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Lodi, California

Hi,

Every time I start seeds I end up with seedlings with really long stems. I have tried putting them closer to the light, without much success. I use a florecent plant/aquarium bulb that is not all that powerful. What type of lights do you guys use? Do you have any techniques that you use to keep seedlings from becoming lengthy? Thanks!

3/15/2014 12:55:55 PM

South Hero, VT

4 foot lamps are the best way to go. You can get stockier stems by setting a small fan to gently blow on the seedlings from all four points of the compass. Also lightly brush the tops of the plants at least a dozen times a day.

3/15/2014 1:26:13 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I use the Maxlume T5 four foot lights Ash. I keep it right on the leaves. I also have a fan blowing on them because the light gets quit warm. I have 8 more practice seeds going now and all are really green and stocky.

Try some high output T5's they work great!

3/15/2014 1:56:33 PM

Germany

As soon as the seedlings are out of the soil they go into the greenhouse...significantly lower temperatures and better light conditions. Never had any seedlings with long stems this way.
No greenhouse available but danger of frosty nights? Just take the pots with the seedlings outside every morning and get them back into a cold room in your house in the evening.

3/15/2014 3:25:42 PM

Wixom MI.

I find that floresant light are good for yhe first 2-3 weeks when they are only 5-6 inches tall after that they are not very good. I use a halide lamp witch has a 360 watt bulb and that works great. I will later put them outside in a cold frame or mini greenhouse that I built and use a space heater in it when night get below 40 an set it at the lowest setting of 55 and make sure its not to close to plants to not harm them. Usually I don't use the space heater during the day, because the sun is usually enough to keep it warm. I only use the heater when temps are below 40-45

3/15/2014 5:23:37 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

get the little pussys in the greenhouse asap! They will be thicker than Mike Tyson in about 5 days!!!

3/15/2014 7:23:36 PM

Joliet, IL

When started indoors and under 4' flourescent lights keep bulbs 1" from leaves. If working a long day then a couple inches at most. Have a fan blowing on them.. not directly.....angle off a wall or adjust to blow more above on the light...just get them slightly wiggling

Some genetically will be more stocky....some leggy.....my advice is to have soil ready to transplant sprouts as soon as possible into final growing spots. Like 4 or 5 days after sprouting. Plants in pots will have warmer soil and make them leggy. When I sprout 16 seeds I save the rest of sprouts I dont use as keepers. Those backups in pots always leg out with thinner fast growth.

3/15/2014 9:59:36 PM

Santa Rosa, CA.

Where you live I would just put them outside in a sunny spot during the day and bring then inside under the lights for a few more hours in the evening. As soon as I can see which way the first true leaf is headed, they go in the ground.

3/15/2014 10:25:15 PM

Torrance, Ca.

And I know this Patchmaster guy is sneaking some in the chamber any day now!!!!

3/16/2014 12:15:31 AM

Johnston, R.I.

Ashton,,,,,,,,,,, If I were you living in southern California, I would put them out in a greenhouse or coldframe as soon as they were through the dirt... Works in RI, see no reason why it wouldn't work in your climate..

3/16/2014 3:42:43 AM

Muddy Waters

Yes Shazzy & Norm are right,Get them in the ground as soon as possible.but if the ground temp is not warm enough there better off in the pots.I put 2 cot seedlings in the ground 2 years ago.The ground was so cold I lost my Checkon to it.I used cables the next year and put bigger plants in.I dont know how these guys transplant from 5 gallon buckets?Must be a pain in the butt.

3/16/2014 6:31:12 AM

N.c.

40 watt cool white lamps are what you are, I think, looking for.

https://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/anr/HGA-00432.pdf

3/16/2014 8:06:44 AM

aurora, IL

Handyhomegrown, I will be sprouting 4 giant pumpkins and 2 giant squash in 32oz yogurt containers in April than transplanted into 5 gallon buckets. To make it easier to transplant the buckets to the garden, use buckets with removable lids. Cut the bottom of the buckets off and put the lids on the top which will now be the bottom. To transplant to the garden remove the lid and the plant should slide out the bottom of the bucket. Hope this helps.

3/16/2014 8:56:46 AM

N.c.

Full disclosure: I have never tried to keep or start a pumpkin under artificial light. But if I did according to this paper a 40W cool white lamp would put off about 10 lumens per foot and you need about 25-35 lumens per square foot so you would need perhaps 3 lamps over a square foot area. It may be for a seedling you only need two bulbs, but one will not get it done.

3/16/2014 9:03:42 AM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I use t5 ho.. 8 bulb hoods 4 ft long.. Need to keep lights 20 inches off plants or they will burn up fresh seedlings... No leggys plants here..

3/16/2014 9:06:31 AM

Central Illinois

best would be six 4 foot bulbs in a space of 2 feet by 4 feet

you want the space abit over 4 FT so you can move the fixture, use 4 cool white and 2 warm light bulbs, T5s are higher output per bulb and with a higher heat output, you will need the high output fixtures to use them also.

If you dont have a box to use, cover the area where light escapes with mylar ,just buy an emergency blanket in the sporting goods department, its like super thin tin foil, same stuff. If you need to cut the mylar place tape over the cuts to stop it from ripping.

Flat white paint is the next best reflective material.

I will put a picture in my diary, but its a sloppy setup

3/16/2014 11:17:42 AM

Lloydminster/AB

I would say you are light starving the plants. Look up overdriving fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lights are more efficient if under driven so most ballasts in the lights are under driven. That means your 40watt bulb is maybe only 28 watts. You can replace your ballast with an overdriven one or you can look up the easier way. Just don't expect twice as much power to make twice as much light. But it does make a huge difference. Those t-5 lights need to run at much higher temps to produce their rated amount of light. Can't remember off hand but I think it's above 80 f. There was an argument made that an overdriven t-8 isn't much different than a t-5 at room temp. That will help us out if we have old fixtures and don't want to pop for those nice t-5 units.Those dope guys are on top of this as usual. Lol

3/16/2014 11:24:29 AM

Lloydminster/AB

Some quick searches got this link. Seems like a pretty good discussion, with the stoners arguing the merits of the system too. Lol.
I've had mine overdriven by about 30% for a couple of season now. Runs as cool as a stock setup.

http://www.growery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/602656

3/16/2014 11:34:55 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

T5 Badboy... pics in my diary say it all... Stack thoZe leaves...

3/16/2014 12:09:13 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

It was 82 degrees yesterday in Southern California...they should be outside if they are out of the dirt...

3/16/2014 12:17:51 PM

Central Illinois

not much to see but here are mine

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=214014

3/16/2014 1:01:14 PM

Lodi, California

Thanks!

3/16/2014 1:34:38 PM

East Jordan, MI

Real live sunshine is cheap and very effective if the temps are above 50, set them outside during the day.

You have to keep trying different things until you find what works for you.

This is what works for us.

a cheap 4 ft shop light with two FULL spectrum fluorescent bulbs
no fert in starting media
NO LIGHT in the germ chamber
if you can touch the bulbs without burning yourself, keep the plants 1 inch from the bulbs. If you burn yourself keep plants from touching them.
AS SOON as the seedling is above dirt put under light for 24 hours until the cots have no yellow
after that shift to 18 hours on, 6 hours off.

Only under artificial light for first 3-5 days or so, get them outside as soon as possible.

3/17/2014 8:01:27 PM

East Jordan, MI

oh and remove from the heat source as soon as they go under the light.

3/17/2014 8:02:45 PM