Chillies 2023

Optimum 14 hours light.
Keeping chilli seedlings under a grow light

 

But surely you keep it at a certain day length based on the time you think you will be able to take the plants out from the lights, so if you are giving them 14 hrs of daylight now you dont take them out from under the lights until the natural daylength becomes 14 hours.

Surely that way you get minimum shock.

I thought the idea was to give the plants longer than natural daylength to trick them into thinking its later in the season.

 

@pete has said exactly what I do. I figure out the number of hours daylight right after our last frost and when I plant out. I keep the lights at that until they go out.

If I put the lights on for longer, then put them out in natural daylight before those two numbers hours matched, the plants would assume fall is on the way and try to bolt.

I hadn't noticed my onions getting browned doing it this way @JWK but it could just be luck.

 

A device to make things simple. Can be set for times of choosing and will allow you to set lux to suit.Also functions on dropping light levels so will switch on/off when the sun passes behind a cloud etc
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CR209-Twil...676815421&sbo=RZvfv//HxDF+O5021pAnSA==&sr=8-6
ORNO - Twilight sensor OR-CR-209

 

We shake the Degus' bedding on the (flower)beds weekly, the bits of straw are much appreciated by the nesting birds and hopefully the droppings will do some good for the plants.

We use cut-and-sown-to shape fabric pads on the floor and shelves of the cage and straw for food and DIY nest making. The pads are easily washed in the washing machine and have elastic band loops to fix them in place until the loops get nibbled off by the Degu who has interest in interior design.

 

I've got 4 Aleppo's up, that will probably do me.

 

These seedlings have been under lights only and on capillary matting, I think they've been too wet from the capillary matting. So with the increasing sun strength I have just started taking them out from the lights and putting them into the sun room with some foil behind them, hopefully they pick up a bit.