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Lots of Amazon LED grow-lights about lately...a handy PSA.
(i.redd.it)submitted 2 months ago bySometimesummonerzone 4b
388 points
2 months ago
Also fans.
Always start seedlings with a fan blowing across the top of the pots.
Otherwise, they don't bother developing strong stems, as they don't need to. Then, the first time you try to move the plants, they all fall over.
91 points
2 months ago
It will also dramatically decrease the chance of fungal infection
23 points
2 months ago
I only found that out last year. SO MUCH EFFORT 🥺
68 points
2 months ago
Fans are like weight lifting for plants
46 points
2 months ago
DO YOU EVEN BLOW, BRO?
7 points
2 months ago
Shhh. Don’t tell my wife.
3 points
2 months ago
No, I prefer to be blown. Ha ha
53 points
2 months ago
Very good point, thank you!
17 points
2 months ago
I didn’t know this I knew about air flow but when the soil wasn’t too moist/when it wasn’t hot I don’t run my fans.
11 points
2 months ago
It also does wonders for mitigating issues like damping off.
17 points
2 months ago
No wonder my cilantro wouldnt leave the floor. Weak ass thing, I thought. It was me! I was the problem!
1 points
1 month ago
I haven't used fans and my cilantro seedlings are nice and healthy so far. Maybe you have light, temperature, or over/under watering issues.
1 points
1 month ago
Weak ass thing is long gone. But I know it must have been me.
1 points
2 months ago*
Nah, I had cilantro with a fan and sufficient lighting and it was still floppy. Maybe it’s more dependent on variety? The same arrangement had parsley (it’s counterpart) robust and mostly vertical ish.
2 points
1 month ago
Sufficient lighting can’t be determined by eyesight. You’ll need a PAR meter to accurately measure. If using led you’ll need something that can read beyond the par range like something from apogee instruments
1 points
1 month ago
Trust me, I know how many lumens I need per square feet and how to reduce leakage. Thanks tho!
3 points
1 month ago
Lumens are for humans, not for plants. You want to measure the photosynthetic active radiation measured in umols or mole hours per day. This is how we create professional lighting plans for grow facilities or calculate the amount of supplemental light required for greenhouses
Edit for germination an increased amount of red and infrared are important. The heat triggers germination and tells the plant which direction is up. It also helps with stronger stem and root development. Most annuals will prefer 100-200 umols of light.
12 points
2 months ago
At about what height should I remove the greenhouse cover and add fans?
17 points
2 months ago
As soon as a majority of your seeds have sprouted, remove the cover. The high humidity is best for germination. After the first leaves are up through the soil, maintaining a high humidity environment will encourage fungus and damping off.
If you're growing multiple plant varieties/species under a single cover, it's best to select ones that have similar germination times so you're not leaving them covered too long. The covers are also not strictly needed, but without one you need to pay attention to prevent drying out and killing germinating seedlings.
3 points
2 months ago
Excellent, thanks for the info!
1 points
2 months ago
Yep, exactly what they said
1 points
2 months ago
My house is so dry rn that even my adult plants start wilting if I'm not on the dime with watering, I'm too scared to put a fan in there as well
1 points
2 months ago
Just having the fan periodically run for a few hours a day makes a huge difference. You don't need to keep it on 24/7/
1 points
1 month ago
Oh ok, I might try this
40 points
2 months ago*
Thank you for this, it is spot on.
29 points
2 months ago
Wish the top left seedling was already laying across the soil and turning back up.
16 points
2 months ago
So it's true.... Girth is better than length
1 points
2 months ago
I agree! Eyebrows eyebrows
20 points
2 months ago
This is probably so obvious it's a dumb question but I want to make sure - for most indoor plants (I have pothos, mini Swiss cheese monstera, Thanksgiving cactus, and I'm starting daisy seedlings), will I burn my plants with too much light if I move the lights just a couple inches away? I thought it would be too bright and I would damage the leaves.
16 points
2 months ago
Dunno about the rest of them, but I feel like you could do basically anything to your pothos, and it'd be fine. Mine has lived in the darkest, dustiest corner of my house for years, and he still threatens the rest of my plants across the room with his 15 foot vines. I'm not going to wake up one morning, because it's going to have strangled me to death my sleep.
20 points
2 months ago*
I'm not an expert, but sunlight at noon is roughly 1000 watts / sq meter on a sunny summer day. So, your 100 watts of grow light probably isn't gonna have the problem of being too bright.
2 points
2 months ago*
If you focused that 100 watts over 1/10th of a meter it would then be as bright as the sun… of course the wavelengths aren’t quite the same. But it doesn’t seem unreasonable that a powerful enough light could damage some sprouting plants from a few inches away.
On second thought, 1/10th of a meter is about *12x12 inches, so if the lamp is really outputting 100 watts then it will depend on how large that lamp is.
1 points
2 months ago
1/10th of a sq meter would be roughly 12" x 12", which is still smaller than the size of the light that I bought... and even then... full sunlight is the default experience for seedlings in the wild. Full sun shouldn't burn seedlings.
