grow light requirements?

There's a difference between "survive and look pathetic by springtime", and "thrive". If you want these plants to thrive (especially the tomatoes), you'll need 1000-2000 watts worth of bulbs. Even then, you won't duplicate sunlight.

Cheap is not a word that fits into this plan.

Without going into a long song and dance about the frame I built with pvc pipe and two banks of double lights, I had to go on the cheap.

I bought those cheap shop lights at Menard's, then my True Value had a better price on another pair. Bulbs cost about $6.98 each, have Sylvania warm and cool 48" and GE Lux something warm and cool. A rose propagator recommends GE Sunshine, says it is much brighter, but I don't know where to buy them or how much they cost.

I have the whole system hooked up to a cheap timer from Menard's, bought a surge protector, and extension cord, all set with some cheap plastic shelving system (one level) I set my plants on that my son parked in my garage and then didn't want.

Probably all your plants should be the same distance under the lights. Yes, I see you will have to compensate somehow because some of those plants are too large. I would trim some of them down if it won't damage them.

I don't think that one light you have there is enough, and maybe you can rig up a reflector (people are using mylar, haven't looked into the how's of that yet).

I experimented last spring with my seedlings and used compact flourescents. The data that I could find, which was pretty skimpy, indicated a fairly broad spectrum so I tried it.

It worked very well. I think one of the advantages is that CF in a painter's lamp can be placed very, very close to the plants. I will use them again next spring.

John

Thanks all,

I'm trying a bunch of cheap solutions including 75 watt grow lights and 60 watt daylight CFL lights in reflectors in addition to my original lamp. I also trimmed down the larger plants. I'll see what happens. Not the end of the world if I lose the plants.