One or two shop lights with T8 bulbs in the 5000K light spectrum is your best bet. There are much fancier set ups, but for the cost, you should start with the shop lights. I made supports for them with PVC. Again very inexpensive. Then you can add heat mats if you like but not necessary.

The lights can be moved up and down with little hooks hanging off the PVC supports. There are chains on the lights that the hooks hook into. In the photo above, the lights are raised so I can water the peppers. Normally the lights are about an inch above the peppers.

You will want a timer for the lights and they should run about 12-16 hours a day. You could also add a fan to provide a breeze. The fan does two main things. First, it helps keep away mold and fungus gnats and other nasties. Second, it blows air across the seedlings which causes them to toughen up in preparation for going outside where mother nature isn't so nice sometimes. The fan should be on a timer as well. maybe 4 on 4 off, 2 on 2 off, 2 on 4 off, etc...

If you just stick with the lights and the PVC, it is a very minimal investment and if you decide it isn't what you thought it would be, you haven't lost much. I am still using this same setup after 4 years. I added the fan and the heat mats after the first year along with a couple other extras.

Good luck.

if going with fluorescent, i would go with T5 bulb/fixture. my advice is make sure it has a built-in reflector. a bit more expensive, but it "amplifies" about 100% more of the light downward. i have a 4 bulb T5 fixture, each bulb is 54w. it's 20,000 lumens. after the 4 bulbs and fixture it was around $140.

This has worked several years for me. Just get the 5000K bulbs. I would also recommend a heat mat, or some kind of bottom heat method. Speeds up the germination immensely. I like to put a plastic drape over the seedlings when they get larger to preserve moisture and even out the temp as these are in a heated greenhouse that I keep at around 55 degrees.

You have great recommendations. I use an older cheaper system using two T-12 bulbs has worked for me over the years. Usually I use one regular bulb and one plant bulb.

though I would like to have a similar or the same setup as esox07.

Hi K, i'm going to include links for everything below.

Excluding LED lighting, T5 bulbs and lighting assemblies are the brightest (and most efficient?) per inch and also the most expensive. T8 Bulbs and assemblies come in 2nd place, but are extremely affordable. T12 would be the least efficient but are the most affordable of all.

Here are a few ideas:

- 4 Bulb T8 setup from Lowes and Home Depot.

- 2 Bulb T8 setup from Lowes and Home Depot and Walmart

- I couldn't find my current T5 assembly but here's another affordable T5 grow light that includes light bulbs and free shipping, $79 shipped for the 4-bulb kit.

After installation you would hook them up to a dual outlet timer. You'll want to keep the lighting 1 to 3 inches above the plant canopy.

I've owned or used most of the light assemblies linked above and they're all similar. My most recent purchase was a similar T5 setup which in hindsight wasn't absolutely necessary for my needs. Four 4-ft bulbs provide enough coverage for two of my favorite seedling grow trays which are most excellent since they root prune and prevent root spiraling.

Steve.

Oh you guys are just super precious! Thank you. I had no idea I could rig something so effective. And I think I can handle it. I thought I would have put up $300-$400 to get started. That's what some of the kits are selling for.

esox7: thank you really for taking the time to show me your set up and explain in detail how you made it. All your post are carefully and fully explained. I read many of them this summer and they have been very instructive and helpful to move forward. I just understood fluorescent lighting (what is 5000K etc) and T12, T8 and T5!

Steve: Thank you very much for all your known links. Thank you for enabling me through out this season and pointing out more and more sophisticated ways to enjoy peppers (and tomatoes)!

tomt226, hi again, yes, the picture is very helpful. I think the plastic would work well. I did get a heating mat. Its surprisingly good for germination. They pop right up. And for drying gloves. Thank you so much!

stevie, I will look for T5 and reflector as I shop. Thank you.

habjolokia: thank you too for your picture. esox7 has put together something nifty hasn't he?! Its so good of him to share his design.

K.

