Do hardware store LED panels work as grow lights? Gardening in Portugal 

As a professional grower, I say don’t worry so much about the specifics. You are doing just fine. Yes they needed more light, now they have it they should do fine. Just remember, the number one killer of seedlings is overwatering. You’re doing great.

my experience of grow lights and seedlings is don't leave the lights on 24/7. Mimic day light, a 12 hour day is fine, 18 hours if you are really pushing, but give the seedling some light free time as nature would.

In Brazil, if we just spit a tomato seed into the ground, at any time of the year and… look, a tomato plant. It’s a blessed ground, naturally speaking.

I've germinated 12-year-old seeds that I saved myself and did not keep in any kind of deliberate condition. Expiry dates on packs are just a way to get you to buy more seeds.

Love seed starting! I check mine twice a day; can't help it! Once the seeds have germinated you should remove the heat mat. The little seedlings will stretch to get away from too much heat like they stretch when not enough light. The room itself may need to be heated. I leave my lights on for only 12 to 14 hours as they really do need a rest period. During the day they soak up the warmth, light and nutrition and at night they process all of it and send the energy to the growing areas. Did you ever check your plants in the morning and notice how much bigger they were than yesterday? This is why! Happy gardening!

Replace the tiles on the roof with plexiglass partially. Much easier

I have seeds from my grandmother from iver 40 years ago and they still germinate beautifully. Plus my grandfather's wheat seed from 70 years ago...same And scientists just germinated a seed from over 32,000 years.

So much fun to watch you both on my Saturday morning. I always look forward to your videos.

Great video! Use a fan as well. Makes them stronger. Love your videos!

In my experience, led shop lights are great. With high lumen (2000+) and cooler color temps (5000+Kelvin) seedlings are doing awesome. But lumen seems more important than color.

If you want to build a germination shead that would be ideal. It's simply a shed with glass roofing that's placed where you get the most sunlight.

I saw an article that compared red and blue light used in commercial hothouses/glasshouses. Someone had done their own version using nothing but fairy lights (Xmas lights) and found the red lights had a much better result!

You can use reflection too; white board or card reflecting the natural light to your seedlings. Have a great season xxx

You should have waited till the tomatoeseedlings had got one more set of leaves and then plant them deep if they are leggy. Ordinary LED workes just fine just buy the one with most lumen. Make sure not to kill your plants with to much water. Until they sprout dont water on the trays just lightly water the suface with a sprinkle of water. Good luck!

You guy's are always a treat to watch....whenever I watch your videos I feel the need to move to a village and start from scratch!!! Keep up the excellent work. Greetings from the Algarve...

Once the seeds start growing, the heat can go down, but for tomatoes, peppers temperatures must stay above 10°C/50°F. Yes, simple "blue white" lights will do the job. It's the "lumens" that are important, 3,500 minimum. The daylight coming in through the window will add the lumens to a certain extent, but won't harm.

As plants in nature experience alternating light and dark… is it not better to use the timer to let them sleep at least for a few hours at night??

I have found inexpensive LED Shop Lights work just fine for seed starting. 2 of them cover seed trays just fine. You can also convert old fluorescent shop light fixtures to LED tubes very easily. - Eric.

You also need an oscillating fan. Makes the seedlings stronger.

Can't wait to see the seedlings in the garden and growing.

I use what we call “shop lights” in the USA to grow lettuce, herbs, and houseplants in winter and seedlings in the spring. It runs on a timer 12 hrs on and 12 hours off. Been working great for years . I run a house fan on the plants on warm days. They love it. Happy growing season to everyone.

The heat mat can also cause legginess. Consider turning them off for the daytime if the temperatures are ok during the day and help the seedlings adjust to their environment

Hi, Kylie and Guy. Well done on the LED lights👏👏👏👏👏

Super great idea. Here's hoping they continue to grow for planting. Love your video's.

You can recycle or buy some inexpensive full length mirrors to reflect the light around the room and that will also help. Enjoy!

Hooray, for trusty radish and tomatoes. Coupled with spinach, they are always my confidence boosters. Especially, so early in the season. 🤗 I love experimentation and looking forward to the LED Light results 🤞🏼 All the best!

