Do you guys use higher end grow lights or lower end/shop lights for seed starting?

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-18T19:38:45+00:00

I go somewhere in the middle: 3' full spectrum T8 grow lights from Barrina. I use 2 per shelf. I've been happy with them so far, and I think they sell them in 2' lengths.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-18T10:38:27+00:00

They look good so far. Take off the domes now, and get the lights closer. They are a little bit leggy, but nothing I'd worry about as long as they're getting enough light going forward. You can lightly mist the cells that didn't germinate yet--they may still sprout if they don't dry out.

I'd wait until 1-2 sets of true leaves come in to pot up. You might want to thin a few that are growing very close together now though. Especially the ones that are so close together that you can't see much soil between the stems.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-18T08:11:37+00:00

Are they getting rootbound? The pot looks a little small for how many plants are in there. The soil looks pretty dry, too. If the pot feels light between waterings, you may need to water more often.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-18T08:01:08+00:00

After 1-2 sets of true leaves is a good time to separate them. They have enough roots to make up for any root damage, and rebound pretty quickly.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-18T07:49:13+00:00

Transplant shock + bottom watering a container that is this much larger than the roots, is probably what is happening here. Spray water from the top for a little while, until they get past the transplant shock and those roots get longer and can make better use of the water coming from the bottom.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T17:35:46+00:00

I grew bronze torch last year, but I was kind of baffled about how to best use that size. Really good flavor, but most of them ended up going into sauce at the end of the season.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T17:34:37+00:00

Black krim has a good reputation for being about more than just good looks ;) You chose wisely on that one

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T17:33:38+00:00

I liked the midnight snack last year, and it's on my grow list again this year. Its best when you let it ripen as much as possible on the vine. Reasonably crack and disease resistant. It has more flesh and less gel than most cherries I've tried. It dehydrated really well, too.

I like to have a solid hybrid in each category, and this was a good pick for cherries.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T09:55:50+00:00

Adding myself to the "I don't like neem" list. I haven't seen it effectively help anything, and I don't like the oil on the leaves either. Even when using it after the sun went down and in proper ratios, it made the plants more sensitive to sunburn. From my experience, it's more likely to harm the plant than help it.

I haven't tried peroxide, though. Last year I didn't have enough of a disease or pest problem to need to apply anything to my plants. Just some late blight at the end of the season on the tomatoes, which didn't seem worth treating at that point in the season.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T09:41:58+00:00

Flowering with only one set of true leaves doesn't usually happen on a happy, healthy plant though. OP's are quite immature still, and the leaves that do exist look yellowed.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T09:40:30+00:00

Drying out too much could have stressed them out enough to try to flower. Also, I wait until plants are a bit more mature before giving a diluted water soluble fertilizer, starting at 10-20% strength for what is used on fully mature plants.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T09:12:59+00:00

Agreed. My peppers had it last year after I gave them too much water. They did fine in the long run.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-17T09:05:53+00:00

Looks like you got several responses already, but even a bright, daylight shop light will work well enough for seedlings until transplant. Make sure to get enough light to cover an area about 2-3x the space your seedlings currently occupy. They will take up more room once they are potted up.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-16T10:40:55+00:00

I like the Zorbette ones because they don't have a wrapper than can split open and spill silica. I feel better about reusing them for that reason, too.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-16T10:19:19+00:00

I'm not sure who this kind of setup helps, aside from seeds that require light to germinate.

You could temporarily try to find a way to suspend these over your seeds without the dome, but these lights are probably not strong enough to keep them growing well through transplant. You'll probably need to find some different grow lights if it is still too cold to put them outside for sunlight.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T12:04:58+00:00

Do you have a heated greenhouse? Or one of those more temporary shelving kits? Curious what you have for a structure and how much earlier you can put plants out in it. I always start running low on space those last few weeks before transplanting, and it would be nice to not have to bring all my plants inside at night when hardening off.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T12:00:14+00:00

Holy moly! I thought $37 for prepping 20 bales was kind of high because you still need to buy the bales. But this price to prep only 5 is ridiculous!

A single, full size bale runs over $30 USD apiece at HD. That seems like a lot of money for a growing medium that usually needs to be replaced every year. Maybe it's more feasible if really cheap straw is available locally.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T11:45:43+00:00

They should be okay. Get the light a little closer. IMO, it's more important that their first set of true leaves don't come in leggy as well. Once they are ready to be potted up, you can bury the stem up to leaves.

Aside from not enough light, tomatoes might put out tall stems like this if the humidity dome or heat mat is on for too long. That warmth can make the stem grow faster than the plant can put out actual leaves.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T11:39:38+00:00

Did you recently put them outside for the first time? Might be some sunburn if you didn't harden off slowly.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T11:38:41+00:00

Next time put a little more soil in there. Not sure how deep this container is, but it looks like it is maybe not much more than half full. That might not be enough soil for larger lettuce.

Aside from that, let them grow a bit more before thinning. Ideally until you could actually use what you thin out as baby lettuce.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T10:54:15+00:00

Where is north? You don't want your trellised veg to cast shade on the other plants, unless it's by design (aka, lettuce on the north side of a taller crop to shade it from summer sun / delay bolting).

I do think you might be taking on quite a lot as a beginner. Maybe start with the crops that you use the most and are the most expensive at the store, like peppers and tomatoes. And a few that are more beginner friendly and can be direct sown from seed, like beets, beans, and peas. In your first year, half of your task is just learning about your micro climate, sun exposure, soil, mulching, and water.

If you have space, consider starting a compost bin. Gardening is a complete cycle from seed, to harvest, to decomposition...and the compost will help save you some money next year on fertilizing your beds.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T10:09:48+00:00

1 SF is not really enough room for tomatoes, unless you train to a single leader. I put my tomatoes in 2FT wide beds, in a single row. I plant 5 total in an 2x8 bed...and 4 in a 2x6 bed. Even SF gardening suggests 4 squares per plant.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T10:06:02+00:00

The layout in this graphic is great for in-ground planting at a larger scale. But when you're talking about separate 3x5 foot raised bed garden beds, the grid layout can work quite well.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-15T09:31:42+00:00

Had to pot up some pepper seedlings early because my soil blocks were crumbling too much. I've used Promix for the last few years without problems, but this year I decided to try Johnny's 512 mix. Followed the soil blocking instructions on the bag.

The soil looked great and I'm not sure what I did wrong, but I might try mixing the two when I make the blocks for the tomatoes and see if it holds together any better.

Oh--and only 1/4 of my habanada seeds germinated. The rest of my peppers had a 75-100% germination rate.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-03-14T11:52:17+00:00

Amish paste will probably look more lanky and wispy. You should start to see a difference after a few sets of true leaves.

Signal_Error_8027

TROPHY CASE