Vegetable Seed Starting Indoors: Purchasing the Right Lighting for Grow-Lights & Saving Money!

Posted by Gary Pilarchik on

You don't have to spend a lot of money on specific grow-lights for seed starting plants indoors. You often pay 2 or 3 times more for a product that is labelled a grow-light. You can make the lights yourself by simply buying the correct fluorescent tubes or LED lights. You can find them at any hardware store. The money you save can be used to buy seeds and seed starting supplies. Here is the video that covers this blog post.

 

I am describing a lighting system that is for growing transplants. We aren't using these light for fruiting and flowering plants indoors. There is no need to buy specialized LED lights that are red, blue, white and other colors when growing garden transplants. While they may work, they are not necessary and are often expensive. The Kelvin Scale breaks light into colors. We are looking for a K or Kelvin Rating of 5000-6500K. This range is considered the daylight range and that is perfect for seed starting and growing transplants. Just think blue sky with white clouds.  Notice this is 4000K and sits just below daylight. You can use a lower K value if you have a higher Lumens value. 

 

Kelvin Scale

 

Lumens, in short, is light brightness or intensity. Consider this a sunny day. I recommend a minimum of 2000 Lumens. With the white LEDs, you can actually find lights with 5000 Lumens or higher. Most of your fluorescent tubes are, in general, 3000 Lumens or lower.

 

 Lumens and Kelvin Ratings

 

 Lumens, Kelvin and Watts

 

I have been growing vegetable transplants indoors for 20 years, based on these ratings. You can have success with bulbs that are 1750 Lumens and bulbs with a 4000 Kelvin rating. When your numbers are lower, you simply keep the lights closer to your seed starts and leave them on longer. I mentioned as a Lumen value gets higher, you can use a lower Kelvin rating. Here are my basic guidelines for the ratings. When you look for lights to build your grow-light station, you will find they vary greatly. These guidelines should help you wade through all the different lights you will come across.


Perfect:
2500+ Lumens and 6500 Kelvin

Great:
2500+ Lumens and 5000 Kelvin

Good:
1750-2000 Lumens and 5000-6500 Kelvin
3000+ Lumens  and 4000-5000 Kelvin


I recommend buying 4 foot lights and hanging them on a shelf. A single shelf with 1 or 2 lighting systems will work, if you are just starting out, and want to do a handful of plants. Even though you are spending money to buy your supplies, in the long run, you will save a lot of money. The lights will last 40, 50 or 60,000 hours or more. That's like a decade worth of seed starting indoors. Most transplants you purchase at a store or nursery are 2, 3  or $4 a plant. You can grow your own transplants for .25 cents or less.

You can also just purchase a clamp light and buy a screw-in type LED bulb. They are harder to find with the higher ratings for Kelvin and Lumens but will work. You can see the clamp light, 2 fixtures per shelf and 1 fixture per shelf in the picture below. You can design the system that works best for you.

My General Set Up

Two Four Foot Tubes in a Receptacle

LED Receptacle with no Tubes

Clamp Light with LED Bulb


The four foot tube will either be a fluorescent or LED type. LED tubes are more expensive but last longer and use less energy. You can purchase lights that have both the tubes and receptacle/fixture the light tubes sit in. Just make sure when you do that, you purchase a set up that has a plug for an outlet and not wires for a ceiling. You can also buy the tubes and receptacles separately. They will be T-12, T-8 or T-5 tubes. The packing will be marked. If you but a T-8 tube, you will need to buy a receptacle that is a T-8 receptacle. They will also be clearly marked. Just match the numbers.

Different Ways to Buy the Lights

The linked video will cover everything I discussed. The last thing I highly recommend is a timer. Based on the growth stage of your transplants and the ratings of your lights, you will vary how long the lights stay on. This will range from 12-16 hours a day. A timer will be your best friend. 



Share this post



← Older Post Newer Post →


83 comments

  • What In the freshly fucked feline are you talking about with all the salami bull shit? This is a gardening site you fucking retards. You’re either extremely dumb and gullible, or you’re the shit piece that is trying to take advantage of the dumb and gullible. Either way shut the fuck up and keep your nonsense in whatever slum of a country you call home. Thank you

    American on
  • The very best article I have ever seen describing lights for growing. The only other thing I would like to know; Should the LED tubes be Clear Cover or Frosted, or does it make any difference?

    Billy Barlow on
  • This is a very joyful day of my life because of the help PRIEST Salami has rendered to me by helping me get my ex-husband back with his magic and love spell. I was married for 6 years and it was so terrible because my husband was really cheating on me and was seeking a divorce but when I came across PRIEST Salami email on the internet on how he helped so many people to get their ex back and help to fix relationships. and make people happy in their relationship. I explained my situation to him and then sought his help but to my greatest surprise, he told me that he will help me with my case and here I am now celebrating because my Husband has changed totally for good. He always wants to be by me and can not do anything without my presence. I am really enjoying my marriage, what a great celebration. I will keep on testifying on the internet because PRIEST Salami is truly a real spell caster. DO YOU NEED HELP THEN CONTACT DOCTOR PRIEST Salami NOW VIA EMAIL: purenaturalhealer@gmail.com. Whatsapp number: +2348143757229 He is the only answer to your problem and makes you feel happy in your relationship…

    Freda on
  • Omg I Finally Got Helped !! I’m so excited right now, I just have to share my testimony on this Forum.. The feeling of being loved takes away so much burden from our shoulders. I had all this but I made a big mistake when I cheated on my wife with another woman and my wife left me for over 4 months after she found out.. I was lonely, sad and devastated. Luckily I was directed to a very powerful spell caster Dr Emu who helped me cast a spell of reconciliation on our Relationship and he brought back my wife and now she loves me far more than ever.. I’m so happy with life now. Thank you so much Dr Emu, kindly Contact Dr Emu Today and get any kind of help you want.. Via Email emutemple@gmail.com or Call/WhatsApp cell number +2347012841542
    Https://web.facebook.com/Emu-Temple-104891335203341

    Jason Bennett on
  • My mom was suffering from Type 2 diabetes and Lupus for over 17yrs. She tried many drugs but at last became dependent on saferoom and metformin due to the weakness and constant pains, She found that life was just sinking & there was no way of hope. Then she consulted Chief Dr Lucky for herbal treatments, Which she had been hearing so much about, After some couple of days taking this herbal medicine, Things started to change, The symptoms started to decrease and after 19 days of taking it, She became healthy and fully free from all the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes and Lupus. My mom’s life is totally different now. That’s why I decided to let everybody know about the wonderful healing of Chief Dr Lucky herbal, If you are having any health challenges kindly visit email chiefdrlucky@gmail.com or WhatsApp +2348132777335
    Facebook page http://facebook.com/chiefdrlucky
    Website https://chiefdrlucky.com/.

    Dexter Tamara on

Leave a comment