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  • From: David King <greenman AT ucla.edu>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Staking Tomatoes
  • Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 07:47:53 -0800


Marie -

Scientifically? A full spectrum bulb - one that includes red light waves as
well
as blue - in lighting parlance, a "warm" bulb. They can be pricey to
ridiculous,
depending upon the amount of full spectrum lightwaves they include (more
representation of spectrum = higher price).

On the other hand....

Practically - I've started hundreds of plants using only "cold" - blue -
light.
Each bulb is about a $1 investment. There are some things to understand,
however. The tubes, unlike our regular light bulb, do not hold intensity and
then
burn out in a "pop!". They begin to lose intensity immediately. A tube that
is 6
months old has less than half the output of a new one. Using my trusty,
ever-present Sharpie, I dated all my tubes where I could easily see the
oldest and
kept replacing them. They also have to be closer to the plants - several
inches
vs. a foot or more.

And last but not least, you cannot hold your plants under cold tubes. It is
not
good for an indoor plant table. You have to get your guys up, harden 'em off
and
send 'em to Moma Nature as fast as their little roots will carry them.
Otherwise
you are looking a leggy plants. Not lovely.

Hope this helps you...

dk

Marie Kamphefner wrote:

> Regards to the list:
>
> For those of you who use fluorescent lights to start seeds - what is the
> best kind of bulb?
>
> Marie in Missouri
>
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