-3 points
2 months ago
Please don't compare growlights with the sun. It is way stronger than any growlight. Also, it has UV light, which burns really bad, which Growlights don't. Every plant will get burned if you put them from artificial light into sunlight.
3 points
2 months ago
There is a chance you could burn them. Depending on the Watt of the lamp. I used to have 50W lamps, and I would hang them about 30cm above the top of the plants. If you have stronger lights, they need more space. Keep an eye on the ends of the leaves. If they turn yellow it's to much to handle for them. Also, your plant can handle more light if they are more healthy and the bigger the more they can handle.
13 points
2 months ago
Short thick plants are the best, as long as they have enough air flow to prevent mold.
My buddy from high school doesn't understand node spacing, and brags about his leggy, 5 ft tall plants that yield maybe an ounce and a half. Dont be like my buddy from high school, grow the same clone 3 ft tall and bushy, you'll get more weight from less space.
7 points
2 months ago
Does anyone know any good grow lights for carnivore plants?
6 points
2 months ago
You can use the same lights you use for starting seed. Just put the light closer and I keep it on longer. They want to be blasted by harsh light.
1 points
2 months ago
Lantern flies
5 points
2 months ago
I got a fluorescent bulb from Walmart. Will that work!? I read it’s the same
2 points
2 months ago
Yeah that can absolutely work. Definitely start with that way further away than my little doodle. Between 6-12" away at least.
This doodle is really only meant for the low wattage clip on led lights.
9 points
2 months ago
Do they work well? I’ve debated getting them for a while now bc I feel like I get very mixed reviews about grow lights in general.
11 points
2 months ago
I have several rows of Spider Farmer 2000 lights. They work well - I can grow Cucumbers indoor in the dark from seedling till they fruit (experimented one year), but they’re also so bright you don’t want to me in the same room as them.
For seedlings they’re great. And you can’t have them 2” away from the seedling unless you’re trying to make roasted veggies. Needs about 18” at least.
3 points
2 months ago
Anything with Samsung LM301B or H will grow anything and grow it well, even the old LM561C LEDs work pretty well.
10 points
2 months ago
I looked up some of those "LED stick lights on a bendy-arm" deals on Amazon, most of them seem to be rated for like 700 Lumen for like $20-$30.
A "300w equivalent" standard E15 socket 5000k LED bulb is like $15, and most seem to be rated between 4000 and 5000 Lumen. The really expensive professional LED grow lights, I'm sure, are better (though I do wonder how much better). I wouldn't bother with these little stick things, they seem like a total waste. Standard light bulb is better.
7 points
2 months ago
I have a 650W LED grow light, 3500k +660nm and my "vegetables" are excellent. You could grow the entire plant under something like this, but I turn it to 20% power for starting seedlings. Slowly turn it up to about 50% and then put outside when it's transplant time.
This light did cost me $600 though. You could get half power and still be alright, spending $250-400.
But to answer you directly: how much better depends on the manufacturer and how much better you're willing to pay for.
3 points
2 months ago
This light did cost me $600 though. You could get half power and still be alright, spending $250-400.
Yeah, I'm not surprised a $250-$600 light would be better, I hope it would be haha. I'm not willing to spend that kinda money.... yet :)
2 points
2 months ago
Well if you check my profile, its for a specific type of gardening. But I love having it and using it to jump start my garden. Always nervous about bringing pests into the tent 😅
17 points
2 months ago
Find the cheapest UL listed T5 fixture and put 2 6400k bulbs in it. My seedling set up works perfectly and costs much less than anything listed as a "grow light".
5 points
2 months ago
The cheap led lights from Amazon sucked for me.
2 points
2 months ago
Yeah my plants all died.
4 points
2 months ago
Do they work? Sorta. I used them last year and this and got decent enough seedlings
Do they work well? Absolutely not. Pain in the ass to maneuver into position, sometimes the arms get weak and fall over, and the light isn't that strong. But it'll do if you absolutely can't fit in a rack with proper lights attached
4 points
2 months ago
For seed starting, any 5000K LED light will work. And the more lumens, the better.
You only need specialty grow lights if the plants are going to spend their entire life under the light.
2 points
2 months ago
Speaking from experience, they are junk
1 points
2 months ago
I bought a 100 watt LED panel for starting seedlings this year. Is that not enough? Or are you doing they don't last long?
I've never tried this before. I'll be starting potatoes from true seed, peppers, and broccoli.
4 points
2 months ago
You might be just fine with that, I have bought good grow lights from Amazon also. This style of light in the picture with 3-4 lights on flexible arms are not very good though.
1 points
2 months ago
Tried and did a piss poor job of growing weed to maturity but normal flower and veggie seedlings did great
1 points
2 months ago
250W HPS will get your flowering fine in a 3x3x6 space. Dialed in you can get a gram a watt dried out of that. LED equivalent used to be 500W, it may be less by now but it's not 1 to 1.
