I have about 50 eggplants, 50 peppers, and 50 tomatoes under a set of 4
flourescent lights. I plan on keeping them there for the next 2-4 weeks,
which is how long it will be before the weather is settled enough to start
taking them outside for a week of hardening. I'll probably plant them in the
ground the first week of June or so. Last year a late frost wiped out a lot
of my plants, so this year I plan on waiting a bit. Question - how long
should I keep the lights on? I currently have it on a timer that cycles it
14 hours on, 10 hours off. Or does it really matter?

Charlie wrote in message
...
On Tue, 6 May 2008 19:37:57 -0700, "Zootal"
wrote:

I have about 50 eggplants, 50 peppers, and 50 tomatoes under a set of 4
flourescent lights. I plan on keeping them there for the next 2-4 weeks,
which is how long it will be before the weather is settled enough to start
taking them outside for a week of hardening. I'll probably plant them in
the
ground the first week of June or so. Last year a late frost wiped out a
lot
of my plants, so this year I plan on waiting a bit. Question - how long
should I keep the lights on? I currently have it on a timer that cycles it
14 hours on, 10 hours off. Or does it really matter?


It matters. 14-16 is right....I go 16 and get good results.

Charlie

Ahh...that is what I needed to hear...

sets lamp timer to 16 hours....

Meant to add, be sure and keep your lights within a couple inches of
the seedlings to prevent legginess, if you didn't already know this.

CHarlie

Hmm...looks at light height...lowers lights a few inches...

Um, yeah, ahem, of course I know this ..... :-)

It's not as serious with the toms, since I pinch the bottom set of leaves
and bury them real deep anyhow. I don't know if eggplants or peppers are
quite as forgiving. I didn't know how big eggplants would get, so last year
I planted them too close together and ended up with a dense patch that I
could hardly get into. And the yeild was not very good. This year I space
them out a bit further and give them a bit more tlc.

On Tue, 6 May 2008 19:37:57 -0700, "Zootal"
wrote:

I have about 50 eggplants, 50 peppers, and 50 tomatoes under a set of 4
flourescent lights. I plan on keeping them there for the next 2-4 weeks,
which is how long it will be before the weather is settled enough to start
taking them outside for a week of hardening. I'll probably plant them in the
ground the first week of June or so. Last year a late frost wiped out a lot
of my plants, so this year I plan on waiting a bit. Question - how long
should I keep the lights on? I currently have it on a timer that cycles it
14 hours on, 10 hours off. Or does it really matter?


18 hours

On May 6, 10:37 pm, "Zootal" wrote:
I have about 50 eggplants, 50 peppers, and 50 tomatoes under a set of 4
flourescent lights. I plan on keeping them there for the next 2-4 weeks,
which is how long it will be before the weather is settled enough to start
taking them outside for a week of hardening. I'll probably plant them in the
ground the first week of June or so. Last year a late frost wiped out a lot
of my plants, so this year I plan on waiting a bit. Question - how long
should I keep the lights on? I currently have it on a timer that cycles it
14 hours on, 10 hours off. Or does it really matter?

Mine do best with 16 hours.

Regards,
June

Tomato is not so serious, because I pinch the leaves of the game background and profound practical since they are buried. I do not know whether the eggplant, pepper tolerance only. As far as I continued to 16 hours grow your lights. Is best for me.