First time growing from seed. I was wondering how long to keep my lights on after my seeds have germinated. I'm doing 12 on 12 off right now. Also, what about temp? Right now it's about 65 at night and 75 daytime in my little "greenhouse". Sound close? Any and all responses are greatly appreciated, including witty sarcasm!
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lighting Lights
- Thread starter schism
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Welcome to the forum first and foremost!
What kind of light are you using? On a budget, cfl's or fluorescent tubes are best, a single fixture, twin bulb 4" shop light and 2 bulbs will cost less than $20 at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Once the seedlings emerge, remove the dome from your germination tray. A light cycle of 16 on 8 off is a good start, buy a timer if you dont have one, they are cheap. Keep the lights 1-2" above the seedlings and move it up as they grow. Your temps are ok, my newest seedlings are living happy at a steady 62 degrees in the backroom of my basement with 24/7 light. My older seedlings (4 weeks and older) are on a 16/8 light cycle.
Heres my new area, simple but it works. The fixtures were $10 each, the timer was $6 and 2 packs of bulbs cost $12. I already had the 4'x2'table...
What kind of light are you using? On a budget, cfl's or fluorescent tubes are best, a single fixture, twin bulb 4" shop light and 2 bulbs will cost less than $20 at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Once the seedlings emerge, remove the dome from your germination tray. A light cycle of 16 on 8 off is a good start, buy a timer if you dont have one, they are cheap. Keep the lights 1-2" above the seedlings and move it up as they grow. Your temps are ok, my newest seedlings are living happy at a steady 62 degrees in the backroom of my basement with 24/7 light. My older seedlings (4 weeks and older) are on a 16/8 light cycle.
Heres my new area, simple but it works. The fixtures were $10 each, the timer was $6 and 2 packs of bulbs cost $12. I already had the 4'x2'table...
Temperatures are fine. Having the lights on for 12-16 hours a day is good too, it really comes down to your own preference. Mine are usually on for between 12-15 hours a day, and my plants haven't seemed to mind. I don't have a timer so it is manual plug / unplug for me, they also got an extended dark period one time when I forgot to plug them in, and that didn't mess them up either.
I'd recommend leaving the lights on 24/7 for the first month then switch to 18. Somewhere between 75 and 80 seems to work well for a growing temp.
matt50680 has pretty much the exact same setup as i do...two shop light fixtures for $10 a piece, a timer for about $5 (WELL worth it for forgetful people like me), and 4 cool white bulbs set 1" to 2" above the seedlings. i am no expert by any stretch, but from all that i have read, the total lumens output is far more important for the seedlings than the actual light temperature (3400K vs 6500K) at this stage of development. besides, they are only going to be under the lights until the temps get high enough for real sunlight. i have kept mine on a 16/8 (on/off) schedule for a few weeks, and they are doing very well...maybe even a little too MUCH light since most of my seedlings have the purple suntan thing going on (check my grow log for pics if you want). the bulbs alone keep temps around 75-80 degrees in my closet.
My Grow Light Setup
anyways, good luck from a fellow amateur grow light experimenter!
My Grow Light Setup
anyways, good luck from a fellow amateur grow light experimenter!
Thanks for all the responses. I have an odd ball rack, 3', so it was tough to find 3' fluorescents, but I did. I have a small 2' light on the few that have already germinated, and as soon as I get this light rig up I'll get some pics. I had 4 out of 15 Bhuts germinate, and 7 out of 20 fatalii's. My first time, I found out peat pots weren't my friend, and I got my seeds way too wet. The rest of my stuff should go better, all the common ones. I planned better this time. Thanks again.