Building greenhouse shelves

Here is a picture of me taking apart a chain to put “s” hooks on. I will hang the grow lights from these movable chains. I bought fancy grow lights, but I have to wear special dark glasses so I don’t get macular degeneration when I am older, so wishing I bought fluorescent lights. More pictures to come.

What is your setup like?

Warm regards, Christina


Comments

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @heirlooms777 Flourescent lights have their own issues.

    Here is an article covering light from grow lights and the effect on the eyes, written by a Chinese company, so the english may have some mistakes.

    I thought it was appropriate to include this here.

    I still haven't set up mine, but more & more I wonder if I should as it is appearing more inappropriate for my space as time goes on because of distance between plant & light & light safety & the awful magenta color. If I do use it, I'm thinking that it would only be on through the night.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning I wonder if at night if the lights, any lights with blue light in them (not a yellow light bulb, for example) would stop the melatonin production in your body, and hurt your sleep? I do light therapy. In this thinking, morning and late afternoon would be a good time to have the grow lights on, as long as there was 16 (or even 18) hours of light somehow. This is what I am trying to figure out now. —Christina

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @heirlooms777 That is what "they" say. It will disrupt. However, this light is not in the bedroom, but in/between the kitchen-dining room wall under a display cabinet.

    I absolutely hate the color of the light. I actually find it overwhelming & a bit disorienting. It is full spectrum, but that doesn't mean it's healthy for me or anyone else.

    I have also considered making curtains to pull over each side of the space to keep the light where I would need it and out if the space I don't. I would need a heavy cloth, perhaps a blackout type of curtain. This could be pulled before turning the light on and the light could be turned off before pulling the curtains back.

    I don't know your set up, but maybe this idea could help.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning i hear you, and the plant lights cause macular degeneration. Some newbies use LED fluorescent lights, since it is pretty good and you don’t need special glasses to be in the same room.

  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning Plants shouldn't get 24 hours straight of light. This can cause some issues for them such as stress, increase disease risk, etc. How much light they get can affect their behavior such as flowering, preparing for dormancy, etc. I think the blackout curtains would work.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @Cornelius Thanks for confirming that as a possibility. The blackout curtains would have a purpose day & night.

    The only issue might be airflow.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning maybe a small fan for airflow?

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If you have the space, it's best to put your grow lights and plant starting area in a room where you don't spend much time. This could be a closet, a storage room, etc. For me, it's in a small room that is a combination freezer room, library (shelves only, no place to sit and read), and clothes drying rack room.

    This way the color won't bother you, and there is no health threat.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @Cornelius @VermontCathy @LaurieLovesLearning

    Is it true that I don’t need a seedling mat or plastic over my seedlings after germination?

    Thanks

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @heirlooms777 I found that if I kept the tiny plants covered, it tends to create damping off, so a watchful eye is needed if some have sproutedand some are not quite up. Spraying with strong chamomile tea helps prevent damping off. I use it after germination.

    I believe a heat mat is used to warm up the soil for seeds that require bottom heat to germinate. I have run across seeds that will not germinate if a heat mat is used underneath.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I had a neighbor who was using the LED Grow lights. She had her plants and light setup in a large closet out in her heated garage. She was never faced with having to deal with the lights, as the switch was outside the closet. She could turn them off before opening the door.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @heirlooms777 If I don't cover my seedlings at all, they dry out and die before they have time to grow a root structure.

    Once the plants start to get past the seedling stage, I remove the cover.

    I don't use the fancy plastic covers on special seed-starting flats. I find that starting seeds in small aluminum bread plans enclosed in a Ziploc bag works well. Once the plants are established, remove the Ziploc bag.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @VermontCathy I love the bread pan / plastic bag idea. How do you place mint tea on seedlings? When do you put it on the plants? Do you recommend placing a little cinnamon spice in the seedling mix?

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @heirlooms777 I'm not sure where you saw the idea of putting mint tea on seedlings. I don't do that.

    My usual fertilizer for seedlings is a commercial seaweed liquid emulsion. It's highly concentrated, so you put a small amount in a spray bottle intended for spritzing laundry, add a lot of water, shake thoroughly, and spray it on both the soil and the leaves.

    If you have access to seaweed locally you could make your own, but I am four hours from the nearest ocean.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning @VermontCathy Laurie, what can you tell us about using mint tea on seedlings? Does anyone put cinnamon in their potting mix? Thanks! —Christina

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @heirlooms777 I use chamomile tea, not mint. I spray it on the seedlings and water the soil with it when they are very young & germinating.

    I did try cinnamon once. I don't remember the result. I don't think it did what I was hoping it would. If it worked for me, I would have continued using it.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning , how does chamomile help?

    I think the cinnamon was something about deterring mold. I never tried it. I am still trying to learn how to use blocks.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @heirlooms777 It prevents damping off.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2023

    @heirlooms777 I haven't tried either. Listen to @LaurieLovesLearning, she has a lot of experience!

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    Interesting article on the LED grow lights. I bought one last year, planning on using it for my sprouts this year. I never planned on using it 24/7, only about 10 to 12 hours a day. Think I try to figure out a place other than in the bathroom though.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning your tip for using Camomile tea to keep your seedlings from damping off sound interesting. Think I'll give that a try. I have seen about using a weak Hydrogen peroxide solution and spraying it on the seedlings to prevent disease, particularly mold. Don't remember how diluted it was, so I'll have to try to look it up again.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    With this in mind, does anyone have any type of solution for mycelium forming & mushooms coming from that in houseplants?

    I've mentioned it before but haven't had a problem for a while until now. These mushrooms are bright yellow when they form. If they were outside, I wouldn't care. But, I certainly don't want this indoors. I would be concerned about possible spread to other houseplants at the very least.

    When I was approached, when I worked at a nursery, about mushrooms in someone’s lawn, I told them once the food (usually wood) was gone, the mushrooms would disappear. I just don't feel the same about waiting out the indoor ones, whatever their origin & food.

  • heirlooms777
    heirlooms777 Posts: 208 ✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning maybe feed mushrooms to something like a worm farm? I have some mold on a little of my seedling mix, I’m trying to decide if I should cook the dirt, it’s mostly peat moss to make blocks, and mix with the other seedling mix before planting seeds, or feed to my worm farms?

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @heirlooms777 I'd be concerned that then I'd end up getting it in all of my pots!