LED grow lights

[Izzy Camire]

Hay Folks,
We are looking at grabbing an LED grow light to start the veggie plants this year. Specifically for the celery as we have touble getting them going. We do not know much about them. We have noticed there is a large difference in price however. If anyone has experience with them I'd like to hear what you have to say.
Izzy

[michael langman]

I bought a Tao Tronic 12Watt grow light bulb for my bonsai tree this winter at Amazon. It is suppose to last for many years and the Bonsai tree loves it.

[Ted Calver]

If you start looking around on YouTube you will find lots of grow lite solutions. My grow cart has cheap HD fixtures with daylight (6500k color temperature) T8 bulbs. They get the job done just fine. You probably could also use the new LED lights if you can find some 6500k ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyaBV9AeFqg

[Steve Peterson]

I am not experienced with this, but have a question anyway. Do you also need to provide some warmth to help convince the seeds to sprout? If so, wouldn't a traditional incandescent bulb provide both light and heat?

[Mel Fulks]

70 degrees is reccomended in all the stuff I've read. So for starting seeds in the house any high shelf is good . For basements and such they use seed heat cables. You can buy those ready to use ,or just buy the cables and attach them to to a piece of rat wire.
The cables can be a lot of work to fasten down since the wire is not supposed to cross itself, thermostat has to be in right place ,etc. They are fragile small wires and are considered non repairable

[Ted Calver]

Heat is needed for germination. I drape a piece of mylar sheet over my lights to reflect light and keep the heat from the bulbs in.

[Izzy Camire]

I am not experienced with this, but have a question anyway. Do you also need to provide some warmth to help convince the seeds to sprout? If so, wouldn't a traditional incandescent bulb provide both light and heat?

Steve, yes we use a heat pad under the seedling tray it works well but we feel a light may help the celery.

[Jim Koepke]

If you like the flavor of celery an easier plant to grow may be lovage. It is perennial that goes dormant in the winter. It can be dried and used in cooking.

It also has the ability to quell the discomfort of indigestion. My wife hates the taste of celery, but she will use lovage along with a couple of Junior Mints when her stomach is upset.

jtk

[Izzy Camire]

Jim, that lovage looks interesting will have to think about this.

[Joe Mioux]

Light, heat and humidity are all required for germination.

I do this for a living.

While 70 degrees is a good ball park, there are many cultivars that need higher and lower temps.

I use germination chambers to get seed at least to stage 1 (there are four stages in seedling development)

A couple tips for home germination. Those little clear plastic covers work well. Heating cables are good but don't set the seedling tray directly on the cable. You will dry out the soil over the cable. A better way is to raise the seedling tray off the cable. Heat mats work even better.

Light is important and I see some really high end germination chambers now using LED strips. Fluorescents are also used very successfully as well.

Some seed needs to be covered with germination media (use germination media, not potting soil for best results). Other seeds need light. Others seeds need to be planted deeper in the soil (i.e. cole crops)

Moisten soil to the point where you can squeeze the soil and when you tap it with your other hand the soil falls apart.

These are just some random thoughts as I lie awake in bed trying to fall back asleep.

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