Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Old 01-05-2003, 07:32 AM
Play4aBuck
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grow light 24 x 7? Do plants need to sleep?

Hi,

I have some new seedlings growing, but I'm a couple of weeks late planting
them. Can I make up for lost time by running my grow lights longer? Do
plants need a rest (darkness)?

How close should I hang my light? I have a 4 light bulb setup, with 2 grow
bulbs and 2 regular bulbs (cool white maybe). It's your standard 4 bulb -
4 foot ceiling fixture, hanging from a ladder over the plants on the ground.
The plants are about 2-3 inches tall, too many varieties to mention. The
grow bulbs say 12 - 15 inches, but I'm in a hurry! :-)

Cheers,
Jim


  #2   Report Post  
Old 01-05-2003, 01:20 PM
Dwight Sipler
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grow light 24 x 7? Do plants need to sleep?

Play4aBuck wrote:

Hi,

I have some new seedlings growing, but I'm a couple of weeks late planting
them. Can I make up for lost time by running my grow lights longer? Do
plants need a rest (darkness)?

How close should I hang my light? I have a 4 light bulb setup, with 2 grow
bulbs and 2 regular bulbs (cool white maybe). It's your standard 4 bulb -
4 foot ceiling fixture, hanging from a ladder over the plants on the ground.
The plants are about 2-3 inches tall, too many varieties to mention. The
grow bulbs say 12 - 15 inches, but I'm in a hurry! :-)


You can't really hurry the plants much. However, when warm weather
comes, the late plants tend to catch up with the others. A couple of
weeks is nothing to worry about. (exception: long season plants in a
short season growing area, such as melons in New England. In a case like
that you have to start the plants too early, warm the soil with plastic,
plant the plants too early, protect them with row covers, etc. etc. You
can grow watermelons here but in the normal course of things they mature
in September, when there's no market for watermelon, but I digress...)

Most plants do need periods of darkness. In fact, some plants use
daylength as a trigger for flowering, so you may be forcing them to
flower too early by extending the day length artificially.

Hang the light at the highest point you expect to need (plus a bit to
allow for leggy plants). Place the plants on a stack of newspaper so
that they are as close to the lamps as possible (within 2") -- remember
to allow for some growth. When they get too close, take out some
newspaper to lower the plants. Much easier than raising the lamps. The
newspaper also absorbs excess water. This also allows you to accommodate
plants of different heights with the same lamps. And you have something
to read while working on your plants.
  #3   Report Post  
Old 01-05-2003, 08:32 PM
Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grow light 24 x 7? Do plants need to sleep?

Play4aBuck wrote:

Hi,

I have some new seedlings growing, but I'm a couple of weeks late planting
them. Can I make up for lost time by running my grow lights longer? Do
plants need a rest (darkness)?


Yes. Conversion of sugars to starches in the roots requires darkness.
Allow 8 - 12 hours' sleep per day. Check your newspaper for sunrise and
sunset, set the timer accordingly.

How close should I hang my light? I have a 4 light bulb setup, with 2 grow
bulbs and 2 regular bulbs (cool white maybe). It's your standard 4 bulb -
4 foot ceiling fixture, hanging from a ladder over the plants on the ground.
The plants are about 2-3 inches tall, too many varieties to mention. The
grow bulbs say 12 - 15 inches, but I'm in a hurry! :-)


Assuming those "bulbs" are fluorescent tubes, 2" is right.
  #4   Report Post  
Old 12-04-2011, 01:43 AM
Registered User
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Apr 2011
Posts: 5
Default

Most plants do charge periods of darkness. In fact, some plants use daylength as a activate for flowering, so you may be banishment them to flower too aboriginal by extending the day breadth artificially.
__________________
light grow
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Full spectrum Light,Grow Light etc Oliver Norris United Kingdom 11 09-04-2011 05:55 PM
Eat sleep poop...and GROW Mark Edible Gardening 10 01-04-2004 01:45 PM
Eat, sleep, poop... Mark Edible Gardening 55 18-03-2004 09:36 AM
do plants need to sleep? Michael Shaffer Gardening 7 02-11-2003 08:22 PM
Fluorescent light vs. grow light michele Gardening 9 13-04-2003 09:20 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:02 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 GardenBanter.co.uk.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Gardening"

 

Copyright © 2017