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Light box or windowsill
Jonesk
Posts: 205
in Fruit & veg
I have a West facing conservatory that receives little direct sun from the south. I also have a small south facing windowsill That's not large ebough for all my plants.
I also have a grow box with artificial lights for when my conservatory is out of bounds due to inquisitive toddlers. This year though I have the choice of all 3 and not sure where the best place to put them is.
would you go for artificial light that appears quite bright or the dull but natural light of the conservatory windowsill?
0
Posts
Hi Jonesk What seeds are you sowing and what provides the light in your grow box?
I generally wait until March or April before sowing then there's about enough decent daylight to keep seedlings growing well. Lettuce can be sown now and left on a windowsill. More tender plants will need some extra care.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
It's a specific lighting for plants.
I currently have chilli peppers, coriander, basil that will all stay indoors.
I'll wait a while for tomato seedlings but I have started off flat and curled leaf parsley and summer cabbage to try for an early crop.
For plants you'll need either a T5 fluorescent tube(s), High Intensity Discharge lighting (e.g. metal halide) or LED lighting - any of these will provide good quality light for your plants.
CFL (Compact Flourescent Lighting) is also ok but not as good as the above.
Good luck
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I've just checked. I have 2x 24watt T5 lights.
Would you recommend the windowsill or the lights?
T5's are good.
I don't use artificial light for seedlings, but do use them (4 x 54w T5) for may planted tropical fish tank.
I think if it were me, I'd use the lights to extend the day, so keep them on the windowsill during the bright part of the day then pop them in the grow box late afternoon to extend the day. So long as they get about 6-8 hours of darkness a day I reckon your seedlings will grow well.
The T5's can be just 3-4" above the plants once they have their true leaves.
Do think ahead as well, your 24w T5's I'm guessing are 2ft tubes and soon you'll have lots of plants under them.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.