It was for cast to be almost 60 degrees here today so I set some of my peach seedlings out for some full sun. it was pretty cold this morning, I had some frost around on raised surfaces, I guess we will see when I get home how they faired.
My grandson,who is almost four, comes to our house every Thursday. Last week we planted a peach seed together. I explained that it would grow into a tree. Tonight when he got here I told him we should check his seed. It had sprouted into a tiny green sprig. He jumped up and down and ran to tell everyone that his tree had came up. He was so excited, I guess I still feel a little of that same joy when I grow something.
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It’s great to be able to show kids how this stuff works. When i repotted my seedlings i let my 4 year old put soil in the little pots. Its always good to give them a job to do…
My biggest problem is my kids always want to water everything. So i have to remind them often that we’ll kill them if they get too much moisture…but overall they are very gentle and careful around seedlings. We’ll start a bunch of veggie seedlings after the new year.
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That is great to get your children involved in growing at a young age.
Tony
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This is a picture of one of my peach seedlings. My goodness they are getting tall fast… kind of makes me wounded how this is going to turn out. I wouldn’t be able to put them in the ground until the last week of April.
It needs a lot of light, a window or plant light unless meant for hemp isn’t going to be enough. In a south window with a plant light for 10 hours behind it.
I have a 4 foot, 4 bulb T5 VHO (not HO) light that is like sun in a tube. Although it costs a fortune to run. I only run it for 2 months for vegetable seedlings.
I have most of mine in south facing window. I am sure they will be tender and have to be acclimated to full sun slowly at transplant time or the will burn up.
I just worry about weak growth, it is hard to recover from weak growth.
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yes, it could be a problem. I really think the best thing to do with my peach seeds would be to crack them out of the pit and put them in a paper bag in a dark cabinet at room temperature, and hold them there until mid January. Then put them in the refrigerator to stratify. I think that would put them just right to germinate in peat pots and set out in the ground in early spring here. Oh well, I find it quite enjoyable to be doing some type of growing this time of year. I have to do something to keep busy and fussing over some seedlings seems to be just the thing.
I’m using 48 inch fixtures with t8s… i think i have cool bulbs in one and warm in the other…anything around 5000K should work fine (daylight)… I also have mine in a south facing slider, but the sun has been absent a lot (December is horrible in Wisconsin for cloudiness).
They will get tall and spindly without enough light. Not sure long term how that will hurt but it might. I put mine so the bulbs are just about touching most of them.
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Jason I think that is a good plan. You certainly are learning a lot, and that’s worth it. Try moving the stem back and forth, stress it, it will become thicker. A fan too would help. I’m growing figs indoors right now. So that has been keeping me busy. plus I have herbs and tropical plants etc. So yeah I grow year round. I still have a pepper plant in the garage, it has two peppers left, bell type sweets. I’ll pick them when needed.
I have numerous light 3x 2 footers, and 2x 4 footers. I’m only using the cheap light right now.
Notice the fan I use on the right side.
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I run 20 4’ high output T5’s with wavelength geared toward the veg spectrum, and a large array of LED’s that include red and infrared wavelengths for 14 to 16 hrs a day within the confines of a completely mylar lined (top, bottom and sides) 4’x8’x7’ grow tent designed for hydroponics. Lights are along the walls as well as the top in order to better penetrate the canopy and discourage legginess. When working in there, sunglasses are necessary if you prefer not to burn your retinas. 
Ventilation is provided by a small fan made for that, and through adjustable vents built into the tent.
Now, the primary purpose of my setup is for overwintering my citrus and bananas, but around mid-January part of it is used for seed starting. Then propogation heat mats go into use at night.
If I were only using the lights for seed starting and supporting vegetative growth rather than also supporting flowering and fruit maturation cycles, then the lights could be run 24/7, which would increase the vigor of the growth. According to what I’ve read, Most plants grow faster with 24/7 light, but some types require certain amounts or variations of night length in order to trigger blooming.
@warmwxrules Daylight bulbs that aren’t produced for plant growth provide optical approximation of daylight, but their spectrum isn’t concentrated in the wavelengths geared toward photosynthesis. They will work, but not as well as the ones targeted to plant needs.
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Wow, that is a lot of lights! My neighbor runs his halogen lights 24/7, he is growing pot. I can’t afford the electric bill as it is. I do like the High Output t5 lights. as mentioned I have a Very High Output, and it throws way too much heat. The t5HO lights provide enough light without getting so hot.
Muddy-What wavelength is the best? I think that is why i have both hot and cold bulbs in my setup? (I bought them long ago when i had researched this stuff)/
I’ve thought about moving to metal halide but the amount of heat those put off…along with the amount of watts they draw. I think the lowest is 400 watts and they run up to 1000watts.
For growing they sell 6500K bulbs. Use 3000K (red) for flowering
Also a number of specialty bulbs for T5 10000, UV and others.
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Good to know. Just checked my bulbs…2 5000K Octrons and 2 4100Ks …better see if i have some warmer bulbs.
add: Nothing warm here. Found a bunch of TL850s (5000K) … so i switched everything to 5000K for now.
I might look at those LED fixtures. I saw Sam’s Club has them.
So does Home Depot although spectrum not given?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-4-ft-T8-32-Watt-Plant-and-Aquarium-Linear-Fluorescent-Light-Bulb-429167/203865702
Sam’s LED is 40 watts…4200 lumens …5000K…and CRI 86
My T8s are 64 watts… 5600 lumens …5000K …and CRI 90
So the LED is more efficient (more lumens per watt?) … Although i suppose the floros give off more heat which is fine in winter.