Hey y'all, I bought a four pack of 4 foot long LED shop lights for about $40 USD. I use the chains they came with. I can lower the lights right down to the seedling trays and every week raise the chain up one or two links. As they grow in height. Each light will cover (2) 1020 trays. So that is eight 1020 trays at a time. I also have 8 heat mats one for each tray. These have all been working for several years and have performed well up to my expectations. So all in about $150 USD. I see some folks with lights in their descriptions of up to $200 each!!! I say spend the least you need to to get all of your expectations met. Peace and blessings Happy gardening!!

use foil reflectors to the back and sides the wood is absorbing light that could be reflected with a bit of foil..

Maybe other commented before but important factors need to be considered: 1. Plant normally do need a day and night ritme…first days should be fine but not more for week. Won’t bore you plant biology. 2. Very important that you expose the seedlings to sunlight during the day. The amount of chlorophyll in leaves will depend on light intensity and UV, not part of LED spectrum. You are risking burning your seedlings leaves when you plant them and they won’t recover often.

I enjoyed this weeks video. I really enjoy the gardening, it give us a break from the plastering . Back to the build, next week

Hi Guys! To preserve your seeds you need to put the packs in ziplock bags and keep them in the freezer. Good luck with your grow!😀👍

So much advice! It can be overwhelming, can’t it?! Seeds need light with warmth, proper grow lights and later, sunlight, when more established. (LED lights provide nearly no warmth.) They also need controlled humidity, which I don’t see addressed in your outdoor growing area. I wonder if placing your seed trays and small seedlings would do better upstairs in your home, in a temporary gerry rigged smallish plastic greenhouse kind of enclosure. Nothing fancy. Easy for you to manage and control, watering only when “necessary.”

Seeds don't expire generally. I just sprouted tomato seeds from 2013, and made a short about it. In Israel, they are growing date palm trees from 2000 year old seed. I use 2 3000 lumen led shop lights from Walmart to light my sprouts. They cost about $20 USD a 2 pack. You really only need colored lights if you want your plants to bloom before you put them outside.

OMG, suddenly you are 98,000 subs. I only looked away for a bit and there you are, like magic. I've been looking into grow lights for years and like you, so much conflicting information. I'm putting it off for another season, and another and another. I have so many volunteer plants popping up, even the tomatoes. And it's cold here, not like Portugal. 3°C in Portugal ⁉️ I think we might even be warmer, a couple of thousand km north of you.

Happy germination!!! 🥰🎶❤️🌺🌻🌸🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

Why not leave them outside in the sunshine during the day?

To mimic day and night time - go for 16hrs on and 8hrs off - the seedlings need their beauty sleep like the rest of us 🙂

Once the seeds have sprouted there is no need for a heat mat, tomatoes do need 14 minimum in the air but do not benefit if the temperature is to high they will need more light the warmer it gets so your plants will be better if you can reduce the temperature in the day and secure the nights not to be to cold. Sorry for the spelling.

Bye lovely people that was cute Kaylee. Most interested in this experiment you both are doing. Looking forward to see how they work out

Everything is looking promising! Hugs from 🇨🇦

Great idea for creating more natural light conditions, point to note...LEDs do not generate heat :)

A very interesting and informative vlog nice one guys

Some good advice in the comments: mimic spring daylength and no bottom heat once germinated. Looks great.

Another excellent video guys. Spring is arriving here in England as well. Take care

Another great and informative video! The LED panels are so clean-lined. Have never seen them. Sooo much better than the old bullky ones. Thank you.

I run my lights half the day (12 hours). Works well.

I use grow led's and use seeds I have saved and it works. You have a nice set up!

Plants, except some that come from the Arctics, need a dark night as well at least for some hours.

The lights are purple, because they lack the green component. I suppose it saves some amount of energy that would not be used by the plants and that there is more headroom for heat dissapation.

you indeed need the "blue" light for growth, the "red" for blooming but your garden and sun will take care of that part

I bought some light from china £10 each with 3/4 arms on each stand, my pepper were sown in January, the germinated straight away but only grew 3” in 8 weeks. I then bought T8 lights from Amazon what a difference, all my seedlings just took off the same plants have been potted up twice in 3 weeks, they are massive now.

Could you do an experiment where you plant 2 sets of identical seeds in identical conditions, but one with grow lights and one without?

Read article in Fine Gardening, magazine a reader sent a letter to magazine about how she germinate old seeds by soaking in tea. I believe she said soak no longer than 8 hrs. Always germinate.

