From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Got me some T5 grow lights earlier today. Very new to the use of lights.

Can I grow them with the lights but also have sunlight on them - Or must I only grow them in darkness if I choose the grow lights? There's no problem transitioning from all grow lights to complete natural sunlight?

Always keep them 2" away from the plants? On 16 hours a day? Your feedback is really appreciated fellow growers. Thnx

4/1/2019 9:20:47 PM

New York

I keep mine 16 inches away from the lights and they work great. 2 inches sounds like it would burn the leaf with heat.

4/1/2019 10:25:27 PM

Lloydminster/AB

I need to keep mine within 3” or the plants get leggy. t-5s run a little warm so that’s something to keep in mind. I run mine 24 hours a day on transplants. They are going to be in the ground within 12 days anyway. If you are growing larger plants like peppers I run about 16 hours after they get 6” tall.

4/1/2019 11:06:32 PM

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Thanks, so I guess 12 hours/day for my germinated plants in the house is good.

And anyone know if I can mix sunshine with T5's?
Anything bad that may happen if I mix the T5's light with natural light?

4/1/2019 11:37:51 PM

Grittyville, WA

If they are in a cool garage or something then they can be close to the lights but in a germination chamber at 85 I have found they can get burned. Adding sun to T-5s would be excessive right? But taking them out from under the T-5s would be ok.

4/2/2019 12:11:36 AM

Grittyville, WA

Plants generally cant use more light than direct sun it would take some serious genetic engineering to change that I think.

4/2/2019 12:13:32 AM

Grittyville, WA

Fyi most growers transition to a hoop house which is not direct sun because the plastic diffracts the light. Generally they love full sun though...

4/2/2019 12:18:39 AM

Central Illinois

Dont take them outside for the first time into direct sunlight(a little won't hurt)I put mine on the shady side of the house the first day out. Then half a days sun the next day .Then full sun unless it's a blistering day

4/2/2019 8:39:29 AM

Morgantown, WV

Yes, it is ok to have sunlight and t5 lighting together. The only place it would make a difference is if growing short day plants that you want to have uninterrupted dark cycles. The two lights will supplement each other if just growing some transplants.

I have been growing under lights for about ten years now, and I go with 18 hours of light with 6 hours of dark when I am trying to get vigorous vegetative growth. 16 Hours is just fine if that is what you want to run. I feel the rest period is beneficial and less of a shock when moved outside in the Spring when natural light will take over at roughly 13-14 hours per day.

The height all depends on your light. I have the Agro Bright 2 foot, 4 bulb fixture with mixed spectrum, and only at 96 watts, it will cook a seedling at a few inches.

https://growlightinfo.com/hydrofarm-agrobrite-t5-fluorescent-grow-light-review/

That said, without a light meter, it is truly guesswork where your own light will be best. I had problems with light bleaching when I moved to LED's, and came to find that 18" was the best height for even dispersion without a hotspot in the middle. 12" was too close, despite the lack of heat. I'd recommend 6-12" to start, just in case you don't look after them one day so they have an inch or two of wiggle room.

4/2/2019 9:15:25 AM

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Thanks everyone!
Dustin, have you (or any other growers) tried sunlight and T5’s together ?
You think this questions would’ve been answered on the box of the product....

4/2/2019 11:58:21 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

I have used T-5's in the morning and evening on a photocell. To have them on during the day would be a waste of money.

4/2/2019 1:27:51 PM

Winnipeg, Manitoba

My problem is that the plants tend to grow too tall and laggy. I'm just trying to see if I can fix that problem with grow lights - however, I had planned to grow them setup next to my window which I alway do (that provides sun light)

4/2/2019 6:18:03 PM

Whidbey Island

It all depends on the weather. If it is too cold or dark and cloudy, I leave them inside during the day with the lights on. With sunnier weather I take them outside into a temporary hoop house by my back door. This way they acclimatize faster and seem to do better at transplant time. I agree with the 16 hour method and use the lights morning and evening in any event.

4/2/2019 7:13:11 PM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I run my grow hoods 22 inches above floor of my hydro flood tables... .. I have 8 bulb 4 ft t-5 vho. Hoods I would say start further away I was cleaning my room today and can say they get warm.. be careful of leaf burn I have had no issues going from light to sun been using these hoods for years now...

