Seedling and Lighting Question

[Zagut]

I'm using an old florescent light fixture I pulled out of a house we renovated to start my seeds this year. It has a diffuser on it.

Is it better to take the diffuser off and let the plants grow towards the bare bulbs or use the diffuser?

I know I should get the correct spectrum bulbs but budget rears it's ugly head and I'll use what I have.

I've kept the diffusers on so far and the spinach is going good so far. Just wanted to hear from those of you who have more experience then me the best way to go on starting seeds.

Once the weather allows me to put them outside that's where they go but I'd like to get a head start and hope some of you with experience could point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance and the best of luck in your harvest.

 

[Dawgluver]

I would take the diffuser off. I'm assuming by diffuser, you mean something underneath the tubes, and not the sides of the fixtures? I used to grow all my flowers and veggies under grow lights in the basement, and just used standard fluorescent fixtures with a mix of cool and warm tubes, and later, the more expensive grow tubes. With seeds, they really don't care, it's when they get to be bigger plants that they may start to get leggy.

 

[taxlady]

I didn't realize that seedlings don't really benefit from the specialized grow lights. It makes sense though. Thanks for the info Dawg.

 

[Zagut]

Thanks Dawgluver.

Yes I mean the cover under the tubes that softens the light.

I kind of figured it would be better to remove it but didn't know if it might improve the spectrum of light for the plants.

 

[Zagut]

While I'm here. Does the amount of light matter?

I was taught they need to rest but I've also been told to keep the light on 24/7.

I have them on a timer and give them 16 hours now.

Ma Nature lets them rest so why shouldn't I?

Soon they'll be out with Ma so I'll let her worry about light.

I'll just have to worry about how to keep those damned snails away.

 

[Addie]

While I'm here. Does the amount of light matter?

I was taught they need to rest but I've also been told to keep the light on 24/7.

I have them on a timer and give them 16 hours now.

Ma Nature lets them rest so why shouldn't I?

Soon they'll be out with Ma so I'll let her worry about light.

I'll just have to worry about how to keep those damned snails away.

Surround the edge of your garden with just plain table salt. Kills them instantly. And should they get past that, just a few grains sprinkled on them will do the job also. Not too much. You don't want to make your soil to salty.

 

[Dawgluver]

I kept mine on timers, 16 hours is fine. Again, as little seedlings, they really can handle any light conditions, especially when you're going to put them outside soon. It's the bigger plants that can get leggy, but they grow out of that once they're outside. Put the light source as close as possible without touching the seedlings. Watch out for damping off.

 

[Dawgluver]

Surround the edge of your garden with just plain table salt. Kills them instantly. And should they get past that, just a few grains sprinkled on them will do the job also. Not too much. You don't want to make your soil to salty.

Oh dear, no salt! It will poison the soil and not much will grow. Try jar caps with a bit of yeast and water, or beer. Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around will work as well, but it disappears when it rains and you need to reapply.

 

[GotGarlic]

Oh dear, no salt! It will poison the soil and not much will grow. Try jar caps with a bit of yeast and water, or beer. Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around will work as well, but it disappears when it rains and you need to reapply.

+1. Diatomaceous earth has worked great for me.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Surround the edge of your garden with just plain table salt. Kills them instantly. And should they get past that, just a few grains sprinkled on them will do the job also. Not too much. You don't want to make your soil to salty.

Oh dear, no salt! It will poison the soil and not much will grow. Try jar caps with a bit of yeast and water, or beer. Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around will work as well, but it disappears when it rains and you need to reapply.

Salt will kill any plants it comes into contact with. I would not use it anywhere near my garden.

 

[cave76]

Oh dear, no salt! It will poison the soil and not much will grow. Try jar caps with a bit of yeast and water, or beer. Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around will work as well, but it disappears when it rains and you need to reapply.

My snails just love beer! At least they die happy.

 

[Zagut]

Well the diffuser is off. I figured all it did was lessen the light to the plants.

The spinach is about 1 1/2 " high.
Beets are coming up as is lettuce. cabbage, broccoli. and sprouts.

Also popping up are some spices. Cumin, chives, basil, parsley, thyme oregano, and tarragon. Those I grow mostly inside but I'll attempt to get a few going out with Ma Nature.

