I only have a 600W LED light (about 260 actual wattage) and wanted to know if it would be bad to place my seedlings under it. it already grow its 1/4" tail and i put it in soil and had it sitting in the light for a few hours and kept the soil moist but took it out because i wasnt sure if it would be ok under that light. should i keep it in complete darkness until it sprouts out of the soil?
You can put it under that light. Just keep an eye on the soil to ensure it doesn’t dry out from the heat. Mist a few times a day. If you have humidity domes (inverted soda bottle bottoms) that will help with the moisture and humidity levels too. I have a 45w LED that I put over my germing seeds and sprouts, about 6” over.
thanks! im going to try that soda bottle trick as well. would keeping them under 24/0 light be ok as well until it sprouts from the soil? i also put it roughly 26" from the light since it seems a bit stronger
I go 24/0 for germination and for two weeks after they sprout out of the ground. Then I switch to 18/6 for four weeks of veg.
You can judge the distance using your hand. If it’s not too hot for your hand it’ll be okay for the plant. 26 sounds high, but like you note it’s much more powerful than my 45. You can also gauge it by whether the sprout stretches. If it’s getting enough light it will grow about an inch out of the ground then begin working on its first set of true leaves. If there is not enough light, it will try to grow tall and reach for the light while working on its first leaves. If you see it stretch, lower a bit
Good luck!
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awesome, sounds great! thanks for the detailed advice! ill make sure to check for signs of stretching once it does sprout
If your plant stretches…cut a pipe cleaner in half , make a loop around the stem. This will support it till it sets better roots. Stretching means the light is too far away.
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