4/2/2019 9:36:21 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

lgautier, windows grow tall skinny plants. If getting too tall and leggy seedlings, keep the grow lights close to the plant. That way they don't stretch out. Just don't scald the leaves with heat.

4/3/2019 8:40:51 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Wait a window is not sunshine. I retract my answer

4/3/2019 1:35:55 PM

Morgantown, WV

Yes, I have used T5 in conjunction with sunlight. I did it for about 6 years with my panther chameleon, and is one of the reasons I had mixed spectrum in my T5. The light I have offers bulbs (though a little expensive for the 6 month lifespan) that allowed UVA and UVB in addition to spectrum choice in blue, red, and full/white.

I ran two full spectrum lights, one UVA, and one UVB above a 2' x 2' x 4' tall screened cage with a pothos vine and a vanilla orchid at the bottom of the cage. This setup was as close to a window with morning sun until 12 noon as it could get without freezing my little guy who liked it no lower than 70 degrees.

The T5 that I linked above penetrated the entire cage to a depth of 3'. I tried a 240w Dormgrow LED above the same setup to get the last foot of penetration, and it was blinding both me, and my chameleon.

4/3/2019 9:36:28 PM

Morgantown, WV

Sorry for multiple posts, but I'm limited to character numbers.

Keeping in mind, that I was focused over a 4 square foot area with 3 feet of quality plant growth depth, this light would be more than enough to support a 4' x 4' grow area (16 square feet at 12-18") for transplants with enough light to keep them squat, dark green, and as healthy as possible for their transition outside, provided you properly harden them off first. Much of my side lighting was lost to the living room, which can be contained as simply as using poster board to corral the troops, or as complicated as Bnot's new basement garden will end up. White reflective side walls help a lot indoors, as they reflect SOME light to lower or covered leaves rather than losing it.

For those who struggle to get good growth from a light, or think that they need hundreds of watts to get full photosynthesis, I urge you to research better lights. It may be an upfront cost, but technology has grown leaps and bounds in the past 5 years. 100 watts in today's best T5 is in a different league from those home depot bulbs in a fixture from days gone by.

4/3/2019 9:51:17 PM

Morgantown, WV

With all of this said, it is important to note that the more consistent the type of lighting, the better. Going from T5 to LED is stressful. Going from T5 to direct sunlight is stressful. Going from LED to HID is stressful...

The combination of T5 and natural light will assist your plant in the transition over a plant that was only T5. The direct sunlight only will be tough on your young sprouts, so move them to a hoop house (usually 80-90% light transmission depending on the age of the plastic) or give them dappled sun on sunny days and T5/window on cool/cloudy days. The main reason direct sunlight is stressful is because many home windows block UV light from entering the house... perhaps Gary could chime in on this one? But the plant needs to build secondary metabolites after the initial shock to better defend itself. It's like getting sunburn before you get a good tan.

4/3/2019 10:00:14 PM

Grittyville, WA

Transitioning outside also means adjusting to other changes like temperature and transpiration rate. We get warm humid hazy days on the backside of high pressure. (Very easy on plants.) Pay attention to your weather.

4/4/2019 12:23:15 AM

Grittyville, WA

Dappled light works. If we're talking 80+ degrees in May. Other than that I don't think they will suffer under full sun. They are somewhat human in their tolerances ...funny how that is.

4/4/2019 12:32:53 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

dustin, my new house will not have a basement....debating between lighting up 1/2 the pole barn or the storage room attached to the garage. Someplace will be shining next winter. I agree with you...research the newer lights. Spectrums, PAR, heat output, efficiencies....they have all improved greatly in the last few years. I do not have any but I am really looking at the the white light grow leds. Starting pumpkin plants are easy with lights. Keep it strong enough without cooking the plants and you are good to go. I would think most growers here do not have strong enough lights to cause light toxicity without cooking the plant first. T5's are forgiving...but far from my first choice.

4/4/2019 7:58:16 PM

Central Illinois

If the weathers nice I put mine in direct sun just as the soil cracks

4/6/2019 8:21:51 AM

Syracuse, NY

Now, THERE'S a rebel! It'd be kinda neat also to have greenhouses already up and a seed directly-planted ASAP for 'real' with a backup duplicate or alternate one in the house in case the 'rebel' seed didn't sprout...no transplant shock, earliest acclimation to the real condition(s), no burnout, just run the race, etc., hmmm...eg

4/6/2019 4:04:26 PM