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LA47
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question about lighting seedlings

I've read numerous articles, here and else where, and have set up my seed starting area as close to what has been recommended in many articles. Several places state that a 2 light-4 foot florescent light is sufficient for 2 trays of plants. I have lowered the lights down where they are 4 inches above the plants. My plants have just spouted, with no true leaves, yet all the plants toward the edge are leaning it toward the light a lot. I just placed foil on the sides to help but wanted to ask...should I have bought 4 light fixtures instead? Is my light too low so the light doesn't spread far enough?

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applestar
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I think that, partly, this is a function of the size of the reflector on the fixture. Some have wider reflectors.

On the whole though, I found I needed just one more tube (3-tubes total) to adequately light a tray, and a 4-tube fixture thoroughly lights the entire tray parallel to its long length and adequately perpendicular to its long length (maybe thoroughly if two 2-tube fixtures are hung slightly separated?)

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rainbowgardener
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Yeah, that's what I have -- two fixtures with two tubes each, slightly separated, with the trays under them perpendicular to the long axis of the lights. Works well, but the three pots on the end of the tray, short side, still have to be rotated some to keep them from leaning.

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LA47
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I'm not looking forward to telling Mike I need him to alter the light stand he built so it will hold 2 lights. :shock: I think I'll try to make do with this one and the next one he builds I'll have him build it to hold two lights. I only started 72 plants and there's several pots that didn't sprout (old seeds) so for now I'll just keep shuffling the plants around until I up-pot them and get the 2 light fixture going too. The news paper said this is the coldest March in 17 years...the year I am trying seeds. Figures, with my luck!

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Cola82
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Yeah, I got a four foot shop light with two tubes and I still have to rotate everything pretty often to keep it from leaning. Only one narrow strip of plants in the very center can be left alone, so I put the most delicate ones there.

I'm finding if I rotate several times a day, it doesn't seem to bother the plant. Though I do have some kinky tomatoes. ;p

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LA47
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I think I'm set now. Mike built a stand for a 4 light fixture and I don't have to shuffle the plants around so much. I have removed the heat mats from all the plants except the tomatoes and a couple of perennial flowers that I started. I decided, since I have the 2 light fixture, to move my broccoli and Alyssum out to the garage. I'll have to check on them as far a temps go and will keep a heat mat under them just in case the garage gets too cool. I think I should harden them off to the garage just as if I were moving them outside.

I did start my seeds all at once thinking that I'd be able to move the broccoli and alssyum out earlier but yesterday is the first day that my garden is free of snow. I think I jumped the gun too soon on all my plants but I was thinking the weather would co-operate with us a little more and I could have my greenhouse up sooner. Plus the fact that, all the years I've gardened, I haven't planted any thing until after first frost. This is my first year on trying to plant according to soil temps so I'm not sure exactly when to plant what. I have my graft sheet on temps on when to plant what according to soil temp. It is all a new learning process.

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applestar
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:idea: I put a remote sensor out in the garage V8 Nursery and have the main unit that displays max/min/current from the remote plus the immediate temp in the indoor Tropical Paradise. This way I can "check" on them while tending the indoor seedlings. 8)

It's kind of like a Baby Monitor :lol:

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LA47
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I'm moving all but my tomatoes out to the garage today and moving the tomatoes into an un-heated bedroom. Even with the heat vent turned off the bedroom stays at about 55 degrees.
Just a warning for any beginners using the 4 foot fluorescent lights. We bought a 4 light fixture and it came with very cheap looking chain to hang it with. When I tried to raise it a couple of links higher for the tomatoes one of the links straightened out and one end of the fixture fell on the tomatoes. I was lucky as it only broke a couple of leaves off so some of the plants. If they had been bigger and stouter I probably would have lost a few. We replaced the chain with a good one.



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