Hi, I guess I got over anxious and started many flowers, veggies and herbs in the small, round peat pots under grow lights. Well....it's only March 31 and I have leggy seedlings already and in my part of the world, one does not plant outdoors until June 1! :( I do plan to replant the little peat pots into the larger ones prior to hardening them. Is there a way to keep them from getting more leggy? And for how many hours a day do I keep them under grow lights? Any help appreciated, as I would hate to have all the plants die. ps. This is my first time growing under lights. Thank you.
Leggy Plants
How far above the seedlings is the light? If using flourescent tubes I'd keep them no more than 6 inches above the pots/plants.
Lights are only about 3" above the plants! Yikes, what do I do?
Thank you.
hmmmm......are they standard 40 watt tubes? I may just be out of ideas :-(
How many hours a day are you keeping the lights on for? I've over wintered many of my cacti/succulents in my basement under 40 watt flourescent bulbs and they're doing better than when I had them outside for the spring/summer/fall in my sunniest spot (that was still a bit shady). I've been keeping the lights on for 14 or 16 hours a day (can't remember which, it's been on the timer for awhile) and they are all about 6" from the lights. I've heard of flourescent tubes going bad after using them awhile. Are your bulbs used or brand new? Oh, one more thing :), are you using both warm and cool tubes or only "grow" light tubes?
Katherine
Lights on for 14-18 hrs a day and if using florescent bulbs then 1" above the plants at all times. The mix of warm and cool white bulbs is not going to make an appreciable difference. Either or both give perfectly fine results if the lights are kept on long enough and close enough to the plants.
There are other factors that will give leggy growth. Too much fertilizer and/or too warm growing temps will push rapid and spindly growth. Also, the higher the growing temps the more light the plants need.
What is the temperature? So you still have them on a heat mat? Are you fertilizing? How long have you been keeping the lights on for?
I keep a fan on mine to make the stems stronger...
I started a lot of my plants in Feb. and early Mar., I do keep my gh between 50 and 55 degrees except when the sun shines , which lately hasn't been very much. Now i have most of the tomatoes , peppers and hardier annuals in one of my 4 x 4ft cold frames. They are all looking quite sturdy. I plan to put one of the early tomato plants out in the garden next week under a green colored plastic 14" or tall hotkaps. I do pass my hand (rubbing the tops of my tomato plants) over them whenever i think about it. Somewhere i read that if you do that will cause the plants to be sturdier. DonnaS
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