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Reflecting light for seedlings with aluminum foil

1/23/2013

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Picture
You may be wondering why I have included a picture of aluminum foil today. Although it is wonderful for cooking - and making funny hats to keep the aliens away - it's also great when it comes to starting seeds.


I'd like to share two simple techniques today. You can choose the one that works best for you.


   Method One - Reflecting Sunlight  for Seedlings with Aluminum Foil 


  • Line the inside of a box with aluminum foil with the shiny side facing out. Use tape or glue to secure the foil to the box. 
  • Fill the bottom of the box with soil and plant your seedlings in the box, or leave the bottom empty and set your plant pots in the box.
  • Cover the top of the box with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until the seeds germinate.
  • Once the seeds germinate, move them to bright, indirect light. 
  • Because the light is reflected from all sides, seedlings grow straight and don't bend towards the sun, eliminating the need to turn your seedlings every day.
  •  If you choose this method, make sure the sides of the box are several inches above the top of the seedlings and avoid setting them in direct sunlight, as this may cause the box to overheat  injure your seedlings.

         Method Two - Aluminum Foil Light Box with Plant Light
  • Create a simple light box by lining the inside of a box with aluminum foil. Secure the foil with tape or glue.
  • Set the box so that the open end faces out and the side of the box forms the top.
  •  Cut three vent holes on the sides and back of the box, about two inches from the top. Holes should be approximately 1 1/2 inches by 5 inches. This allows excess heat to escape and provides air circulation to your seedlings.
  • Cut a hole in the 'top' center of the box large enough to insert a light socket. Slip the socket through the hole and reinforce the cardboard around the hole with a section of a paper plate or duct tape.
  •  Screw the plant light into the socket from inside the box.
  •  Place your seedlings in the 'bottom' of the box. 
  • Hang a sheet of aluminum foil over the 'front' of the box.
  • Turn the light on for 12 to 16 hours a day.





                                                          Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!

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Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



Photo used under Creative Commons from MyArtfulLife
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables