6500K bulbs, right?

Would I be smart to build some sort of enclosure with reflective walls? Or is it not necessary?

Thanks again.
 
Alright, all I need to know is what type of fluorescents to buy, i.e., "grow lights", regular white fluorescents...is there a diff? I will assume 6500k unless someone corrects me. Thanks.
 
I have always used a mix of 6500k and 4100k lights. 50-50 ratio. Seems to work out just fine and is MUCH cheaper than those "grow" lights or full-spectrum bulbs.

At 4 months your chinenses could be 18-24" tall. If your grow area is not at an ideal temperature you will see slower growth, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. You can use the temperature to control growth so that you do not over grow your area.
 
Roguejim said:
Alright, all I need to know is what type of fluorescents to buy, i.e., "grow lights", regular white fluorescents...is there a diff? I will assume 6500k unless someone corrects me. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Use T8's.......12'S are obsolete. 6500 k is what I use, the cooler the temperature bulb the better. That is unless your growing flowers such as "orchids", then you'd seek the 2000/4500k range. I use 7200k with my metal halides. The growth that lighting produces is dense and lush. Through the winter I grow numerous varieties of leaf lettuces, mesclun and herbs. The T8's work out great but the mh lighting rocks...
 
Alright then. T8s, 6500k, or 6500/4100k.

Will two bulbs do it? Not trying to cheap out, just asking.
Will a reflective enclosure help much? I'm figuring my basement will stay at about 60F over the winter.

Finally, when germination occurrs, and the seedlings sprout two sets of leaves, what size container will I need to transplant them in? Are Solo cups big enough?

That's it for the questions. What a great forum. Thanks everyone. I will post a few pics when the time comes.
 
2 bulbs will work for a while, plan to step it up to 4 at some point though. Proper planning and all of that!

Since flouros are round, yes, you must have some sort of reflection but the common white shop fixture does just fine.

60F is a bit cold. It will still work but it will probably slow the plants down. I keep my grow room at 82 until I need to slow them down and prep them for the greenhouse.

16 oz Solo cups are the weapon of choice for many around here, myself included. I had plants, this year, in them until they were ready to be planted outside in the ground. They were about 12" tall at that point. There are better ways to do it, but it does work and its cheap.

In the past I would transplant into 1 gal nursery containers when they were 8" tall. This will keep them from stalling out from being rootbound, but it takes up a lot of space. Like every topic around here, there are many solutions and even more opinions. All of them have their advantages/drawbacks, so look at your options and find one that best fits your conditions.
 
Roguejim said:
First post here...

Before I ask questions, I'll state my goal: I want to germinate ~20 seedlings indoors to be transplanted later outdoors into pots.

Since I've never done this, I'm not even sure if fluoros are adequate. Maybe there are better options?

How many fluoros at 48" will be necessary to sustain 20 plants for ~16 weeks before transplanting? I'm just guessing at the time frame and bulb size (T5s, T8s...?). Not sure how many weeks before the last frost I should plant the seeds.
Click to expand...

If you haven't bought any type of fixture yet, try to find a high bay 6 bulb T8....HD sells them and probably other big box stores. One fixture will cover 2 flats (22" x 11") with 8-5 1/4" sq pots in each flat. The lighting works great for plants up to 1 ft tall which can average 12 to 14 weeks old. Just the right amount of time that you need. Find out what Zone you're in and subtract back 14 weeks. That should be the right amout of time to start up the seeds and move the plants out to harden off just after the last frost date.

Solo cups.......I use them for beer, 20 oz work out well......Why spend time drilling out holes in the bottom, no two cups will drain the same and I bet the roots will get caught up in the sharp tears in the bottom. 3" and 5" containers are inexpensive and last for years, they're sold online all over. I've got hundreds of each size and they only need to be cleaned out for the following year. You should only have to pot up once before moving the plants outdoors. If you start to early you can run out of space and the plants will fight for light, causing taller and less stable plants.

One more tip for ya...
Keep with a lighter weight medium when growing indoors, bottom water your trays, and be hesitant when using any chemicals. I find a foliar spray of highly diluted fish emulsion works great with young plants. A soil drenching can easily burn the tender roots and the new growth. If you can find a way to document your grow each year then becomes less of a challange...........well.............until you get older, like me and look for a new challange in the grow room. ......ha

Good luck with your ventures, evaluate what you read...... maybe look back through the grow forums back around last yrs holidays.......theres good info to be had

Greg
 
Thanks again. I'm saving all the advice.

There was some confusion about one question I had. Regarding the "reflective enclosure", I was referring to an enclosure around the plants, not the reflective hood for the lights. If you guys recommend an enclosure, I guess it would be a fully enclosed, 4-sided box, per se?

Is a fan necessary?
 
Roguejim said:
Thanks again. I'm saving all the advice.

There was some confusion about one question I had. Regarding the "reflective enclosure", I was referring to an enclosure around the plants, not the reflective hood for the lights. If you guys recommend an enclosure, I guess it would be a fully enclosed, 4-sided box, per se?
Click to expand...

As far as the reflective material I use foil faced Polyshield......It comes in 4 x 8' sheets from 3/8" to 1 1/2". It all depends what your budget consists of. Just remember to have plenty of air flow to thwart off damping off or fungal issues with the young seedlings.
 
Definitely a +1 for the 5" containers over the solo cups if you want to make the investment in them. They work better and are easier to bottom water. My supplier was out of them when I tried to order last year, but they are top of the list this year.

For a reflective enclosure you might want to look into "grow tents". I hear they can be picked up for a good price on eBay. I know some members here have them and are very satisfied. Also very good for those of us that lack the skills to build anything.
 
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