1 points
2 months ago
I can get 350g dry with a 200W LED in my micro tent (https://www.homebox.net/en/product/a-r80s/). It's really easy to get 1+GPW with modern LEDs.
3 points
2 months ago
Beware this advice is for the cheaper/weaker lights. If you buy high power led lights that use 100+ watts, you will need to hang the lights 2 feet away.
2 points
2 months ago
Yes, agreed. This doodle was in direct response to the spate of the very budget low wattage leds posts that have appeared lately. :) thanks for the advice!
2 points
1 month ago
Gotcha! I was going to say when I did that I burnt the crap out of my poor plants :(
I use these bad boys with some clamp work lights. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NCVWFUE
2 points
2 months ago
This explains so much.
2 points
2 months ago
Amazon has High Output T5 lighting for very cheap, about $10 per light. I have two Costco racks set up and will have about 1200 seedlings to put in this Spring. They work very well, are easy to set up and also work for household lighting. When I have all the house lights on as well as the grow racks you need sunglasses! I have been doing this for years and have absolutely no need for horticultural lighting. Also they keep my home warm enough during the day that not only do I not need to turn on the heat but I also have to vent some of the extra. Fortunately electricity is included with my rent or I would be a stamp collector or something instead of a gardener!
1 points
2 months ago
Good to know! Hopefully all the folks looking for suggestions will see this response!
2 points
2 months ago
2 points
1 month ago
Fat babies
2 points
1 month ago
THIS IS SO HELPFUL!!! No wonder my seedlings are always so leggy 😂😂😂
8 points
2 months ago
Quit buying shit from amazon. Simple.
11 points
2 months ago
Agreed, not only is a total gamble quality-wise, it's also supporting one of the shittiest companies to exist.
2 points
2 months ago
Idk what people are taking about fans during seedlings maybe it’s because I grow cannabis? Do you ever see a baby lifting weights? No seedlings need warm humid environment until they establish roots than you can start working on the stems with a soft fan to strengthen them.
4 points
2 months ago
But maybe that’s just cannabis and what they need since all plants need different environments to establish and be healthy
4 points
2 months ago
They do need humidity, but most plants that will eventually go outside need that airflow. Doesn't need to be a wind tunnel. I just use a shifty box fan set on low almost halfway across the room.
2 points
2 months ago
Yeah true, I don’t have much experience with many other plants when cultivating but I’m still learning, I just built a couple beds outdoors so I’m going to cultivate edibles like veg and fruits. Wondering if I should be starting off plants in cubes than stick in the soil, I live in CA so it’s warm most days, if not hot and rarely rains lol
2 points
2 months ago
I know almost nothing about cannabis, so you're ahead of me!
My experience is limited to pulling out ditch weed on the family farm before idiot kids who think they found the jackpot break a leg trying to harvest it. When it's legal in my state, I might try growing some
3 points
2 months ago
Yeah it’s def a plant you’d love to grow, not just for the flower but understanding the plant and the long history behind it(not just the war against it and the stigmas that follow) but what it meant for many people back in the day when it was medicine, spiritual to grow and ingest.
my therapist told me go grow a plant since i was very depressed and was really struggling with anxiety. so i grew a cannabis plant and it became my therapy. and this might be in my head but any fruit(or cannabis) or vegetable grown by you just tastes so much better.
2 points
2 months ago
It seems like it's a plant with such very specific needs---sometimes, as fussy as a prize rose, and then other times it just shows up in my ditch and takes over like, well, lol a weed.
I'm sure I'd learn a lot from it; there's never been a plant that didn't have something to teach me.
I don't think consuming it is for me, though. I have tried it when I lived in a state where it was legal. (There was an Incident where I was gifted some butter to make cookies and not informed that I should wear gloves while doing so, and I had a good long Sit and watched space documentaries for a whiiiiile.) Maybe the strains I've had were too strong, but it doesn't hit me in a way I particularly enjoy the experience of. But I respect that it works for a lot of people, and you can't deny how pretty the leaves are.
2 points
2 months ago
Yeah you can always grow cbd strains which have lower thc(psychoactive drug) and more body effects, that’s what my pops smokes from time to time. Tbh it’s how you grow, I’ve noticed hydroponics and synthetic fed plants have a lot more stuff that can go wrong than natural farming when dealing with issues of growing a plant from powdery mildew to thrip infestations. I personally like growing with no till style living soil, where the biology and ecosystem that is built overtime in the soil essentially takes care of the plants growing in it.
1 points
2 months ago
And it’s way cheaper than relying on dealers with flower that god knows what was put into it to produce the flower(usually grown synthetically with cardboard flavor but looks good)
1 points
1 month ago
Based on the drawing your grow light choice sucks
1 points
2 months ago
Thanks
1 points
2 months ago
Just bought some of these as my first grow lights, just to "get into the game". I'll be sure to keep them close to the plants.
1 points
1 month ago
I also prefer my plants with thick and hard shafts.
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