greenhouse effect.

[wazzappenning]

im just curious if anyone has experimented with this idea.

as im sure weve all done before, if you leave a 5 gallon bucket or kiddie pool upsidedown on the lawn for a few days the grass under it seems to thrive. it loses a little green, but sprouts up like crazy.

i was just wondering if it would give the plants a nice grow boost, or if it affects it in any negative ways as well.

 

[Michibacy]

I am by no means an expert, but without fresh air, and depending on the ambient temperature, in my experience the plants just cook up. I try and harden plants off in a little bit more sun (in a greenhouse) but I let them get fresh air as well

 

[Chicken]

i got my young plants,, in a '' half a greenhouse,,,,,it's open on half of it, and half is closed in with plastic,,,,

my plants dont really wilt, as im sure they would if it was fully enclosed,,,

it makes a good STAGING AREA TO harden them off,,,,,and grow a bit, before dropping them in the ground,,,

{ i like to start all i grow in cups,, and let them get a little big }

i have enough plants in my G-HOUSE to start a whole new baccy patch...

 

[wazzappenning]

someone will have to educate me on hardening off. its almost time.

 

[LeftyRighty]

hardening off:

anytime the temperature is in the upper 40's or higher, they can start to go outside.
start with just an hour or two max, morning or late afternoon sun, for 2 or 3 days.
lengthen stay outside to 3 or 4 hours for another 3 or 4 days, but not only mid-day sun yet.
Now, it's OK to stay outside for most of the day, but bring inside if overnight temps are below 50's.
it only takes 7 to 10 days to harden off - when temps are 40+, then they can now stay outside 24/7.

best if plant leaves are getting to 'quarter'-size (1-inch or 2 1/2 cm) or larger, but mostly they will do OK if they have just started putting on their first true leaves.

 

[Chicken]

and the more wind they get on them,,,,,to make the plant '' wiggle '' in the breeze,,, will make the plant grow a thicker stem,,,''hardened off''
thats why only half my greenhouse is covered, to give enough air-flow, to get in there, to make the plants WIGGLE,

 

[Chicken]

heres a pic. of my greenhouse

notice only half of it is closed.

>

By chickenhawk434 at 2012-05-19

 

[Michibacy]

I like your set up Chicken, might have to copy that. Once I get a more stable job and buy a house I plan on making a small tobacco shed and a greenhouse (the somewhat Fiance loves gardening too so it might be a good thing to have )

 

[Chicken]

^^^^

it works amazing actually, it keeps the hot sun off them, yet gives them light,i got it at slightlly a angle, so any run-off water, just runs off the board, and onto the ground, instead of standing,,,

and rotting my board,

 

[wazzappenning]

ok thank you very much for the "hardening off" glad i caught it, i was just going to bring them straight outside and put them in the ground when my planting area was ready.

 

[Randy]

Hey guys dont know if this has been asked before..but is BEST lights to maybe grow tobacco..I mean which light colors like red? blue? Im gowing few plants in pots this winter already transplnted into 5-gal pots most days they get to go outside because my weather conditions here alow it above 50F most days in daytime but theres days an nites have to bring inside I have good set-up inside for them nice heat and light system "robbed my younfgest son"s setup for other stuff HaHA" but was just wondering does different light colors "soruce" really make a diffencere?? thks

Randy

 

[andrewislord]

I don't know what tobacco would specifically want, but I would go with blue or Metal Halide. I would think that would keep them a little shorter.

 

[Steve2md]

If you can use a mix of metal halide and High pressure sodium, you'd be in great shape. In most plants, use mh for vegetative state, HPS for flower. Tobacco, you're not looking for the flowers, it's the veg that is important. Both types of light together will provide full spectrum lighting. If heat is an issue, go to High output flourescent. Soft white and daylight combination

 

[Randy]

wowc thanks Steve heat just not be issuie here just correxct amount of required "light" coming up during winter "month" we have here haha hopfully same as last winter when I was fishing on lake on chritsmas day wow was it mild winter last year I told wife could have grown perenal plants like peppers and tomatoes all year..but know Ive said that watch us have damn cold winter.. rite when you think you have nature figured-out she fools you ever time..again great adive on lighing stuff makes me think you something abt growing stuff ubder lights LOL

Randy

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Hey guys dont know if this has been asked before..but is BEST lights to maybe grow tobacco..
Randy

Depends. There are pros and cons for each system. Halogens/metal halides are going to put you in the poor house when you have to pay your electric bill and as Steve2md said, they will pump out the heat! Other than the expense, they are pretty good. On the other hand, Compact Florescent bulbs work well and are cheap to run. If you use the compact Florescent bulbs make sure you get the 6400k bulbs for vegetative growth. If you use ones that are in the 2700k range you will get premature flowering. They are cheap to run and produce no noticeable heat.

 

[Matty]

If you are into HIDs (high intensity discharge lights like MH or HPS) you might like the multi vapor bulbs. MV bulbs are like MH but with a red spectrum as well. Nowadays the indoor growers are more and more using LED lighting systems, full spectrum light, low power consumption and low heat output. However, LEDs are expensive.

 

[andrewislord]

LED's also have terrible light penetration. Not too good for something tall, like tobacco.
As far as the electricity goes, you'll get more lumens out of MH than equal wattage of cfls, so it's actually cheaper to run the MH. I have a 300 watt CFL hood I built, it works pretty good, but once the plants get any big, they need to go under 200 watts or so of MH. Also, the penetration from MH and HPS is way better than cfls.

MH and HPS do get hot. But it's manageable. You can look into an air cooled hood and a fan, that will completely alleviate any heat problems, assuming we're not talking too big.