Your take on seedlings

[Mayloa]

I was just wondering what you guys use for your seedlings. What kind of light do you give your seedlings, When do you start giving ferts and what's your airflow setup like?

Personally I haven't invested in anything yet, My first two seasons have been on a minimal when it comes to extra stuff.
I'v only germinated my seeds in a "seedling greenhouse" under natural light (which is limited in denmark @ that time of the year)
This ofc limits the growth the first couple of months and gives long internodes and leggy plants. It also forces me to germinate later than with artifical lights.

So, I'm looking to find a suitable setup for 2011's season - which is where you guys come into place.
What kind of lights do you use, and whats your favorite light schedule? For how long do you add artificial light?
When do you usually start adding ferts, and at which percentage compared to standard concentration?(roughly speaking) Do you have fans running or have you tried other types of plant growth retardation? (non-chemical)

I might be able to find answers to some of the things(like adding ferts) from searching old posts, I just feel that it all comes into comparison with each other.
One might add ferts early -because- they give loads of extra light, while others might add later cause they don't have extra light or good growth retardation etc.

[masaiman]

Hi, Mayloa, and welcome to the world`s merriest bunch on nutters

Every user in this forum will propably give u a different kind of answer to these questions, but I try to give an overall view from my standpoint.

This is one of the best hobbies in the world mainly because u can get started with roughly 20 euros, but if you let the "moped run out of your hands" as we say here (somehow the point gets lost in the translation...) the setup can spread for up to hundreds of plants, several greenhouses an thousands and thousands of euros (chek out for eg. bluesman`s last season`s diary...)

To the answers: I strongly recommend that U invest ~20 euros (about 150 local) to a cheap tabletop lamp and a ~20w energy saving lamp.

Myself I got a self-built 4x18w fluorescent tube lamp with height-adjustable shelf underneath it, and a tabletop lamp similiar to that linked one for three other plants.

I got a 12v in-car minifan via a transformer to move air around. Some say that fanning is not necessary, but i have found it strenghtens the stems and in theory MIGHT help the plant to yield a bigger crop.

Many in this forum uses high-pressure sodium lamps, but at least in my case that would be a little overkill when U look at their power and tendency to produce massive amounts of heat. (my setup spends most of the day unsurveilled, and a sodium-lamp would pose a fire-hazard.) Not to mention that at least in my opinion those buggers are butt-ugly...

My lamps are rigged through a timer that is set from 8:00 to 22:00 given the fact that the plants grow in a room where natural light is practically absent.

I would refrain from fertilizing the little plants at least until they have grown one or two pairs of "real" leaves.

If U havent already, Read this through.
That guy is one of (if not the) biggest seed distributors and pioneers in Finland.

Don`t believe everything I say, I have just one season under my belt. Happy growings!

[Mayloa]

Every user in this forum will propably give u a different kind of answer to these questions, but I try to give an overall view from my standpoint.

This is exactly why I asked. I know there's probably just as many answers as there are growers - everyone developed their own style and ideas on growing.
I have read the guide, And others too - I just wanted to hear how you guys do.

About HPS - too much for me, I'm limited to space so it's either gonna have to be a small fluorescent setup or cfl's.
Been looking @ a 2x55w Fluorescent tube kit just under €100 - and finding a table fan somewhere locally.
Considdering you are using 4x18, a single ~50w setup might do it aswell.

Lets see what all the others are using!? 

[MaXXer]

Welcome to the group of merry hotheads..

I'll give you second perspective, i used 25w cfl and 2*14w fluorescent tubes (tubes were actually allmost all the time only for tomatoes) last winter for 12 plants, kept them little smaller so they all fitted under the lamps, and they liked that too.
When i wake up, i turn the lights on and when i go to bed, turn those off, so i'd say about 16hours light time a day, until sometime in april when they are all on natural light..

I bet you have lot more natural light (good window spots for plants) though in Denmark, compared to northern Finland, where i live, so i would say if you want to keep it cheap, buy one light (or about 50watts), and if you want better results, buy two or more of them..

About ferts, i start giving them (in soil) to about month old plants, lesser amounts at first couple times and then normal dosage..
As a fertilizer i use Puutarhan Kesä (sommerhave) about 1ml/liter of water, and no fans what so ever..

and if you want to slow down the growth, in case of leggy plants, just simply drop the ferts dose smaller, and if you swap them to bigger pots, you can always plant them little deeper..

[Mayloa]

Hey!
By the looks of it I will settle with two 30 watt CFL's (unfortunally only available @ 4000k) and a standard table fan to start off with, At least for this next upcoming season. Think ill try Biobizz ferts this year aswell. Anyway thanks for your replies

[Mayloa]

So I ended up buying two 30W (4000k) CFL bulbs along with cheap lamps to go with them. Spent about 26€. This is the difference..

Last years 'Cayenne'

Compared to this years 'Fatalii' and 'Aji amarillo small' (fatalii's to the far left, 2 plants) Same amount of days passed since I put them in the soil..

Quite a significant difference in growth if you ask me.. So to all of you out there with no seedling grow-lights = Go for it, even a small and cheap setup will do the difference.


EDIT: [img] Doesnt seem to work very well for me, ill try [url] instead