New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
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#16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Oakland MS
Posts: 231
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Where are good sources for lights? I know the ones we bought at the big box hardware store cost upwards of $10 for 24". $1?? Never heard of them that cheap? Where would one buy the 6400K tubes?
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#17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
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I bought the tubes at lowes in a case pack of 10. The individual bulbs were 4.98 but the pack of 10 was 19.98. Im not a genius but that seemed like a good deal to me. The tubes you want have an orange wrapper and are called daylight bulbs. The 6400K is written on one end of the paper wrapper and you will miss it if not looking. They also had a 5000K bulb in a blue wrapper and called it bright white. I would think any big box hardware store would have them. ps the bulbs are sylvania hope this helps dipchip2000 |
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#18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
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One could use all 6400k flourescent bulbs in a 4-bulb, 4' fixture
without hurting the seedlings. One could also use 4 standard cool white bulbs in them, too, and the seedlings would still develop ok, perhaps not as quickly. Wikipedia has a decent technical discussion of the details of flourescent lighting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluores..._emitted_light
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#19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Tucson
Posts: 659
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I am currently having an argument with my dad, he says that I should get the "grow lights" specifically marketed for plants (at $10 a light I don't think so). The color temp on those are only 2500 or so. I bought the same 6400 T-12 10 pack lights as others above. So the question is is it worth it to pay $10 for 1 light bulb to get the "grow lights" or is the 6400 fine?
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#20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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OK, we are talking about growing tomato seedlings from germination to about 4 weeks under the tubes which is the growth phase. 6400k is the ideal color temp to use for a standard fluorescent tube. If were talking about indoor plants that flower or fish or coral tanks were talking a different animal and color temps. So anything from Cool White 4400k up to 6400k tubes will work for this 4 week period and then be put in storage till they are needed for the following year.
This is what I do with my seedlings after 4 weeks under the tubes and transplanting them to 4" CowPots. The wood base that the metal racks are attached to are on wheels so I can rotate the racks every day or two so the plants get even lighting. These are ready to be planted out. Ami
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#21 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Metro Detroit
Posts: 172
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A couple things here... 1. I've had the panel in and out over the years and to be honest, the results have been the same growth-wise. So, I leave panel in. 2. I DO use 4' flourescent grow lights. Another consideration for your 4-light, 4' shop light: seed starting. I'll place my starter trays atop of the shop lights as they provide plenty of warmth on top while lighting trays of tiny plants underneath. |
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#22 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Locust Grove, VA
Posts: 292
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So these pictures you posted - seedlings are just transplanted into cowpots? I know you start yours in #7 pellets, but in what media do your seedling grow after germination (prior to the transplant to cowpots)? Looks like pretty remarkable results! Regards, |
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#23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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D, those have been in the CowPots for a couple weeks. They are only 4" tall when I remove them from under the grow lights and transplant them to the CowPots using "Light Warrior" growing medium which I swear by. The seedlings stay in the Jiffy 7's till I transplant into CowPots. So I grow them under lights till they are 4" tall and then transplant to CowPots and set them on the racks in my south facing window. I'm lucky to have a big south facing window which is a great help. Ami
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#24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Locust Grove, VA
Posts: 292
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Thank you for the explanation Ami!
Nice window, I wish my South window was as large! I've been to and called every store locally, and no one carries the Fox Farms products. I'd love to try it. Looks like internet is the only option left for me... Regards, D |
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#25 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 147
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Online, eLightBulbs.com has great reviews. Their natural light bulbs, however, are almost as expensive as growbulbs, and then there's shipping. I think your best bet is a local light shop as opposed to a hardware store. |
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#26 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Oakland MS
Posts: 231
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Welcome to Tville BlackestKrim. Thanks!
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#27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
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Checkout Lowes or Homedepot. I bought mine for 19.98 per case of 10. ron daylight bulbs 6400k |
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#28 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mid-Ohio
Posts: 847
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The color temp of Plant and Aquarium tubes does not translate to that of "white light" tubes, and even those don't reflect real color temperatures. Color temperature refers to is the continuous spectrum put out by a glowing filament at a certain temperature degrees kelvin. Red hot is cooler than white hot. Blue light is highter energy = hotter temperature needed to produce it. Flourescent tube color temperature "looks like it to the human eye" but in reality is still just a series of light peaks put out by a few phosphors. Plant and aquarium tubes do not use much if any green phosphor (just enough so humans will feel comfortable with the light), and they have red light to help blooming in addition to the blue so they look pinkish = cooler color temp, but more of the energy spectrum (wattage) can be used by plants.
So just as a 100 watt equivalent (= 43 watt) fluorescent tube looks like a 100 watt incandescant bulb, a P&A tube looks like a 2800K incandescent bulb to the human eye. A 40 watt daylight tube (48" T-12 6400K) will not have the same amount of usable energy for a plant as a 40 watt P&A tube (48" T-12 2800K). The wattage and spectrum are the important variables. That being said, part of the P&A spectrum (the red) is to induce flowering, so energy for seedling growth (blue light) will be similar between the two, with the 6400K being the cheaper tube. I thought they quit making 40 watt T-12s. For the past ten years or so I have just been seeing the more efficient 32 (38?) watt tubes now (still T-12). Maybe the 40 watters are the cheap, green heavy, industrial coolwhites? |
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#29 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge
Posts: 839
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your opinion..... i WISH TO GROW LETTUCE , SPINACH INDOORS & UNDER LIGHT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. SAW AN AD IN "SPRAY 'N GROW" CATALOG FOR AN "LED GROW LITE""....600% STRONGER THAN AN EQUIVALENT 50- TO 60- WATT BULB , WITH 2 YR. WARRANTY."" HAS BLUE & REWD SPECTRUM FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS.,
COMMENTS...........PLEASE! LOOKS GOOD TO ME.
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#30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Chillicothe Ohio - left Calif July 2010
Posts: 451
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TZ-OH6
What about the lumens per light ie actual light output effiency? Are not the newer T5 HO 54 watt 5000 lumen per bulb with 6500K spectrum more effective and also supposed to be more cost effective to run - though initial cost is high a 4 ft 4 bulb unit can now be found for less than a similar T12 made for horticulture or aquariums I have been in the process of switching all my T-12 to T-5 Dennis |
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