Seedlings need a lot less light than more mature plants. The other factor that determines the ideal distance for LED lights is wattage. The stalks could grow so long and weak that they droop. Some HID lights need to be far away from them so that they don’t fry.ĭistance may still matter with LEDs because plants will “reach out” more toward lights that are farther away. One of the great things about LED lights is that they won’t burn your fragile seedlings. How Far Away from Seedlings Should LED Lights Be? There are some that prefer 20 or 24 hours of light daily. Growers typically use an 18/6 (18 hours light) light schedule for seedlings. Few or no nutrients will help them build stronger roots. In fact, too many nutrients could kill them. Seedlings need light a lot more than they need nutrients. If a seedling is ready for transplanting, then it’s ready for lights. When Do I Turn the LED Lights On?Īfter you get the beginnings of a root system, you can turn on the lights. After they begin germinating, they will need light. In the beginning, they will need darkness rather than light. The whole process will take about two or three weeks. You can transplant the seedlings into pots in the meantime if you go easy on the nutrients. The seedlings should be strong enough to withstand wind and big enough so that animals won’t trample them. If you want to transplant to an outdoor grow, it might be a good idea to wait. You’ll see the roots when they start poking out of the cubes.

If you use rockwool cubes and they’re small enough, then measurement is almost as easy. Measurement is easy if you’re germinating in wet paper towel. This gives them the best chances of maturing and producing flowers. You can transplant seedlings when the roots are somewhere between 0.6” and 1”. It could be up to three weeks before they all can be transplanted. Your seeds will start germinating within one to four days. If your grow will be indoors, then you can start germinating any time.

Either that or transplant and cultivate your plants inside until it’s safe to transplant them outside. If outdoors, you will need to time it so that there is no risk of frost in your area. One is whether you will be transplanting the seedlings outdoors or indoors. When to do your planting depends on a few factors. This is just one more thing to consider to boost your survival rate. Many growers will germinate their seeds in paper towel because they can monitor everything.

This is crucial for ensuring that as many plants as possible survive and graduate to the vegetative stage. When it comes time to transplant, you will know exactly how long the root is and in which direction it’s pointing. Then you can see when they start busting out of their seeds. If you want a high germination rate, you want to do your germinating in a controlled environment. We’ll explain why below, but here’s a hint: Growing seedlings is a very delicate process that requires a lot of care.Īfter that, we’ll go into how much light your seedlings need, when to turn on the LED lights, the correct distance your lights should be from the seedlings, and more.Īs mentioned above, the germination and seedling growth stage is extremely delicate. Are you ready to start germinating your seeds for an indoor or outdoor grow? Either way, the best place to grow seedlings is indoors.

Leggy seedlings under grow lights