Lighting and hot pepper seedlings

I recently purchased a "power glow" flourescent light from petsmart that has a 20watt, 18,000 Kelvin and 80 lux rating. I used this to replace a $5 Sylvania 20watt flourescent bulb. With the old bulb my random veggies grew way lanky. This is my first year and I spent a lot of money at on exotic hot peppers from Reimer's and I want to ensure that I don't screw this one up. Most of the seeds are now starting to sprout. Basically wondering if anyone has any experience with these sorts of light bulbs and/or any further bulb light bulb advice. Thank You.

Lanky seedlings are often caused more by having the light too far away than by having the wrong kind of light.

Here's an article I wrote on setting up lights for indoor seed starting:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/464/

Since you're doing pepper seeds, you might also want to check out my article on heat mats... and maybe the one on preventing damping off, just for good measure.

:-)

(Click the "for more articles by Jill" link at the bottom of any of my articles to get a complete list with links.)

I agree, distance from the lights is the key factor. The regular cheap lights work fine as long as you have them the right distance from the plants (and the expensive ones also need to be the right distance otherwise they won't do any good either)

Hi,
It's expensive, but I've been having good luck with a 400W metal halide system at about 24".
I get about 30000 lux drectly under it and 10000 or so 3ft off axis . I have it covering a 4' x 4' area.
The lamp, ballast etc was about $250. The growth chamber is to metal sheving units from Lowes
for about $70.00 each. I've got an upper shelf that will hold 8 10x20 flats under the halide and a lower
shelf for gernination and seedlings that also holds 8x10x20 flats under 6 dual T12x48" shoplights.

With flourescents the lamps need to be within inches of the seedlings or you get leggy seedlings.
I mix half gro-tubes (gro-lux) with half normal cool white tubes to save money and increase brightness.
I can get about 13000 lux this way, but only about 2" from the tubes.

If you go metal halide make sure the lamps is at least 18" away or the seedlings will become chlorotic (yellow)
because the light is actually too intense. I went to the metal halide so that once the plants begin to get taller I can
light all of their leaves, not just those within inches of the lamps. I like big transplants.

Also I've got a fans on an interval timer. I start hitting the plants with enough breeze to shake them for 5 mins per hour
at firstworking up to about 20 minutes per hour. This encourages the seedlings to grow more fibrous stems and keeps
the from needing as much hardening off. If you don't do this they will fall over the first time wind hits them.

To harden off get a bunch of furring strips and 2" x 2"'s at Lowes and make a "cage" enclosed on all sides, but the
North with 50% wooden strips and 50% open area. Put plants in this "shade house" for the first week or so before
transplanting. Bring them back in only if it's going to freeze.

I've posted a picture of the setup and this years transplants. Also if you like Reimer, go look at http://www.rainbowchiliseeds.com/
this guy has some neat stuff.

Landrum