need help with grow lights!

[Feistywidget]

tried starting seedlings under grow lights last year, didn't work. Have very little exp growing transplants from seed. Sorry if questions seem dumb, never done this before, don't know gardener around here who can help.

Questions are....

1.What wattage/brightness to use w/lights. Have seen T-5 w/grow lights what does this mean?

2.W/new seedlings, should light be placed closer to them, or further away? How far above w/inches if placed closer to them?

3.W/tiered grow lights is it 2 lights per tier? Found 4 tier grow light, 20 watts per light; if 2 per tier, it's 40 watts per tier. Is this bright enough?

 

[silkiechicken]

I can only say what I do for starting transplants.

1) I have a wire rack with 2 sets of shop lights on each level. This gives me 4 bulbs per layer. T-5 T-8 and what not are just bulb types. I just use T-8 day light spectrum lights in my cheap shop lights because I cannot afford fancy grow system/set ups. I have T-5 lights on my fish tank for low profile and higher output per wattage.

2) I keep the lights within one inch of the top of seedlings and plants at all times.

3) Can't really say on that one. I just have two shop lights, giving 4 t-8 (32W) bulbs per level. I use 16 hours of light on per day on a timer. Running 2 levels of lights increases our electricity bill about 15 bucks a month.

An old pic before I got the right lighting for the top rack. They are suspended on chains.

 

[chris09]

tried starting seedlings under grow lights last year, didn't work. Have very little exp growing transplants from seed. Sorry if questions seem dumb, never done this before, don't know gardener around here who can help.

Questions are....

1.What wattage/brightness to use w/lights. Have seen T-5 w/grow lights what does this mean?

2.W/new seedlings, should light be placed closer to them, or further away? How far above w/inches if placed closer to them?

3.W/tiered grow lights is it 2 lights per tier? Found 4 tier grow light, 20 watts per light; if 2 per tier, it's 40 watts per tier. Is this bright enough?

When I used light to start seedlings I would use two 4 foot shop lights with two Agromax bulb in each light fixture. (Each bulb was 54 watts so that's a total of 216 watts)
That put me at a little better than 2,800 foot candles at 6 inches above the plants (a little brighter than a typical bright but overcast day which is 1,000 foot candles now a bright summer day at high noon is about 10,000 foot candles)

What does T-5 stands for, Well the T stands for tubular and the 5 is the diameter of that bulb.

Example;
T12 = twelve eighths of an inch in diameter or one and one-half inches thick
T8 = eight eighths of an inch in diameter or one inch thick
T5 = five eighths of an inch in diameter or five eighths of an inch thick

Chris

 

[catjac1975]

tried starting seedlings under grow lights last year, didn't work. Have very little exp growing transplants from seed. Sorry if questions seem dumb, never done this before, don't know gardener around here who can help.

Questions are....

1.What wattage/brightness to use w/lights. Have seen T-5 w/grow lights what does this mean?

2.W/new seedlings, should light be placed closer to them, or further away? How far above w/inches if placed closer to them?

3.W/tiered grow lights is it 2 lights per tier? Found 4 tier grow light, 20 watts per light; if 2 per tier, it's 40 watts per tier. Is this bright enough?

In what way did it not work?

 

[momofdrew]

My set up is like silkiechickens only I also use a grow mats for bottom heat...you dont need the lights until the seedling are up but they do need warmth...once they are up keep the lights very close with out touching the leaves...

 

[silkiechicken]

Heat mats will certainly help in germination of seedlings, especially if your set up is not inside the house. I don't use heat mats because ambient indoor temp is already higher than I'd like, between 66-70, probably a tad warmer by the lights. I do often pre-soak seeds on tissue sitting on the fridge to act as a "heat pad" before putting them in plastic cups.

 

[jakesebastin]

As per my opinion the lights should be places as close as possible. Here the t5 w and t8 w will be enough as well as i think. For the third one i would like to go with you the efforts here made are excellent.