BTW, to add to my last post here is the T5 fixture i have which include the polished-mirror reflector: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-4-Light-T5-White-High-Output-Fluorescent-High-Bay-IBC-454-MV/202838871 all you have to do is rig a power cord to it. fairly easy..

homedepot also sell some 6500k grow bulbs for $11 ea.

check in your area and see if there is a local htgsupply (htgsupply.com) they have cheaper T5 bulb options. including T5 bulbs that have been engineered to provide the UV light spectrum.

Thank you stevie!

You're very welcome K, it's a fun hobby we all share, and this hobby actually produces something for us! :)

You had inquired about the different terminology, it's all fairly simple once explained.

5000K was mentioned, it is a measurement of light color wavelength (cool white, warm white etc). Anything around 3200k and below would be considered "warm white". Whereas any number higher than that would be considered "cool white". Cool white is usually better for seedlings and young plants.

T5, T8, T12 refers to the style of light bulb. T5 is a thinner bulb but produces more light per square inch. T8 is a little thicker and comes in second place. T12 are the thicker old fashioned fluorescent light tubes which produce the least light but still do a fine job for seedlings. T8 bulbs and light assemblies are probably the most popular at the moment because they are cheap and throw out a good amount of light.

Steve

I built a lighting fixture for $40 from stuff at a local home improvement store that worked great. It uses 6 CFL (curly light bulbs) in 5000k (cool white) 100 watt equivalent (23 actual watts used per bulb) (138 total watts). Easy to build in an afternoon.

Thank you again Steve, as always.

Thank you SoCarRob! That looks pretty nifty too.

K.

I built an INEXPENSIVE grow light similar to SoCarRob"s from two of 4-lamp fixtures using CFL bulbs and wiring an in-line switch connected to a timer. Remove the lower nipple and attach (via drilling and threading through) to a 1/4" plywood sheet (cut to your length and width needed) covered in shiny mylar or aluminum foil. Each fixture had 4 CFL (curly light bulbs) in 5000k (cool white) 100 watt equivalent (from Amazon).

These 4-lamp fixtures are impossible to find locally and even on line. The seller gave excellent customer service and I would recommend them (not affiliated in any way) so here is the link:

http://www.txlampparts.net/product_info.php?cPath=28_99&products_id=1600

This worked fine for me last season and you can make it adjustable for distance to the seedlings any way you see fit. Hope this helps.

Nice. I like the 4 ways. I can refit mine to use those. I used a simple eye loop and 550 cord low tech lowering system (read: rope and tie off method) to raise and lower my lights. It's ugly but functional. Of course I subscribe to the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid!) school of thought.

I start my seedlings on these racks, it is very cheap, 25 per rack and 20 or so per shop light fixture for each level. These are t8s which are very economical to run and start seedlings well. Excuse the junk I am upgrading my grow room now with built in wiring so these are just stored in my garage.

But here is my pride and joy I plant to over winter my citrus and full size pepper plants in here. Wired in t5s on wired in timers plus I plan to get some LEDs to boost the citrus light. I am waiting for a light meter to arrive so I can accurately gauge the light before I select the leds.

The photos don't capture how bright it is in there with the t5s. It is sunglasses required bright. I just need to build some economical benches or stools to get the plants up closer to the light.

probably easier to put chains on the fixtures and lower them rather than bringing the plants to the light. they really need reflectors to really make use of the light as more than half the light is wasted without them.

The most efficient lighting system is HID, either High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide.

It's a multi purpose room so I didn't want a ton of dangly lights all over the place but yes I have been exploring adding some makeshift reflectors, good suggestion. Also I anticipate the citrus getting tall enough at some point they won't need to be raised to the lights. The peppers will need to be though.

Willard what do you mean they are the most efficient? Not on power consumption, that would definitely be LEDs which I also plan to add as soon as I can accurately test the light with a light meter. Hps and hid are also very hard on the eyes. I think the led vs hps/hid argument is still widely discussed but LEDs have pulled ahead now it seems.

Lighting efficiency is measured in lumens/watt and HPS and Mh are better than LED and fluorescent by a large factor in higher wattage lamps. Nobody in the lighting industry disputes this.

Cornell Hydroponic Greenhouse uses MH and HPS and Cornell is at the forefront of agricultural reaearch.