Seed Starting with Grow Lamp only

Hello- I'm planning to start all my garden plants from seed this year. I'm wondering if I can start the plants using artificial light only. I am planning to get a 4 foot fluorescent lamp with 4 tubes in the 4000k to 6000k and have it on for about 15 hours a day and locate it in my boiler /laundry room which stays at about 70 degrees. There is no natural light in this room so I'm wondering if this will work. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks !

 

You don't need any light to sprout seeds, only heat. After they sprout is when you need light.

 

Thanks Chuck - will the artificial light alone be enough to sustain the seedlings after they sprout? I appreciate the help !

 

All I know about artificial lighting for seedlings is that fluorescent lights should be very close to the plants. I don't know how many plants you plan to grow but you can put quite a few under a 1' x 4' light.

 

I've heard that the lamp should be only a couple of inches above the seedlings after they sprout. I'm going to hang the lamp on chains so that I can adjust it as they plants grow. I'm planning on starting about 30 plants in 3 inch peat pots. Thanks.

 

I grow my native plant seedlings under a typical fluorescent shop light, with a man-made shelf that hangs down from the light on chains so that I can lower the shelf as they plants grow. I keep the light about 3" away, and they grow in my otherwise dark basement with no natural light source.

 

I've not grown under lights personally, but in my dissolute youth knew people who grew extremely vigorous marijuana plants to full size and potency in basements with 100 percent artificial lighting.

And now that /cough "medical" marijuana /cough is legal in my state, there are grow shops about every other block it seems. That would surely be a good resource, if available to you? Or if not, I'm sure there are scads of websites and forums devoted to growing weed and I don't imagine growing veggies like this is much different.

 

Thanks ! I just set up a 4ft. long by 1ft. wide Fluorescent hanging shop lamp with 2 "Cool" bulbs and 2 "warm" bulbs. I've got it set up in my warm boiler/laundry room and have it hanging on chains so that I can easily adjust the height. I'll be looking for a timer to make sure it goes on every day (any suggestions on a 120V timer will be much appreciated). I've received my seeds (bought from R.H. Shumways) and have marked my calendar for start dates for each variety. I'm really looking forward to doing this. Thanks for the help!

 

I'm currently looking into LEDs, any thoughts?

 

Just started some of the seedlings - looks like I'll be able to start about 30 containers under this lamp (maybe a few more than that). It throws off a LOT more light than the picture shows. I've got the timer set for 18 hours on - 6 hours off. I don't know much about the LED light spectrum, the plants need Red & Blue and I think Green needs to be added when using LED's. Also, I think that the LED lamps need to be set about 10 or so inches above the plants to prevent burning. I didn't really research LED's as the fluorescent set up was pretty inexpensive.