If they are stretching, they are telling you something.
I have two, 4 footers here, but add to them with a couple of CFLs. Found a pair of clamp on sockets/adjustable reading fixtures. I Placed the CFLs right in between the tomato plants. Those tubes would have to be right close to them, especially tomatoes.

IME, newly sprouted tomato seeds get leggy regardless how much light you hit them with. By the time they get their first set of true leaves, that stretching period normally abates if they are getting a decent amount of light. To combat this, I group sow the seeds then transplant almost to the bottom leaves.

Mike

Thanks to both of you for all the advise!
Would you or someone else tell me what a Cfl is? I know its silly but I don't know what that is.
Another question I had is what would be better two 4' shoplights with a total of 4 tubes or one shoplight with 2 tubes. I have two GE Cool White T-8's and they say they are 32 watt. Should I mix a warm tube with a cool one?
Thank you so much for all the help. I may even try the group sow because that sounds pretty smart as well!
Thanks again

CFL is compact Fluorescent light...the new energy saving things, which are Fluorescent. Thats the new sprial things. Most stores have up to 26 watt which equals 100 watt old. Bright, bright white, 5500k, 6400k, are the most blue ones. They make much bigger ones if you can find them . Like 105watt equals a 400 watt incandescent one.

Thanks for explaining what a CFL is!
Do you put just one CFL inbetween your fluorescents with your plants? And are you talking about using a desk lamp or office lamp with a clamp, thanks Mike for your help, and colokid.

H-girl,
Do you put just one CFL in between your fluorescents with your plants? And are you talking about using a desk lamp or office lamp with a clamp,
Yea, this is just kind of a common sense thing. My T12s are up about 2 foot to be above the tomato plants so I shoved a CFL in about 8 inches high to light the lettuce and radish growing in the bottom. The other container has one plant 2 foot high, so the light is above that. But the second plant was only 8 inches high so I shoved a CFL in right above it.
Seems a lot of people just buy one of those big, hot 400 watt out fits so that enough light shines down from above. Would be easier if all plants were same height. Florescents need to be real close all most touching. Things don't have to be as exact as some think, the idea is to have fun.
Kenny

With tomatoes though if they are leggy, grow them that way until the stems start turning purplish and growing fuzz. When they are like this, you can transplant them into a deeper pot and cover that fuzzy, purplish stem all the way up to the leaves. I've done that fir several years and it hasn't failed me yet. That only works with tomatoes though.