/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>3913029
HID's work wonders. I sometimes use a 400w HPS for my tomato seedlings, when the weather in spring warms up slower than I anticipated and I have to keep them inside to a point where fluorescent lighting doesn't suffice anymore.

>>3913104
The gas you are referring to is ethylene gas, which tomatoes also produce themselves, just like bananas and some other fruits. It is industrially used on a large scale to artificially ripen a wide variety of produce, including tomatoes. It's what gives store bought tomatoes their bland taste in combination with hydroponics; and thus is one of the biggest reasons why people grow their own. It's an effective trick, but also a last resort for me. I prefer ripening on the vine, even if there's a risk of losing the last part of my crop to bad weather.