Very interested in this test. I’m hoping to start my garden next year (house building this year) and grow lights are likely to be needed here in Ireland to germinate the more sun loving plants (tomatoes and basil etc). Can’t wait to hear your results particularly as I will have a very limited budget.

Good day to you both. Don't you just love starting seeds. I always turn my lights on when l start seeds when l plant. I want them to have light,a fan blowing so they don't get leggy.ln My experience seeds pop there heads up at different times. Live the lights. I tried the watering system and love mine. My trays have a wicking mat in them. Love to Grow

Get yourself a cheap green house or try building a greenhouse out of old window frames that will solve the light problem. Or move seedlings into a cloche. Home made of course. Leggy means not enough light but still grows.

For those who are interested, I recommend "Next Level Gardening" (his other channel is Next level homestead, so don't get confused, lol). Brian has a video called "A Grow Light for Every Budget" that is super helpful. I like the options of the different light settings of you new lights💕💕

As i can see the soil is too wet for seedlings, you are lucky for the seeds that came up... Good work overrall i like your video's

I agree don’t chuck them away give them a go if they don’t grow replant something else in the pots. I have also found old seeds sometimes look old but do grow healthily 😁

May I suggest a pulley on the ceiling and a cleat on the wall to raise and lower the lights?

I’ve grown tomatoes and other plants over three years I put my seedlings in biodegradable bags if they too long make a hole with your finger and bend them in the hole without breaking them and they still grow well,I sell mine at boot sales.😊

Don’t forget a remedy to leggy mistakes is to replant deeper or mound compost to bury part of stem

I use small chains and s hooks. Can easily move the light up and down as needed. Led lights work well for me.

Maybe hang lights with a chain, easier to move up. Just a suggestion

Thank you for sharing this info. 👍🥰👍

Nice seed starting room! It looks like the tray on the right on the end needs more light. Are you hanging more lights on the non window side?

Good idea with the tomatoes! Tomato stalks root. So yoy will have strong plants with good root systems.

I seeded mine this week. They were sprouting within 3 days, some today are finally coming out. They sit on my kitchen table in front of a big patio door.

Hmmm…that cord might be a bit short when you want to change the height, but good job on the germination!

This season I'm trying the USB LED ribbon lights which are very inexpensive, a week in and I think perhaps they are.

I grow a bunch of plants inside under two single LED lightbulbs.

Seeing your solar inverter in the shed made me think about your future plans once the house roof is done. Will you continue to use a ground based system or will you transfer to the roof. From the direction of your panels, I'm guessing that the south aspect is in the direction of your upstairs front door? I'm fortunate to have a very large south facing garage so I installed 12x panels in October and have already generated 1.3MW - the best is yet to come. A solar vlog would be great if you are considering this? Really enjoying your weekly uploads as I've been following since the start. Just 1 complaint - we haven't had any wood jokes for quite a while!

❤❤❤❤❤❤

My Rocket has been sown straight into the ground with plastic over - they germinated in 2 days ! I don't see the point in sowing them into modules indoors. Or, perhaps you will be picking yours before mine !

I have seven fish tanks and for most of them I use LED spot lights and the plants grow just fine. I don't think you need to bother with "proper" grow lights.

You should give the plants a night period, even as seedlings, if you go by the speed breeding protocol, which maximises efficiency and health, growing period should be 20 hours, max 22, at 24C then lights off and rapidly drop temp to 16. Rough average, there will be variations between plants species, but you're not growing them to maturity in these conditions, so that would be fine. Unless you're trying restrict growth, then use lower temp. I'm not suggesting you maintain these temps as ambient in the shed, but perhaps turn the lamps and mats off together for 2-4 hours of dark, you could do this just as it gets dark if you're worried about colder temps later at night. Seeds stored well (like in a fridge) will still germinate after 10 years or more, at a lower rate. Seed storage facilities tend to regenerate most seeds every 10 years. Obviously there will be exceptions, but that's an average.

Difference between Thai Basil and Basil Fawlty - sorry, i mean ordinary basil? Would locating the light panels in the ceiling make a difference? Meaning it would be less intrusive working in the shed (all the panels strung up) and i dont think the distance will matter (not knowing, my Swedish brain doing what it does). BTW - "strip light" is something else compared with light strips or?😊

Yeah they all call “them” tomatoes😂😂😂❤ As for seed aging. If seed at the bottom of a 3000 yr old granary can grow, i think we have a chance with our own old seeds. Ive had more luvk with the old ones

I think the lights need to be between 4 and 6ooo lumens 😊

Dill and radishes should be sown directly where you want them - they don't like being transplanted.

