 |
| Mountain Magic cherry tomato grown under lights |
In winter, seedlings and microgreens need more light than the sun can provide. In February, in a northern city like Edmonton, they grow spindly. I run a soft electric fan across the seedlings for ten minutes a day to keep them strong, but still they are 'leggy' and pale, in need of more light.
Experimenting.....
 |
| An industrial clamp light |
Top up sunshine with an industrial clamp light with a 100 watt compact fluorescent bulb (CFL). This bulb lasts 9 years - so shine away!
After viewing the excellent videos about growing with lights by Alberta Urban Garden, I altered my system by adding another lamp next to the first light. One light is a 6500K CFL bulb and the other is 2700K CFL light. Microgreens will grow well under just the 6500K, but in order to flower, plants need the lower 2700K as well.
 |
| Broccoli microgreens |
Update: January 2017. I could not resist planting a cherry tomato seed (Mountain Magic) much too early. Below is a picture of the plant at about 4 weeks. At the first site of the stem, before it even fully emerged from the ground, the lights were on. They shine for about 16 hours a day. If the leaves are too close to the lights they dry and crisp, so I keep the bulbs at least 4 inches away. On the other hand, the extra heat is a plus near the cold windows.
 |
| Tomato plant - 4 weeks- under lights- next to window in mid January. |
Update: February 16, 2017
 |
| Same plant - cherry tomato Mountain Magic 8 weeks from seeding. |
 |
| Tomato plant in southern window with lights. This is starting to look odd..... |
 |
| Box fan on low speed, circulates air and strengthens leaves and stems. |
The box fan has a furnace filter on it (20 X 20 Filtrete). The filter is not necessary for the plants, but it reduces winter dust and cat dander allergens. This is an easy set up. When the fan is on, the filter is sucked up against the fan.
In the basement, I set up the same wire shelving system with tube fluorescent lights that hang 4-5 inches above the plants. The lights are on a timer - and they shine for about 16 hours/day. The baby arugula is ready to harvest.
 |
| Arugula growing under fluorescent lights 6500K. |
 |
| Baby arugula, ready to harvest, grown under fluorescent lights in the basement. |
Update: The fluorescent tube lights in the basement have worked out really well. I started peppers, impatients, rosemary, sage, and parsley in early February and tomatoes, kale, butter lettuce a few weeks later. I replaced one of the four 6500K bulbs with a 2700K bulb. Lesson learned - keep the plants a good 4 inches from the bulbs, as the leaves will fry.
 |
| Microgreens sunning outdoors in a mild February in Edmonton. |
Check out my short but informative video on how to
grow great garlic in a cold climate.
