Starting plants in the basement - what kind of heaters to use ?
What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. I'm going to start some plants this season and need some ideas about how to keep them warm until it's time to put them outside. The basement is at about 68 while the heating season is here. I expect that there will be a point where I turn the oil burner off, but before it's warm enough to put the plants outside. -- a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m Don't blame me. I voted for Gore. |
simy1 wrote:
Al Dykes wrote: What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. Most people here use commercial fluorescent lights, which have a broad spectrum and relatively low consumption. usually seeding trays are 2X1 feet (I have both the 72 cell ones and the 288 cell ones), and it took me a while to find 4 feet lights (two trays side by side), because 3 and 6 feet are most common...................................... Where in the world do you live that you can't easily find 4 foot fixtures? That's about all I ever see and I didn't even know they make 6 foot ones. Steve |
Al Dykes wrote:
What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. I'm going to start some plants this season and need some ideas about how to keep them warm until it's time to put them outside. The basement is at about 68 while the heating season is here. I expect that there will be a point where I turn the oil burner off, but before it's warm enough to put the plants outside. I start my garden plants in the basement. I use a bank of 8 four foot long fluorescent tubes above a single shelf. For a week or two I run out of space. Then I leave the lights on 24 hours a day and rotate the trays of plants through so that they take turns being directly under the lights. Soon the cold tolerant plants are moved outside to harden off and the space is enough again. You'll want the plants to be almost touching the lights. As the plants grow, you'll either need to raise up the lights or lower the plants. Cool temperatures are good. You wouldn't want to be much warmer than 68 degrees. I keep the newly planted seeds warm so they get up and growing quick. I use an old electric blanket folded flat so that it fits neatly into a garbage bag. (yes, I fully expect that doing this will burn the house down one of these years.) Any way, keeping the newly planted seeds at 80 to 85 degrees will get most seeds growing in about 3 days. As soon as several seedlings are up, they get moved over to the lights. Steve |
Al Dykes wrote:
What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. I'm going to start some plants this season and need some ideas about how to keep them warm until it's time to put them outside. The basement is at about 68 while the heating season is here. I expect that there will be a point where I turn the oil burner off, but before it's warm enough to put the plants outside. I start my garden plants in the basement. I use a bank of 8 four foot long fluorescent tubes above a single shelf. For a week or two I run out of space. Then I leave the lights on 24 hours a day and rotate the trays of plants through so that they take turns being directly under the lights. Soon the cold tolerant plants are moved outside to harden off and the space is enough again. You'll want the plants to be almost touching the lights. As the plants grow, you'll either need to raise up the lights or lower the plants. Cool temperatures are good. You wouldn't want to be much warmer than 68 degrees. I keep the newly planted seeds warm so they get up and growing quick. I use an old electric blanket folded flat so that it fits neatly into a garbage bag. (yes, I fully expect that doing this will burn the house down one of these years.) Any way, keeping the newly planted seeds at 80 to 85 degrees will get most seeds growing in about 3 days. As soon as several seedlings are up, they get moved over to the lights. Steve |
In article ,
Steve wrote: Al Dykes wrote: What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. I'm going to start some plants this season and need some ideas about how to keep them warm until it's time to put them outside. The basement is at about 68 while the heating season is here. I expect that there will be a point where I turn the oil burner off, but before it's warm enough to put the plants outside. I start my garden plants in the basement. I use a bank of 8 four foot long fluorescent tubes above a single shelf. For a week or two I run out of space. Then I leave the lights on 24 hours a day and rotate the trays of plants through so that they take turns being directly under the lights. Soon the cold tolerant plants are moved outside to harden off and the space is enough again. You'll want the plants to be almost touching the lights. As the plants grow, you'll either need to raise up the lights or lower the plants. Cool temperatures are good. You wouldn't want to be much warmer than 68 degrees. I keep the newly planted seeds warm so they get up and growing quick. I use an old electric blanket folded flat so that it fits neatly into a garbage bag. (yes, I fully expect that doing this will burn the house down one of these years.) Any way, keeping the newly planted seeds at 80 to 85 degrees will get most seeds growing in about 3 days. As soon as several seedlings are up, they get moved over to the lights. Steve I take it that "under the lights" does not include the heatpad. -- a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m Don't blame me. I voted for Gore. |
In article ,
Steve wrote: Al Dykes wrote: What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. I'm going to start some plants this season and need some ideas about how to keep them warm until it's time to put them outside. The basement is at about 68 while the heating season is here. I expect that there will be a point where I turn the oil burner off, but before it's warm enough to put the plants outside. I start my garden plants in the basement. I use a bank of 8 four foot long fluorescent tubes above a single shelf. For a week or two I run out of space. Then I leave the lights on 24 hours a day and rotate the trays of plants through so that they take turns being directly under the lights. Soon the cold tolerant plants are moved outside to harden off and the space is enough again. You'll want the plants to be almost touching the lights. As the plants grow, you'll either need to raise up the lights or lower the plants. Cool temperatures are good. You wouldn't want to be much warmer than 68 degrees. I keep the newly planted seeds warm so they get up and growing quick. I use an old electric blanket folded flat so that it fits neatly into a garbage bag. (yes, I fully expect that doing this will burn the house down one of these years.) Any way, keeping the newly planted seeds at 80 to 85 degrees will get most seeds growing in about 3 days. As soon as several seedlings are up, they get moved over to the lights. Steve I take it that "under the lights" does not include the heatpad. -- a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m Don't blame me. I voted for Gore. |
Al Dykes wrote:
In article , Steve wrote: Al Dykes wrote: What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. I'm going to start some plants this season and need some ideas about how to keep them warm until it's time to put them outside. The basement is at about 68 while the heating season is here. I expect that there will be a point where I turn the oil burner off, but before it's warm enough to put the plants outside. I start my garden plants in the basement. I use a bank of 8 four foot long fluorescent tubes above a single shelf. For a week or two I run out of space. Then I leave the lights on 24 hours a day and rotate the trays of plants through so that they take turns being directly under the lights. Soon the cold tolerant plants are moved outside to harden off and the space is enough again. You'll want the plants to be almost touching the lights. As the plants grow, you'll either need to raise up the lights or lower the plants. Cool temperatures are good. You wouldn't want to be much warmer than 68 degrees. I keep the newly planted seeds warm so they get up and growing quick. I use an old electric blanket folded flat so that it fits neatly into a garbage bag. (yes, I fully expect that doing this will burn the house down one of these years.) Any way, keeping the newly planted seeds at 80 to 85 degrees will get most seeds growing in about 3 days. As soon as several seedlings are up, they get moved over to the lights. Steve I take it that "under the lights" does not include the heatpad. That's right. My "heat pad" goes on a counter top on the other side of the room. It would be nice sometimes to have it under the lights. That way I wouldn't have to check so often to see what is sprouting. If I don't catch it soon enough, the early sprouters would look like spaghetti. Under the lights, I could also continue the heat until most have sprouted instead of just the early ones. Steve |
you are probably right. I just went to Home Depot that day, found no 4
footers but plenty of the other ones, and went to a shop for contractors to find some. But they should be available. |
you are probably right. I just went to Home Depot that day, found no 4
footers but plenty of the other ones, and went to a shop for contractors to find some. But they should be available. |
After years of shop lights, I bit the bullet and got propagation mats and a
1000 watt light system 4 years ago. Plenty of light and even heat. I would never go back! John! "Al Dykes" wrote in message ... What kind of heaters and lights are people using ? I'd like some ideas. |
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