Ikea has lots of stuff for growing with led -

Tip: sprinkle vermiculite lightly over the top of the seed cells to prevent damping off. It works super well! I’ve had much success over the years with this method. It’s just a thin layer you’re shooting for.

Seeds need water to open and feed and need sun as incentive to grow. Just put the seeds out of shed, so they can enjoy these sunny days and they will grow up faster

Watch Acre Homestead. She is also getting her garden started now. She may help you.

Hi, one of your video showed that you have relocated few olive plants. Just wondering did they survive? It’s been one year from that video. Would love to know how they are doing now? Thanks

Not an expert, but I think the soil looks a bit too wet. They should not stand in water 24/7. Wishing you best of luck and much enjoyment!

For a decade I successfully grew high yeilding crops from seed to harvest in a controlled indoor enviroment. The lights you have chosen for germination to seedling stage should serve you really well and give you an excellent head start before planting out. As far as heat is concerned if you place the back of your hand under the light and move towards it if it's uncomfortable for the skin ditto for the plants. Probably not an issue with those lights. If the seedlings are streching you can move the lights closer. Online stores have some very handy affordable adjustable light hangers. Blue spectrum is ideal for vegetive stage while reddish is favoured for fruiting however those lights are not powerful enough for a complete grow.... Love your content and success's Go well Greg from aus

Just rotate your trays to make sure everybody gets some.

where did you buy the led light please? can you post a link? cheers

Is it too cold to sow the radish in situ?

Instead of using light, why don’t you build a greenhouse, which will be warm enough for the seeds, and they will receive natural sunlight?

I wonder if those coloured gel sheets they used to use on lighting for bands might give you the extra colour range you want to try?

You lights will work good enough. Grow lights work better.

direct so radishes...much easier.

Now that you don't use that as a kitchen, why not make it into a proper greenhouse? Just a thought.

Amazingly enough, Greenhouses do the same thing.. 😅

get yourself some ratchet straps and start low and move as the plant grow.

For once I don't understand you... Why on earth a heatmat, artificial light, a timer? You know that you are in PORTUGAL and not anymore in London? 😉 In MY OPINION all this is so totally unnecessary...! I'm near to Paris, so lesser light, lower temperatures, way more grey weather with way more rain (I think) than you have. But even with these less easier conditions I do only cold sowing for several years now: lots of small pots with good sowing soil, seeds on top, reasonable watering, a transparent waterbottle (the bottom cut off, and 4 or 5 smal holes meltet near to the top) covering the totally of the pots and firmly plantet in the soil, and out they go! The bottle creates a microclimat, the seeds are just selfwatered by condensation wich is returning down to the soil. And no, I never had mold! They are out on my terrace confronted to the lower temperatures in the night, but protected by the plasticbottle, like a little greenhouse. They germinate perfectly fine when nature give conditions good enough to start growing: the perfect combination between light, temperature and water. I sow my tomatoes in the middle of march, way later than all my friends with their artificial lights and inside growing. But when the germination of my tomato seeds begins, the come VERY fast. When they have 4 to 6 leafs I take the bottle cap of and let them grow. In this period water control is necessary (cap is gone, less microclimate). When the plant is taller and the bottle becomes an obstacle I take the bottle of. In general in may there is no more danger of freezing in the night, my tomato plants are short but with powerful stems, ready to grow in the garden without fearing wind and rain. And then they grow fast! So many times I saw friends growing tomatoes too early in artificial conditions, and their plants were fragile and with weak stems, plowing and braking once they are outside in natural conditions. I do the same method with salads, cabbages, beetroots, pumpkins.... This year I added a very small greenhouse to my permaculture garden, I want to compare this year the difference between the waterbottle system and a greenhouse (in wich I think the water-regulation will be more time-consuming, because I do NOTHING with the bottle system 😅). But I would not do grow with artificial light and heatmat . (No offence !) Exept perhaps if I would live in Sweden or in Wyoming with a short growing season. 😊 But in Portugal... really... Happy gardening! Love following your journey !

If that doesnt work which i dont think will. Put trays outside just dont let dry out. You guys always over think the simplest things sorry