I don’t know what power LED lights you are using but I have some cheap ones and keep them 2 inches above tomato seedlings. No problem.
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This is correct for most fluorescent and LED lights. Tomato leaves saturate at 25 percent of full sunlight. Lights 2 inches above seedlings come close to 25% as much light as full sun. Caveat that lights do NOT have the spectrum of full sunlight.
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I’ve noticed one particular style of LED light can burn some more tender leaves even as far as 4 or 5 inches away, specifically the spotlight style from GE, which use some highly focusing lenses to create a very narrow beam of bright light:
When I first bought them a couple years ago I hung them right (2-3 inches) above my indoor avocado seedlings and they got burned pretty badly. At 6 inches they work great, though, and once leaves “harden” to the light, they do fine if they grow a few inches closer. The package actually says they should be kept 2 full feet above plants, which seems absurd, but it really is a pretty tight beam of light and doesn’t cover much area until you’re about a foot away. Here’s the one I mostly use as supplemental lighting indoors or in the greenhouse:
I just finished potting up tomato and pepper plants into “1204” cell trays which hold 48 plants per tray. At this point, I have 17 trays of “must grow” seedlings. This translates to 816 plants which each need about 30 inches of row space in my garden. At 72 plants per row, that works out to about 10 rows across my garden. Peppers get 24 inches per plant since most of them are more compact than tomatoes. Dwarf tomato varieties also get 24 inches per plant. All of the plants are labeled and should be ready to go in the ground in 3 weeks. This is the most effort I’ve ever expended getting seedlings ready to go in my garden. It is also twice as many plants as I’ve ever grown in one year. Why? Because I need a TON of fresh seed!
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I have had excellent germination on everything, including Digitalis and Lupine’s that I’ve struggled with in the past. A couple of the left over veggies have a reduced rate of germination, but that’s not unexpected for 5 year old seed. Temps hang in the 60’s at night and during the day with the lights on it creeps up to low 80’s before shutting down at 11pm. Just a bit of leggy-ness on a couple things but not bad. I still have some annual flowers to get started, but still too early and there’s still snow on the ground here. I’ll have to pot up some of the ornamentals soon.
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flowers in the first photo, and fennel, and orach
veg round number 3 in the second. most of my starts are too big, which is how I like them. all up into cup pots now, they’ll end up in all the half gallon by the time we hit last frost. for my own garden I like to put out nearly mature plants, in hopes they’ll pollinate before our real heat wave comes in July. I want the flowers setting in June.
big guys;
then there’s the hoophouse
it’s a mess out there. as always
that’s round three getting set up. round one are in big pots now, stuff I started back in Feb
figs are waking up too.
I’m busy just about every day pulling plant orders. I’ve shipped half a dozen so far. It will get VERY busy in about 3 weeks.
Tonight was a bit of an unusual request. A lady wants to come by my son’s greenhouse in Hamilton AL and pick up some plants. She specifically wanted Heidi, Burgundy Traveler, and Tastiheart. I pulled a tray of 18 plants in 4 inch cups and have them on the light stand. I will harden them off in direct sun over the next week. She is driving up from Florida to visit relatives and will pass by within 5 miles of Hamilton on the Interstate. An easy pick up for her, and a fairly fast and easy order to sell for me.
I have good germination and growth on several varieties of english peas. A couple have not germinated so will be replaced with potatoes from seed. The no-shows are easily replaced. My potatoes are up and reaching for the sun. Another week should have most of the potatoes growing gang busters. One problem, we still have potential for a frost for the next 3 weeks. Potatoes can handle some frost, but below 25 degrees is rough on them.
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My tomatoes seedings are about in the same stage. I just separated them and moved them to a individual pot, more leg room
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I potted up another tray of tomato seedlings from some very late started seed. At this point, I have 864 seedling tomatoes and peppers started with intent to grow for seed. I will put 3/4 of them in the ground. One plant in each tray of 4 is a backup just in case a cutworm or weather or whatever kills one in the ground.
I have potatoes, peas, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots, and radishes in the garden. In 2 weeks, I will start setting out tomatoes and peppers weather permitting. Many of my plants are 6 to 8 inches tall already. It is nearly time to plant beans, corn, squash, cantaloupes, watermelons, and cucumbers.
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I still haven’t started any seeds 
but I do have 20 something tomatoes in the ground and large pots, a dozen or so getting close to being set out in the yard garden.
In the big garden:
1000 Jade bush beans
400 okra (dozen or so types)
200 hills squash/zucchini
150 hills watermelons
Dozen packs of sunflowers mixed in the watermelons
618 potatoes looking good
Still have 2 200ft rows fertilized and hilled up waiting to be planted with something. Might just hold off a month and use to replant if needed.
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Most peppers got started a couple weeks ago, starting tomatoes after I finish this post. Zone 5 so cutting it pretty close especially since I think final frost will be pretty early this year.
Broccoli plants got put out yesterday looking to start about 40 tomatoes- 7-8 varieties. My light space is very cramped, can’t wait to kick out some of these miscellaneous plants outdoors. Alpine strawberries are the bane of my existence right now!!!
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the temptation to start hardening off is almost unbearable. I didn’t start enough brassicas and cold crops indoors this year, I tried winter sowing and they’re not anywhere near ready to be moved…I direct sowed my radish and spinach last week and some cabbage. of course not a bit is sprouting yet. it’s been too dry, and we still had a few freezes so I couldn’t water properly yet.
I hate a late year.
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I have one row of tomatoes and peppers in the ground. It is a bit early yet with the possibility of frost until at least the 25th. I put in a row of potato seedlings - meaning potato plants grown from seed - today. I will put in at least one more row of tomatoes and peppers tomorrow, maybe 2 rows if I feel like doing the work. Why do I plant tomatoes and peppers in the same row? It reduces cross-pollination for both. I alternate 2 tomato varieties with 1 pepper variety. Each row is 192 feet long and rows are separated on 44 inch centers. This gives enough room for 3 tomato plants and 4 pepper plants of each variety planted. with a total of 80 plants in each row. I’ll wind up with about 7 rows of tomatoes and peppers. That is a LOT of tomato and pepper plants.
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I have 3 rows of tomatoes and peppers in the ground now and have tilled for the 4th and 5th rows. There is a lot of planting left to do, but I am nearly half-way with @240 tomato and pepper plants in the ground!
So far I have:
1 row of peas and potatoes grown from seed
1 row of potatoes
1 row of brassicas
4 rows of tomatoes and peppers
1 row of beans
2 rows of corn
1 row of cowpeas (just planted)
1 row of carrots, radishes, and turnips
1 row of squash and pumpkins, will add watermelons and cantaloupes in a few days
and the 5th row of tomatoes and peppers is ready to set plants.
I have enough tilled for 2 more rows. I have enough room for about 5 or 6 more rows across the garden. Each row is 192 feet long.
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A little practice starting seeds helps. Last year I didn’t do so well. This year I Improved my timing and the quality of my plants look better. I still have much to learn but thanks to many of the above posters I think I’m heading in the right direction. I have planted most of my early season plants and have shared my extras with my neighbors.
As of now
-Blue Lake pole beans: about 25’ planted 1’ apart
-Okra: 12 Heavy Hitter, 3 Clemson Spineless, 4 Go Big. Total 19
-Tromboncino 3
-Jade cucumber (mostly Parthenocarpic) 3
-Spaghetti squash 2
-Tomatoes 9 in large containers and 7 more going in the ground today. Celebrity, Rutgers, Bush Goliath, and 42 Day.
-Squash yellow (Summer) 2
-Squash Zucchini (Black Beauty) 2