I take them back inside at night for the first few days. They get a little bit of morning sun before the patio shades them. When the weather warms, I take my seedling trays and place them on the back patio for a few hours each day. Plants can easily be sunburned by the relentless sun, or can be wind burned and die. One surefire way to kill a seedling is to take it from under the protective environment of the grow lights and plant it outside in a relatively harsh environment. How to Harden Off Seedlings Before Planting This only works if the plants have not grown too large and the roots entangled. I like to take advantage of multiple healthy seedlings and carefully divide them when planting them outside. It is also possible to separate the seedlings and repot them. This helps to avoid damage to the other seedling from pulling the plant out. I usually just take a pair of scissors and cut off the weaker seedlings at the base. It is a good idea to take care of the extra seedlings before they get very large. We plant more seeds in each container than we intend to keep to account for low germination rates. They were quite slow to germinate and probably would have been happier with an additional heat source. We had a high rate of germination without adding additional heat, with the exception of our peppers. Our grow light set up is in our solarium which is nicely warmed by the sun. They can be beneficial when growing plants with higher temperature requirements, like peppers. Seedling heat mats are designed to be placed underneath seedling trays and gently warm the soil from underneath. The top of a refrigerator may be a good location to facilitate germination for seeds that do not require light to germinate. Optimal germination temperatures are between 60☏ and 70☏. Place your seedling containers in a warm, draft free location. You can safely sprout most plants in the dark. Lettuce is an example of a seed that requires light for germination to take place. Most seeds do not require light in order to germinate but they do require heat. Once the true leaves appear it is time to move them under a light source and give them 12-18 hours of light each day. The first two leaves that appear (cotyledons) are food sources for the baby plant until the true leaves form and can begin photosynthesis to feed the plant. Most seedlings will sprout in a warm, dark location. When should seedlings be moved under grow lights? They are relatively inexpensive and do a great job of simplifying the process. The easiest way to regulate the timing of artificial lighting is to use an automatic timer. Plants need some dark to rest from the hard work of photosynthesis. Plants will need more time under the grow lights to reap the same benefits as they would outside under the sun. Artificial light is not as intense as summer sun. Seedlings will thrive with between 12 and 18 hours of light each day. It is really easy to adjust the height if the light suspended by chains. For healthier plants, adjust the light fixture so that it is not too far above the top of the plants. When lighting is placed too far above the plant, you will get seedlings that are long and leggy. Ideal Distance Between Light and Top of Plant It is best to use a lighting fixture that will accommodate a minimum of 2 bulbs. You can find them on Amazon here or pick them up at your local hardware store. The lumen rating should be 2,500 or higher. Select a bulb with a Kelvin rating of at least 5,000 to 6,500. Consider potential for gentle air movement when determining your location. Get a fixture that will accommodate 2 to 4 bulbs that can be suspended by a chain and adjusted as the plants grow.Īir movement helps young seedling grow strong and healthy. Select daylight balance in a fluorescent or LED bulb with a Kelvin rating of at least 5,000 and a minimum of 2,500 lumens. Is there an inexpensive lighting system to start seedlings indoors?Ī standard shop light fixture is ideal. Our indoor lighting system should last for many years. It may be inexpensive but it isn’t cheap. It is significantly less expensive than standard grow lights and performs just as well. In this post, we will share how we designed this inexpensive lighting system to start seedlings indoors. Use a bulb with a Kelvin rating of 5,000 to 6,500, and an output of at least 2,500 lumens. What is an inexpensive alternative to expensive standard grow lights? Seedlings can be effectively grown with inexpensive shop lights as long as you purchase the right bulbs. After a bit of research, we have come up with the perfect inexpensive solution to meet our needs. However, commercial grow lights were cost prohibitive. I have wanted to purchase grow lights and start my seedlings indoors for many years.
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