[pookey]

I have just made a swanky new propagation table using soil warming cable and a thermostat.  It is 100cm x 60cm and has 20foot (75watt) of cable in it.  consists of layer of polystyrene on the bottom, black plastic, 5cm sand, cable, 5cm sand black plastic on top.  It then has a metal tent frame on the top and a zip open plastic cover.  It is on my diner table and can raise the temperature to about 27 degrees on full.  I am very pleased with it.  I plan to grow alot of flowers this year to so it will be very busy till summer.

One of the problems I have when I raise seedlings is the lack of light and they often get leggy quickly.  I was considering putting some lighting in the tent but there are just so many choices - envirolites, l.e.d grow lights, plain flourescent bulb etc and I dont know which will be best.  I could move the table into my greenhouse but I thought it wold use more electicity to reach the right temperature than if it was in the house?  Alternatively I could move it close to my flourescent light in the kitchen and have it on the worktop, but I think the light would be too high up to do any good.  ANy advice

[lucywil]

sounds impressive!!

i think the trick is to take the seedlings out as soon as they germinate as too much heat will also make them go leggy.  i am slowly turning our conservatory into a nursery (much to hubby's disgust!)

[pookey]

i find that when I take them out straight away they just stop growing.  I did some strawberrys a few weeks ago and its like theyre frozen in time they havent grown a mm in 2 weeks, the seeds havent even fell off the leaves!

[lucywil]

all i can say is that things do grow very slowly this time of year.

i am sure some one else will be a long soon that can help you with the lighting issue

[Yabba]

I just use a grolux light, for a fish tank, in my light box. You need to get the seedlings as close to the light as possible though. Heat isn't a problem as the bulb never gets that hot.



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[woodburner]

i find that when I take them out straight away they just stop growing.  I did some strawberrys a few weeks ago and its like theyre frozen in time they havent grown a mm in 2 weeks, the seeds havent even fell off the leaves!

Hmm, maybe turn the temp down a bit or open the cover once they have germinated. A light will add more heat, so if it's the heat that is causing the legginess rather than lack of light, the light might not help.
If you do give lighting a go, use the low energy bulbs as they produce more uv and less heat than standdard bulbs.
Tin foil on card makes a nice reflector (credit to DD for this one ) and won't add much heat at all.

Coo, is that grolux high UV then? Sounds like it from the name. Is it just a posh version of fluorescent lights though?

[Yabba]

It's higher uv than a fluorescent, you normally use them for the plants in fish tanks. The front is normally covered by a thick bit of polystyrene covered in tinfoil. You can just see it to the left of the picture.

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[LivvyW]

Pookey - Did you say you plan to grow FLOWERS!




 

[randombod]

i do like the table legs in that picture?

i had a similar problem and what i did was use 2 covers have a clr one over the top and then i put a bin liner over the clear one so when they popped up i rolled the bin liner back on the side that needed it and eventually removed it and leave the clr cover on for max light and heat

[pookey]

I have only ever grown edibles, and this year I fancied dolling up the house abit with some hanging baskets and window boxes as its very drab pebble dash and I do have a tendancy to scatter dodo all over the front!  Bags of compost, plant pots, half finnished garden projects etc, so I thought some flowers might hide my evil doings.  Of course they will take second place to my veg.  I have been working on my new 8x12 greenhouse this year for direct plantings in the soil, I put up a 8x6 last year which will now be used for seedlings and my neighbour has just offered me another small greenhouse which will do for pepper chillis and tomatoes!  so much to grow!!!

The fish tank lighting sounds perfect as hubby has just quadrupled the size of his tropical fish tank (I dread the electricity bill, its already 90 squid a month) so I have a nice hood sat in storage, I'll just have to get one of those special bulbs!!!!

Do you have your bench by natural light with the foil round the sides and back?

I just bought an ip65 rated 4 foot flourescent light for general lighting in the greenhouse only to get it and realise its 110v and cant be plugged into the mains without a transformer    Daft daft woman :blink:  I actually wired it up and plugged it in, then called my dad to ask why smoke was coming from it 

[Yabba]

i do like the table legs in that picture?

Recycling at it's finest .... that's my excuse anyway

The fish tank lighting sounds perfect as hubby has just quadrupled the size of his tropical fish tank (I dread the electricity bill, its already 90 squid a month) so I have a nice hood sat in storage, I'll just have to get one of those special bulbs!!!!

Fish tanks don't use that much elecy

Do you have your bench by natural light with the foil round the sides and back?

My bench is my computer desk, I was just making use of dead space. It's pretty dark under there without the lights

The lights have foil reflectors ( also from a fish tank ) and the sides are covered in foil.

It's my first year trying this, so ask me in a few months whether it works or not

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[yorky]

if you don't mind spending a bit of money these new Envirolites are pretty good.

http://www.jungleseeds.co.uk/HardwareOrders/index1.html?lang=en-uk&target=d34.html&kw=grow%20light%20systems&fl=7940&gclid=CKrH_sbMopYCFQ6IMAodLxcLJg

I have got a 125watt one above my onion seedlings and this is the first time I have managed to keep them nice and sturdy at this time of year.

[Yabba]

Those lights look pretty cool. Do you have any heat problems with them? The grolux lights are cold enough to hold in your hand even after they've been on for 18 hours

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[yorky]

Those lights look pretty cool. Do you have any heat problems with them?

¥

None at all. One of the good things about them is that you can hang them just above your plants without fear of scorching.

[pookey]

Those lights look pretty cool. Do you have any heat problems with them?

¥

None at all. One of the good things about them is that you can hang them just above your plants without fear of scorching.

would they be okay to use in a 'closed' propagator considering the humid moist atmosphere?  wouldnt the moisture get into the bulb holder. My cover is covered in droplets and drips from the roof. I suppose I could remove the plastic cover but would lose heat.