best simple grow light setup?

dickiebird

Garden Addicted
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
1,102
Reaction score
880
Points
257
Location
Cedar Hill MO
That should be plenty of light. I use 2 lamps over each shelf that size.

THANX RICH
 

sonjab314

Chillin' In The Garden
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
85
Reaction score
0
Points
34
Location
MO zone 5
I have a 250 watt metal halide that I used on my reef tank that I disassembled a few months ago. Would that be too much light/heat?
 

HunkieDorie23

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Apr 29, 2009
Messages
1,066
Reaction score
36
Points
177
Location
Georgia Bound
LVVCHAP said:
I made this a few years ago - works well for me
I tried this last year and it worked great. Got it back together this year with onions and cucumber and garlic right now. Getting ready to start brocoli and flowers.
 

silkiechicken

Deeply Rooted
Moderator
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
543
Reaction score
1
Points
109
Location
Everett WA, Corvallis OR
That wire shelf and shop light set up is exactly what I use. I broke mine down into two shelves though, since I'm way to short to manage it if it was at it's full height. I have two shop lights per level

230_img_2097.jpg


I keep the plants about 1 inch below the lights
230_tomato.jpg


And you can grow lettuce no problem:
230_lettuice2.jpg


Just that I find the lettuce isn't as crispy when grown in non windy gentle indoor temps vs in the dirt outside.

Everything is on a 14 hr day light cycle
 

wsmoak

Deeply Rooted
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
547
Reaction score
23
Points
151
Location
A little north of Columbus, GA
It worked. :)


110221_4546 by wsmoak, on Flickr

I also find that the lettuce isn't very crisp, but it's working okay as baby greens. I have a fan on them, but it still gets pretty warm under the lights, and I'm sure that's not helping matters. I haven't tried to grow one all the way into a full head yet.

For the next flat I painstakingly set out individual seeds in a grid pattern, and I think I just learned that you need to plant far more lettuce seeds than you expect to see germinate. Less than half of them came up.

I also have tomato plants, the spinach and broccoli from the 'sideways seedlings' thread, basil, catnip, my shelves are full!

-Wendy
 

silkiechicken

Deeply Rooted
Moderator
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
543
Reaction score
1
Points
109
Location
Everett WA, Corvallis OR
wsmoak said:
silkiechicken said:
What containers are you using there, and how many lettuce plants in each one?

-Wendy
It was a low budget experiment...

Those containers are 1 gallon milk jugs with their tops cut off. LOL

I think I just sprinkled seeds in and then thinned to 4-5 plants somewhat evenly spaced. I haven't tried it again yet b/c the indoor grown leaves just didn't have much body to them. They were kind of thin and soft vs thick and crispy.
 
Top