Effect of 24 hour lights on seedlings

[Milan HP]

Originally Posted by AKmark

I really don't think it hurts anything. We don't really get dark in the Summer up here, a bit North it does not get dark and people have great results. Browse the thread.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ghlight=alaska

Dear Alaskans,
I really admire your results, but there are two important factors concerning light for plants: duration and intensity. And what you get, say, at 23:00 in the high summer is far from intensive. And the temperatures are another important factor. In other words, what works for you up there in the North, may not work in Georgia.

Milan HP

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Milan HP

Dear Alaskans,
I really admire your results, but there are two important factors concerning light for plants: duration and intensity. And what you get, say, at 23:00 in the high summer is far from intensive. And the temperatures are another important factor. In other words, what works for you up there in the North, may not work in Georgia.

Milan HP

So you are saying T5 lights in Georgia are different than they are in AK? I will stick to my opinion since outside daylight has nothing to do with the question, and my plants do not suffer from consistent lights indoors, when it has been done, during the seedling stage. At any rate, I would not worry about anything except saving some electric. No worries

[Milan HP]

Originally Posted by AKmark

So you are saying T5 lights in Georgia are different than they are in AK? I will stick to my opinion since outside daylight has nothing to do with the question, and my plants do not suffer from consistent lights indoors, when it has been done, during the seedling stage. At any rate, I would not worry about anything except saving some electric. No worries

Hello AKmark,
sure you will as you have a lot of experience of growing tomatoes where you live. I just wanted to say that different conditions probably require different solutions. I can only guess what could happen in Georgia and I am curious about the results myself.
Milan HP

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Milan HP

Hello AKmark,
sure you will as you have a lot of experience of growing tomatoes where you live. I just wanted to say that different conditions probably require different solutions. I can only guess what could happen in Georgia and I am curious about the results myself.
Milan HP

Hey brother, we are in a huge loop, I also grew up on a farm in Southern Indiana. It's honestly not our first rodeo. LOL Besides, everyone does their own thing, that is one thing I have noted along the way. Best of luck this season

[Milan HP]

Originally Posted by AKmark

Hey brother, we are in a huge loop, I also grew up on a farm in Southern Indiana. It's honestly not our first rodeo. LOL Besides, everyone does their own thing, that is one thing I have noted along the way. Best of luck this season

The same to you.
And I wasn't flattering you when I said I admired your results up there.

Milan HP

[kurt]

https://htgsupply.com/informationcen...n-for-growing/

[ScottinAtlanta]

Folks, I didn't notice a big difference in growth due to changing light periods, but I did note a big difference when I hit them with a fish fert, and another BIG growth spurt when I moved them outdoors to harden off. After two days of suffering fresh sunlight, they spurted and doubled in size in three days.



So...my conclusions based on almost no data: T5 light periods are not the key variable. Light ferts and getting them under the sun seemed much more growth boosting.

[brownrexx]

I agree. My seedlings stems thicken up and the leaves get greener as soon as they get outside in "real" sunlight. I don't worry too much that they look weak and a bit spindly under the lights because I know that they will take off once they get potted up and put outside.

[Jonnyhat]

Some plants love 24 hour light which keeps them in a vegitative state and then switching slowly to 12/12 triggers fruiting. This past year I kept my tomatoes at 24 as well as my beans and peppers. The beans and peppers look awesome the tomatoes got leggy.

[Milan HP]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

Folks, I didn't notice a big difference in growth due to changing light periods, but I did note a big difference when I hit them with a fish fert, and another BIG growth spurt when I moved them outdoors to harden off. After two days of suffering fresh sunlight, they spurted and doubled in size in three days.



So...my conclusions based on almost no data: T5 light periods are not the key variable. Light ferts and getting them under the sun seemed much more growth boosting.

I know it's heresy, but I've got the same experience. Everybody tells me the soil-less mixtures for growing after the first transplant contain enough nutrients for at least 6 weeks. No extra fertilization is recommended. Not really my experience. I got the best seedlings ever this year by transplanting them into my own mix (roughly 50% professional soil-less mixture, 50% soil, a bit of Perlit and sand) enriched by a table-spoonful of Cererit (a sort of NPK fertilizer - 7 - 18 - 10) per 3.7 litres (a gallon?). The artificial light was provided by 3 LED bulbs, 20W, 2 450 lm each, 6 500°K and one luminescent tube 36W, 3 350 lm, 6 500°K. 14/10 on/off. Compared to last year (same lighting system, no fertilizer), I got far better results.

Milan HP

[slugworth]

K rating of the lights probably means a lot.
Because of light pollution,my garden is never 100% dark at night.
Street lights and a porch light keep it illuminated.

[Milan HP]

Originally Posted by slugworth

K rating of the lights probably means a lot.
Because of light pollution,my garden is never 100% dark at night.
Street lights and a porch light keep it illuminated.

Neither is mine. There are LED street lamps along two sides of the triangle of my garden. But I don't think the intensity (20 to 30 lx) has had any effects on my plants. Their "switch off" limit is about 400 lx. However, that's just "a gut feeling" of mine. No evidence.
Milan HP

[slugworth]

The light at night does attract a bug called earwig here,that will devastate a pepper crop by putting holes in the peppers.

[Milan HP]

Oh, thank you Slugworth.
That explains a lot, 'cause I had an invasion of earwigs last year. Strangely enough, they didn't harm my peppers, but they completely destroyed my Pekinese cabbage and seriously harmed my common cabbage. The trouble is that I can't do much about the lights. There are safety regulations and I am not violent enough to shoot the lights.So I suppose this year the situation will probably be similar as I don't use any insecticides. But Pekinese cabbage isn't on my grow-list any more. I didn't like what the earwigs left for me anyway.

Have you got any "non-chemical" piece of advice?

Milan HP

[slugworth]

The earwigs drill a hole in the peppers during the night.
It was a long time before I actually saw one climb out so I could place the blame.
They say keep the ground around the plants free from rotting wood and places for them to hide.They also do a job on corn,climbing into the ears by the silk and leaving turds.
You would have to mulch plants with non organic methods,like fabric.