In winter, seedlings cannot grow and develop except under a phytolamp. Even if there are exceptionally clear days, daylight hours are still short.
Considering that nightshades are all southerners, they should have enough light for 12-15 hours. We will tell you how to illuminate seedlings.
Having sown seeds for seedlings in January-February, without a phytolamp, nothing worthwhile will be able to grow. The shoots will stretch out, become crooked, and in the end they may even dry out. And to compensate for the life-giving light, the phytolamp is placed above the seedlings 20 cm from the upper leaves.
How much light is needed
The calculation is based on the planting area. If it is 1 sq. m, then you will need to install 2 lamps of 36 W each.
How to add additional lighting
You can often hear that at this time the seedlings need 12-15 hours of additional lighting. But you need to take into account the location of the windows relative to the cardinal points and the weather conditions. On a fine day on the south side, the seedlings have enough daylight. Therefore, the backlight will have to be turned on only in the morning and evening.
If the windows face the wrong way – west or north – the lamp will have to work 14-16 hours a day.
Shoots
After the shoots appear, they are illuminated around the clock. After they get stronger and leaves appear, from that moment on for the next two weeks the lamps are left on for 10-18 hours, depending on the type of seedlings.
Tomatoes need the most light – 15-17 hours a day. Before transplanting into a greenhouse, 10-12 hours will be enough.
Eggplants and peppers need 14-16 hours. After 4 leaves appear on the shoots, the illumination is reduced to 10-12 hours.
In addition to light, do not forget to monitor the temperature and humidity.
