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Gardening

Artificial light for seedlings

(6 Posts)
Esspee Thu 29-Oct-20 10:27:03

I would like to bring next year’s seeds on as early as possible as we have a relatively short growing season. My cosmos especially was very late, in fact some still haven’t started to open.
I have thought of getting artificial lighting for my unheated greenhouse but am put off going into the store because I know it is used by marijuana growers.
Have any of you experience of using artificial lighting?

Farmor15 Thu 29-Oct-20 10:55:16

Yes - having seen them used in Sweden, where winters are dark, I bought one there (Ikea). They seem to prevent seedlings getting leggy as they stretch towards window. Last January my OH started tomato seedlings very early, in the house with one of these growlights and we had tomatoes in our polytunnel much earlier than previously. We've also used in unheated (apart from frost protection heater) greenhouse.

As I can't seem to readily source the lights here (Ireland) I looked online. I was a bit put off by all the "growhouse" suppliers but ordered some which came from China, I think. They were OK, but not as good quality as Ikea ones.

Farmor15 Thu 29-Oct-20 10:57:30

As our greenhouse has a power supply, we could plug in a timer, so light was on for about 14 hours a day. In winter it looked a bit odd, as pinkish light could be seen from road. We wondered if some neighbours might report us to police!

Esspee Fri 30-Oct-20 00:20:20

I think I might try it.
Just off to check the IKEA website.

mokryna Fri 30-Oct-20 00:29:02

Farmor15

As our greenhouse has a power supply, we could plug in a timer, so light was on for about 14 hours a day. In winter it looked a bit odd, as pinkish light could be seen from road. We wondered if some neighbours might report us to police!

Yes, maybe you’ll get more lightening than you bargained for ???‍✈️

Davidhs Fri 30-Oct-20 08:18:50

All the lighting and watering equipment you need to grow Cannabis is freely available on EBay, ideal for any plant propagation. Don’t get your plants too far forward late frosts, as this year, prevent planting out.