As far as those **&&###!~! sails go. (No I don't want to harvest and eat them) I don't think salt would work. Besides not being to good for the plants anything that washes away has little effect. I won't use poisons because of Lucy and Ethel. (The best cats in the world. ) I've tried Ashes, coffee grounds, egg shells etc. Going to have to try the beer thing. At least those little *^^##!'s will be having a good time while they destroy my garden.

I haven't tried a copper barrier yet but it seems like it might be best for my situation.

Best of luck with your harvest this season.

 

[Dawgluver]

Well the diffuser is off. I figured all it did was lessen the light to the plants.

The spinach is about 1 1/2 " high.
Beets are coming up as is lettuce. cabbage, broccoli. and sprouts.

Also popping up are some spices. Cumin, chives, basil, parsley, thyme oregano, and tarragon. Those I grow mostly inside but I'll attempt to get a few going out with Ma Nature.

As far as those **&&###!~! sails go. (No I don't want to harvest and eat them) I don't think salt would work. Besides not being to good for the plants anything that washes away has little effect. I won't use poisons because of Lucy and Ethel. (The best cats in the world. ) I've tried Ashes, coffee grounds, egg shells etc. Going to have to try the beer thing. At least those little *^^##!'s will be having a good time while they destroy my garden.

I haven't tried a copper barrier yet but it seems like it might be best for my situation.

Best of luck with your harvest this season.

It's exciting seeing those little seedlings come up, isn't it? Good luck with the beets, root vegetables seem to do better for me when direct-seeded in the garden and may be difficult to transplant. I also direct-seed my basil, cumin, lettuce and parsley. Tomatoes and peppers do well under lights and transplant easily.

Gardens Alive makes Escar-go, an organic, nonpoisonous -to-pets snail deterrent. They may have other snail products. Diatomaceous earth is the sharp skeletons of dead plankton, it rips up the snails, but is totally harmless to other animals and humans. You can find it at garden shops and pool supply stores.

 

[dcSaute]

....snails / slugs

empty cat food cans; half-fill with beer.
bury almost flush with surface - let stick up a bit.
they crawl in, they don't crawl out.

empty daily - yes that's a _MUST_ - daily.
elsewise it stinks, really stinks!

takes about a week to clean out an infestation.

the copper screening will work; veddy pricey - and as it oxidizes it is not nearly as effective.
then you have to acid wash it and . . . (ask for sordid details...)

 

[Zagut]

I agree the root veggies do best direct seeded but I wanted to try a head start with them. I've started them in biodegradable containers so we'll see what happens after I put them outside with Ma.

I'll check out Escar-go. I do need to find something. Last year the snails made my cabbage look like lace. As long as Lucy and Ethel are safe I don't care how I get rid of them.

 

[Zagut]

Oh yes, I'm asking for the sordid details.

I know the copper is expensive but it seems like the way to go for me.

I think I'd do better keeping the copper clean then I'd do emptying out dead snail bodies from a soup of yuck.

I don't just have an infestation. I have a very small plot that invites them to chow down on my crops.

Any and all advice is welcome.

 

[Dawgluver]

If you can find copper tape or copper flashing, that might work too. Copper tape for electrical work is pretty cheap.

 

[cave76]

To Zagut------I have found through endless attempts to NOT transplant cilantro/coriander/cumin seedlings. Just my experience.

But green onions do transplant well. I would put a thick sowing of green onion seeds in a gallon plastic tub and when they got about 4 inches high I would lay them down in a furrow (sideways because they'll straighten themselves up) a little less than an inch apart, but could be closer,cover up the white part and water them in.

 

[Zagut]

Dawluver, Finding copper is not a problem for me. I get plenty of scrap copper from work. I just need to know if it works and how to best apply it before I go to the effort to use it. Then again Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Cave, Thanks for the tip on Cumin but I plan on putting them in the ground long before it would be considered transplanting. I'll get them going in a biodegradable 2x2 pot and then put them outside for Ma. to deal with.

Gardening is a fun pastime for me folks. I kill more then I harvest but I always want to learn. Any and all suggestions are welcome by me and I hope to one day be able to say I harvest more then I kill.

 

[taxlady]

I find that the biodegradable pots don't biodegrade very fast. I would tear them open or at least remove the bottoms before transplanting.