How long can I grow seedlings indoor?

If one plants tomato seedlings indoors under florescent lights to grow
twelve weeks before transplanting outside and the plants normally are
supposed to produce ripe fruit within 65-70 days, what happens to that
normal development? Are the plants stunted or adversely affected in
some way that hurts their production after they are transplanted
outdoors? Would it be better to limit the seedling period to eight
rather that twelve weeks? Thank you!

Dave & Group:

The days-to-harvest for tomatoes and other transplanted crops are given from the
date seedlings are transplanted into the garden, NOT from the date seeds are
planted in the nursery.

Depending on several factors, including amount of light and heat in the nursery,
and the temperatures IN THE GARDEN SOIL, tomatoes can be ready for transplanting
in the garden as early as 4 weeks or as late as 12 weeks after seeds are
planted.

Florescent lights are NOT ideal for growing seedlings, especially beyond the
first transplant.

Plants grown under florescent lights do not receive anything approaching actual
sunlight, and so will not grow as fast nor be as robust as those grown in
sunlight. And they must be "hardened off" or acclimated to actual sunlight and
outside conditions more carefully and slowly than if grown in a greenhouse that
more nearly replicates garden conditions.

I recommend anyone using Grow-Lights to take plants into the direct sunlight
whenever the temperatures are conducive, even if it's only for a couple of hours
each day.

Plants should be in the garden by the time they are 10-12" tall (usually 8 weeks
maximum), unless they have been transplanted into gallon containers. And when
they get that tall the stem needs to be supported with a small stake carefully
placed into the soil and tied to the stem.

Jim Kennard

Growlights how long to use per day

You can go to Lowe's and they carry 4 ft. long fluorescent bulbs for growing
plants and they also say that they can be used for fish tanks. I used them
last year and am using them now and they do a great job. Cost is $9.95 each.
I keep my seedlings just one inch below the lights and keep the lights on
them for 14 to 16 hours a day. Do not keep the lights on 24/7. Believe it or
not, the seedlings need 8 hours of sleep (unless they are in the far North - those seem to be fine with light day and night in the summer - JK).

In four weeks, my tomato plants were ready for transplant into larger
containers. Egg plant also. To slow down the growth, cut down the time they are
under the lights and just give them window light.

Growing seedlings indoors with lights

Jim I understand we should use one hot and one cool light. Silly
question, but how do we tell the difference (they are called "warm" & "cool" in the stores - JK)??

Second question: Indoor lights provide 50% of the needed light - that is why we should have them on for 18 hours versus 8 (probably not that much, but it's the best you can do - jk)?

Is it ok to have the lights on longer, perhaps 20 hours (sure, just get up at 3 A.M. and turn them off (-: - jk)? Is there a schedule of hours, like 18 then 17 then 16 we should use before transplanting to the garden (not really, and if there were it would get longer, rather than shorter - jk)?

If people want more information Jim set up a page on the main FFEF
website (it's called the FAQ section, with articles on indoor growing - jk), and we also have a Squidoo lens at the following address - http://www.squidoo. com/growlights

As always, Thank you Jim and Happy Holidays to everyone.

Steve

Grab the Mittleider gardening software for the holidays
http://foodforevery one.org/garden_ master/

Starting your garden indoors

Growing plants need maximum light from the time they first peek their heads above ground. If all you have is the Grow-Lights, they need to be on at least 16 hours per day, every day, with the lights 1" from the plant leaves. Growing with Grow-Lights is just a temporary measure, however, until you have access to real sunlight!Eight to twelve hours of direct sunlight - even through greenhouse plastic - is better than 16 hours of the best Grow-Lights.So, you use the Grow-Lights until you have direct sunlight, and then use direct sunlight. If you have sunlight, but it doesn't amount to 8-10 hours, then supplement with the Grow-Lights. You need two hours of Grow-Lights for each hour of needed sunlight.Tomatoes should be in the greenhouse about 8 weeks before putting out in the garden. If it is going to be longer than that before you can put them out, decrease the daytime temperatures a bit to slow the growth down. Under normal conditions you want temperatures of 65-85 degrees in the greenhouse during the daytime, to promote fast, healthy growth.Jim Kennard