Starting Seeds Indoors

[padams2359]

I purchased the grow light system below. I planted seed of various tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, cucumbers, etc. How far above the seeds I planted yesterday should I put the light? Also, how long should I have the light on each day?


Table Top Grow Light
Customer Favorite
Just plug in and grow!
Give your seeds the proper light they need to grow healthy and strong anywhere with our new portable grow light.
Comes complete with sturdy frame, fully adjustable light box, and two 20-watt wide-spectrum bulbs.

Pumpkin
Tomato-Seedless
Sweet Pepper - Costa Rican
Watermelon
Cucumber
Okra
Sweet Pepper - Mix
Hot Pepper - Mix

 

[Chaplain Kent]

I am not familiar with your lighting, I use gro lights in a four foot fixture set about five feet above the table.
The most important thing you need to do now is keep your seeds moist and warm but not wet. Cover them but also allow some air circulation. Light is not important until the seeds begin to germinate. You have quite a mixture of seeds which require different temperatures and watering. I might suggest you take a glance at this forum:The GardenWeb Forums - GardenWeb

 

[BreezyCooking]

Padams2359 - I start my indoor seeds with the lights just a couple of inches above the soil containers. As the seedlings sprout, I start raising the lights - always keeping them just a couple of inches above the uppermost leaves. Otherwise, you'll end up with leggy seedlings - you don't want them "reaching" for the light. As far as length of time, I don't like leaving electrical stuff on when I'm not home, so I normally turn the lights on in the late afternoon/early evening & leave them on overnight, turning them off some time in the morning or whenever I have to leave the premises. I'm guessing the lights are on approximately anywhere from 14-16 hours per day.

I don't know what the weather is like by you, but do keep in mind that out of the seeds you've already planted, the cucumber, pumpkin, & watermelon are going to not only shoot up fast, but are going to need to be planted out fairly quickly - like shortly after sprouting. They don't take particularly well to being transplanted once they're up & start vining. The rest can easily go 8-12 weeks if necessary, assuming you repot them as necessary.