Too much light?

[PunkRotten]

Hi,

I put some trays of tomatoes and peppers inside an empty fish tank and I am using the lights from the fish tank. The lighting is (2) 15 w CFL bulbs - daylight 6500K. I also wrapped the tank in tin foil.

It is a 10 gallon tank. Do you think this is too much light? And should I have it on a timer for 16 hours?

[hendi_alex]

You will be lucky if the light is adequate. Be sure to set the plants on something to raise them within about two inches of the bulbs. Place the plants in natural sunlight whenever the weather cooperates, giving 60 degree or higher day time temperatures.

[Susan W]

Hope someone else chimes in. Just IMO, seems confined, lots of light and no air circulation. Where you are would think you'd be putting new starts outside, watching for water, light etc. If gone for the day put in mostly shade or dappled. My peat pellet infants are getting day passes, but need monitored for water/sun.

[PunkRotten]

I do put them out in the sun but was thinking they do not get enough light. I put them in a spot where they get about 2 hours morning sun. The other day I left some seedlings out in the sun for longer in a different spot and they got burned. So I am only allowing them little sun, but I am also thinking it is giving me really slow growth.


I started these almost 3 weeks ago and a few are barely putting out their first true leaf. And the thing with having them outside is I get very inconsistent weather. I get lots of windy and some rainy days with sunny days few and far between. Some days I have the seedlings indoors for 2-3 days with no sun/light. So that us the reason I am trying to give them light like this.

[hendi_alex]

When plants are young, tender and have never been outside before, they generally need to be hardened off. Two hours sunlight would usually not be enough to sun scald the plants, but I guess that it could if the sunlight was intense enough. When hardening plants off, I place them in a semi shade area where they only get diffuse light. The wind can cause burn as well as sunlight, so it is wise to place a barrier on one or two sides of the plants until they adjust to the air movement. This process should only take 5-8 days, then the plants can be gradually moved into full sun for the whole day.

There is no way that two 15 watt bulbs will give excess light, and when in that location should be moved very close to, without touching the bulb. I usually give my plants a combined 12-14 hours light per day, augmenting with CF lights as needed.

[applestar]

Alex is right. 15W cfl sounds rather weak. I think the ones I use are 26w. But are you perhaps talking about florescent tubes typical of an aquarium light? Look on the package for the light output in Lumens. T-8 tube will be brighter than T-12, and T-5 would be brighter than T-8.

Distance from the top of the foliage to the light is the important factor. Raise the seedlings up on blocks, boxes, etc. to meet the light. With T-12's you have to have the leaves nearly touching the tubes.

Air circulation as mentioned is an issue too. Not just damping off but weakling stems due to lack of wind resistance training(:)). And I doubt that you would be taking the aquarium outside but if placed in direct sunlight, there would be a huge build up of heat even without cover.

[PunkRotten]

No these are not tube lights. This fixture takes in CFL bulbs only. These bulbs grow aquarium plants fine. I am just looking to use to sometimes when I am not able to leave seedlings in the Sun. Like I said when it is windy or rainy I can't leave them out. Sometimes they go days without sun.

And I was thinking they looked kinda puny compared to others' tomato/pepper seedlings.


So is 2-3 hours of Sun enough for these plants to grow?

[Susan W]

There's no One Size Fits All and no One Answer. You are dealing with different plants, your general climate (hi's/lo's, rain, sun etc) and your micro climate. Micro I mean where you can safely set out the babies. For that I like a place sheltered from rain, watch amount of sun, shelter from real wind etc. I have mentioned elsewhere I will put babies out, sheltered on a grey day with decent temps over being in with lights. As for staying out at night depends on plant, if in the bitty peat pellet or a 4" pot, and of course temps. Basil won't be out overnight for awhile (doesn't like below 40) and I am pampering the new ones.

Everyone wins and loses, and hopefully over time successes are greater. You may be very successful at one plant, and fail at another.