Hoping to get a head start this year!

[Coyote251]

Hi All, First post here on the forum, hope to get some helpful insight.

Last year I got a really late start due to cold weather, and an early finish do to a hurricane which drastically affected my yield. This year I was thinking about starting my plants indoors until the weather is suitable to transplant.

I have a couple old fairly large fish tanks that I thought I could use to germinate and start the plants in. My idea is that by doing this I can better control the environment (temp/humidity), getting the plants to a stronger state before putting them in the ground. I will be growing from seed and propagating in peat pellets, then move to transplantable pots . I thought I would paint the walls of the tank white and put some pea stone in the bottom to put the pots on to allow for drainage, possibly with a heating mat (maybe a thermostat) below it to control the temperature. This all seemed reasonable to me, but i'm open to opinions and ideas. Anything else I should consider.

My first real question is lighting, I have no real indoor growing experience. Is the fluorescent fish tank bulb sufficient for a light or is there something else I should be using? I have a canopy that takes a normal bulb as well so I could use that with a CFL or a dedicated grow type bulb if that would be better. I have no idea!!

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Apoc]

You probably need an LED grow light. For your starting purposes something like the Mars Hydro ts600 for like $90.

Even then you have to acclimate the plants to outdoors. Move them outside for an hour or two a day for a week.

 

[shottafire]

I am not sure of your location but the depot has 3 ft shop led shoplights for like 20 bucks or so. perfect for starting seeeds and will work for about a month at the most but that should put you at a good time to place outdoors. If you really want to get them a little beefier a little larger light will increase growth and vigor. the mars light or even a nice little 4 foot 4 bulb t5 would work good. lots of options. I know some aquariium lights do work ok for plants they are probably not big enough depending how big your tanks are!
one love and good luck any questions just ask

 

[CanadianJim]

I'll second the t5 fluorescent suggestion. They work better for seedlings than LED in my experience. Though I do think the spectrum of the LED I used may have been the culprit. If 4 foot bulbs are too long you can get 2 foot bulbs. I currently use a single 2 foot 6400k t5 HO for the seedlings as they emerge from the soil until the roots start to poke out of the peat pods, then under a 2 bulb 4 foot 6400k HO fixture until they have a couple of sets of true leaves. That's usually enough to get them to about a foot tall before I put them outside. I start my plants about the same time I start my tomatoes for outdoor grows.
@Apoc is right about hardening them off, though I usually put them in a spot where they'll get a couple of hours of direct sun a day, then gradually increase how much sun they get until they're in the spot I want them.

 

[Coyote251]

Thanks for all the advice. I cleaned up the fish tank and looked at the light canopies that I wanted to use. One canopy has four regular bulb holders so I am going to go with 4 Sunblaster 26W CFL 6400K bulbs in that one to get them started. The other canopy I have which I am able to use had a T8 bulb in it but the fixture was all falling apart. I took them apart to paint them and I'm just going to retrofit that one to a 24" T5HO 6400K like was mentioned above. That should give them a good start until I can get them out side. Now to get the tank and parts painted, and wait for the bulbs to show up.

 

[shottafire]

Thanks for all the advice. I cleaned up the fish tank and looked at the light canopies that I wanted to use. One canopy has four regular bulb holders so I am going to go with 4 Sunblaster 26W CFL 6400K bulbs in that one to get them started. The other canopy I have which I am able to use had a T8 bulb in it but the fixture was all falling apart. I took them apart to paint them and I'm just going to retrofit that one to a 24" T5HO 6400K like was mentioned above. That should give them a good start until I can get them out side. Now to get the tank and parts painted, and wait for the bulbs to show up.

Sounds like a perfect start.