Table of Contents
Bright light is super-important for healthy tomato seedlings! As soon as they sprout, they’ll reach up for sunbeams (or fluorescent beams). Seedlings need 12-18 hours of light each day.
Can tomato seedlings get too much light?
Yes, it is true that your seedlings need lots of bright light to grow healthy and strong—but they also need a period of darkness in order to thrive. These fluorescent lights should be left on for 12 to 16 hours a day. Many people make the mistake of leaving their seedlings under fluorescent lighting 24 hours a day.
Do tomato seedlings need darkness?
Darkness Requirements Tomato plants ideally need at least six to eight hours of darkness per day to properly absorb carbon dioxide and work through the dark cycle of energy production.
How much sun do tomato seedlings need?
Ideally, tomato seedlings need 12 to 18 hours of bright light each day to thrive. If direct sunlight is unavailable to the plants, place them under grow lights.
How long should tomato seedlings be under grow lights?
Keep the lights on the plants for 14-16 hours per day, but turn them off and let them rest at night. A timer that you can plug the lights into is a must if you want to sleep peacefully.
How many hours light for tomato seedlings?
Tomatoes needs at least 8 hours a day of sunlight to produce fruit, but aim to provide 12 -16 hours of light for the best growing results. Tomato plants are day-neutral, meaning that they will flower independently of the day length.
How tall should my tomato seedlings be before transplanting?
Tomatoes are ready for transplanting into the garden when the seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall, and the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.
Can I leave my grow light on 24 hours for tomatoes?
A: You can leave your grow lights on 24 hours for your tomato and pepper starts but you shouldn’t. More better to give these upstarts 6 – 8 hours of darkness. Position the lights ~2″ from the plant tops to guard against them getting leggy.
What color light is best for tomato seedlings?
Blue light is necessary for the growth of your tomatoes, but in moderate quantities. Tomatoes need red light in larger quantities than blue light. Although it carries less energy than blue light, red light is used more efficiently by plants.
Can tomato seedlings take full sun?
“Six to eight hours of sun is all a tomato plant needs,” says tomato expert Scott Daigre. “Shade accordingly.” Tomatoes thrive in full sun.
Do tomatoes need morning or afternoon sun?
Tomatoes are vigorous growers that require maximum sun. They will need 6 to 8 hours of sun a day, so plant in the sunniest parts of your garden.
Do tomatoes prefer morning or afternoon sun?
ANSWER: – Tomato plants need an average of six to eight hours of sunlight per day. That’s a lot of sunlight. The requirements for sunlight for tomatoes are so high, in fact, that they need to get both morning and afternoon sun to grow effectively.
How much light is too much for seedlings?
Seedlings need 14-16 hours of light every single day, without fail. Don’t leave them on for 24 hours a day though. Like us, they need to rest at night. So plan to keep your artificial lights on for 14-16 hours during the daytime, and turn them off overnight.
How close should seedlings be to grow lights?
For seedlings, LED grow lights should generally be mounted between 24-36 inches above the plant canopy – however, this depends on the power (wattage) of the light source.
Are LED lights good for seedlings?
LED lights provide more than enough direct lighting to grow young vegetable and flower seedlings strong and true. They also happen to be inexpensive to operate, without the humming noise many grow lights can have.
How do you make tomato seedlings stronger?
Brushing plants helps them grow stronger, stockier (though shorter), and more able to withstand transplanting into the garden. You can help strengthen a growing tomato plant by making it move! There are two ways you can give your tomatoes a workout: brush them and blow air on them.
How often should I water tomato seedlings?
In general, thoroughly water newly planted seeds or seedlings to remove any air gaps in the soil. You may have to water daily while the plants are young and depending on the temperature you may have to water twice. As a rule of thumb tomato plants require 1 – 1.5 inches of water a week (explained further down).
How do you harden tomato seedlings?
We recommend hardening off seedlings over the course of at least several days to one week. Day One: Choose a warm, sunny day, but place the pots, flats, or trays out in full shade, bringing them back inside at night.
How much light do tomatoes need indoors?
Find the Perfect Place: Tomatoes won’t effectively grow indoors unless the conditions are like those of an outdoor garden. The plants need a good eight hours of sunlight per day and a surrounding temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Should I turn off the grow light at night?
A: In general, you should not leave grow lights on 24/7. Plants need a light-dark cycle to develop properly. It’s believed that they truly do “rest” during periods of darkness, and probably use this time to move nutrients into their extremities while taking a break from growing.
Do my porch light bother my tomato plants at night?
Porch lights can alter a plant’s normal growth pattern by exposing the plant to more light than it should be receiving. Porch and outdoor lights will affect plants by exposing them to an unnatural quantity of light. Increased lighting periods cause plants to produce growth hormones as a natural response.
