Growing plants under fluorescent lights
 

I am growing my own lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes etc. plants in my
basement for planting into my garden.
There is a conflict in growing instructions for lettuce and cabbage. I
have read that they grow best if the lights are several inches above
the plants. I have also read that lettuce and cabbage like the growing
temperature to be around 60 degrees. The problem is that when the
lights are several inches above the plants the soil temperature is
around 75 degrees. BTW they are grown in an unheated (around 55
degrees) basement. Is there any best solution or only some compromise?
Thanks, Richard

Growing plants under fluorescent lights
 

On Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:32:26 -0800 (PST), richardg
wrote:

I am growing my own lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes etc. plants in my
basement for planting into my garden.
There is a conflict in growing instructions for lettuce and cabbage. I
have read that they grow best if the lights are several inches above
the plants. I have also read that lettuce and cabbage like the growing
temperature to be around 60 degrees. The problem is that when the
lights are several inches above the plants the soil temperature is
around 75 degrees. BTW they are grown in an unheated (around 55
degrees) basement. Is there any best solution or only some compromise?
Thanks, Richard


If you are using regular flouresents. like a combo of hot and cools or
gro lights the lights must be as close as possible to the plants. Once
they are a couple of inches away there's not enough light and the
plants get leggy. For this reason these lights only work to grow for a
short time. Once the plants have grown a couple of inches not enough
light reaches the bottom leaves. If you've got some sort of new high
intensity lights they can be much farther away depending on their
type. To straight ahead raise vegetables under lights you would need
pot farmer lights like metal halides. For the temperature problem get
a heat mat.

Hi,
The kind of lights you use will make a huge difference to the growth of your plants. Seedlings are typically started off with 125watt CFL lights placed just a couple of inches above the plants. These give off a low level of heat so shouldn't scorch the foliage unless you leave the foliage wet. Once the seedlings have got going it is best to move on to a higher wattage such as 250 watt or more up to a max of 600watt. For indoor growing you might do well to visit your local hydro shop.

Growing plants under fluorescent lights
 

"VictoriaJS" wrote in message
...

richardg;877949 Wrote:
I am growing my own lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes etc. plants in my
basement for planting into my garden.
There is a conflict in growing instructions for lettuce and cabbage. I
have read that they grow best if the lights are several inches above
the plants. I have also read that lettuce and cabbage like the growing
temperature to be around 60 degrees. The problem is that when the
lights are several inches above the plants the soil temperature is
around 75 degrees. BTW they are grown in an unheated (around 55
degrees) basement. Is there any best solution or only some compromise?
Thanks, Richard

Hi,
The kind of lights you use will make a huge difference to the growth of
your plants. Seedlings are typically started off with 125watt CFL lights
placed just a couple of inches above the plants. These give off a low
level of heat so shouldn't scorch the foliage unless you leave the
foliage wet. Once the seedlings have got going it is best to move on to
a higher wattage such as 250 watt or more up to a max of 600watt. For
indoor growing you might do well to visit your local hydro shop.




--
Are they talking air temp or soil temp. Lights usually give off to much
heat. If its air temp they mean. Its so you dont burn the plants.

Growing plants under fluorescent lights
 

In article ,
"None4U" wrote:

"VictoriaJS" wrote in message
...

richardg;877949 Wrote:
I am growing my own lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes etc. plants in my
basement for planting into my garden.
There is a conflict in growing instructions for lettuce and cabbage. I
have read that they grow best if the lights are several inches above
the plants. I have also read that lettuce and cabbage like the growing
temperature to be around 60 degrees. The problem is that when the
lights are several inches above the plants the soil temperature is
around 75 degrees. BTW they are grown in an unheated (around 55
degrees) basement. Is there any best solution or only some compromise?
Thanks, Richard

Hi,
The kind of lights you use will make a huge difference to the growth of
your plants. Seedlings are typically started off with 125watt CFL lights
placed just a couple of inches above the plants. These give off a low
level of heat so shouldn't scorch the foliage unless you leave the
foliage wet. Once the seedlings have got going it is best to move on to
a higher wattage such as 250 watt or more up to a max of 600watt. For
indoor growing you might do well to visit your local hydro shop.




--
Are they talking air temp or soil temp. Lights usually give off to much
heat. If its air temp they mean. Its so you dont burn the plants.

According to the
"Vegetable Gardener' Bible" by Edward C. Smith.
http://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Gard...Gardening/dp/1
580172121/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206815454&sr=1-1

ideal soil temperature for germinating cabbage is 75 - 85°F (24 - 29°C).
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

If you frequently use as a combination of heating and cooling or GRO fluorescents light lamp should be as close to the plants. Once they are several inches is not enough light, plants become leggy. If you have a new high intensity lights, they can at a later type.

Hi,

As per my knowledge, the palantation of vegetables need direct sun light for better quality. So, inspite of artificial lights, you should go for vegetable plantation in garden area. I was also doing the same but then I tried it & amazingly it works.

Once they are a brace of inches abroad there's not abundant ablaze and the plants get leggy. For this acumen these lights alone plan to abound for a short time. Once the plants accept developed a brace of inches not enough light alcove the basal leaves.