Growing Tomatoes indoors with florescent lights ?
I wanna start to grow tomatoes in my basement using T5 Florescent lights I'm wondering how many watts per plant do you need ? and how many ks ... I plan on using T5 Florescent lights with 6400k .. if anyone could help that would be awsome ty
why ? because T5 florescent lights cost next to nothing 2 run there 65% less power then a normal light bulb and this way I can grow fruit all yr round ...SP8 wrote:Why?
The electrical running costs alone associated with this makes it a very strange and somewhat suspicious proposition……
if someone can help me with my original question that would be great ty
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splat42069
- Senior Member
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:00 am
- Location: Eastern PA
I'm doin the same but with a 1000 watt HPS/Mh Switchable ballasts. I have never grown tomato plants indoors but have grown other herbs. I would say you would either need alot of lights or get a plant that isnt known to grow 6+ft tall when mature.
Usually rule of thumb for indoor growing is 60+watts per square foot minimum. Another thing you might wanna look into is using atleast a 3 gallon container for finishing your plant. 5 would be better but is not nesessary.
Usually rule of thumb for indoor growing is 60+watts per square foot minimum. Another thing you might wanna look into is using atleast a 3 gallon container for finishing your plant. 5 would be better but is not nesessary.
splat42069 wrote:I'm doin the same but with a 1000 watt HPS/Mh Switchable ballasts. I have never grown tomato plants indoors but have grown other herbs. I would say you would either need alot of lights or get a plant that isnt known to grow 6+ft tall when mature.
Usually rule of thumb for indoor growing is 60+watts per square foot minimum. Another thing you might wanna look into is using atleast a 3 gallon container for finishing your plant. 5 would be better but is not nesessary.
so 60 wts per plant kool ty
just what I wanted to know ty would it be the same for pepers 2 ?-
splat42069
- Senior Member
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:00 am
- Location: Eastern PA
Just like I said with the tomatoes you might wanna look into a variety that doesnt grow to big. You want a bushy variety that produces alot. and if your looking to grow a few plants your gonna hafta upgrade your lights to a HPS(High Pressure Sodium) or MH(Metal Halide). Flouresence are good for starting seedlings but when it comes down to finishing them you want something with higher Lumens. A 250 watt HPS is almost the same as 12 4ft tubes but half the price.
Take a look on ebay for a cheap HPS or MH light and try using that. Get a reflector they are worth it. Batwing reflectors seem to be more effecient.
If you go the HID way you are gonna need to either have a fan blowing on the light or get a exaust system to cool the light. They do put out some heat.
I am growing in the basement of my house so cooling the light is no problem, all I do is put 1 of them fans that stand up blowing towards the light and the tops of the plants and the temps usually stay around 75*.
Take a look on ebay for a cheap HPS or MH light and try using that. Get a reflector they are worth it. Batwing reflectors seem to be more effecient.
If you go the HID way you are gonna need to either have a fan blowing on the light or get a exaust system to cool the light. They do put out some heat.
I am growing in the basement of my house so cooling the light is no problem, all I do is put 1 of them fans that stand up blowing towards the light and the tops of the plants and the temps usually stay around 75*.
splat42069 wrote:Just like I said with the tomatoes you might wanna look into a variety that doesnt grow to big. You want a bushy variety that produces alot. and if your looking to grow a few plants your gonna hafta upgrade your lights to a HPS(High Pressure Sodium) or MH(Metal Halide). Flouresence are good for starting seedlings but when it comes down to finishing them you want something with higher Lumens. A 250 watt HPS is almost the same as 12 4ft tubes but half the price.
Take a look on ebay for a cheap HPS or MH light and try using that. Get a reflector they are worth it. Batwing reflectors seem to be more effecient.
If you go the HID way you are gonna need to either have a fan blowing on the light or get a exaust system to cool the light. They do put out some heat.
I am growing in the basement of my house so cooling the light is no problem, all I do is put 1 of them fans that stand up blowing towards the light and the tops of the plants and the temps usually stay around 75*.
alright awsome ty I'm just starting out its just something I wanna try thats all
ty again for the help-
splat42069
- Senior Member
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:00 am
- Location: Eastern PA
You don't need HPS or MH, especially a 1000 watt unit, unless you're growing a lot of plants in a very large area. Since you're growing 1 tomato plant and 1 pepper plant in your basement, I assume this is not the case.
Instead, get a 4 ft. High Output Fluorescent unit that holds two 54-watt T5's. Yardlover.com sells them cheaply for $125 to 187 total. For full spectrum lighting, you will want one warm white bulb (3000k) and one cool white bulb (6500k). That setup will emit 10,000 lumens per square feet. It is enough for 4 to 6 potted plants; maybe a few more if your setup is nice and you use mylar to bounce back the light. You will need to replace the $8 bulbs once a year since 30% intensity is lost if you run them the recommended 14-16 hrs/day. One great benefit of this unit is that if you start to grow a lot of plants, you can buy 2 units and use one for seedlings and small plants, and one for mature plants (adjusting the chains for each unit). If you place the units side by side over a table, you will have twice the lumens than you do with just one and more flexibility.
Don't worry about watts per plant; the unit I described emits the same lumens as the sun without the heat in a 3x4 ft. growing area. It will cost only $2-$4/month in electricity costs. One last thing, for tomatoes, you want a small-fruited, "determinate" variety. Intederminates grow too tall. I'm growing Gold Nuggets under my unit and they're producing like crazy.
Instead, get a 4 ft. High Output Fluorescent unit that holds two 54-watt T5's. Yardlover.com sells them cheaply for $125 to 187 total. For full spectrum lighting, you will want one warm white bulb (3000k) and one cool white bulb (6500k). That setup will emit 10,000 lumens per square feet. It is enough for 4 to 6 potted plants; maybe a few more if your setup is nice and you use mylar to bounce back the light. You will need to replace the $8 bulbs once a year since 30% intensity is lost if you run them the recommended 14-16 hrs/day. One great benefit of this unit is that if you start to grow a lot of plants, you can buy 2 units and use one for seedlings and small plants, and one for mature plants (adjusting the chains for each unit). If you place the units side by side over a table, you will have twice the lumens than you do with just one and more flexibility.
Don't worry about watts per plant; the unit I described emits the same lumens as the sun without the heat in a 3x4 ft. growing area. It will cost only $2-$4/month in electricity costs. One last thing, for tomatoes, you want a small-fruited, "determinate" variety. Intederminates grow too tall. I'm growing Gold Nuggets under my unit and they're producing like crazy.