Starting your Garden Indoors using Shop Lights

[Captain Belly]

I usually start my garden early in late February (Missouri).... I use T8 shop lights on a rack that I made. I then transplant after the average late frost. this is usually on Mothers Day in my zone.

 

[alp]

This is a very expensive way of gardening. Sounds like flogging products. I can't afford to seed using this method. Very costly.

 

[marlingardener]

We have shelving with lights suspended, and start quite a bit of our vegetable and herb plants indoors. Since all of the equipment is used and reused for years, including the trays and starter cells, it isn't all that expensive. The electricity used to run two florescent light fixtures is minimal. Buying starts would be much more expensive than our little set-up, and I'd miss the fun of watching my "babies" grow!

 

[alp]

@marlingardener Your method can accommodate more seeds and I would certainly use your methods. I have used jiffy and cuttings certainly take faster, but it's not cheap and the netting mesh I have is not good for the plants in the long term - not easily biodegradable. The one shown here is of far better quality, but would certainly cost more.

 

[Becky]

@Captain Belly if you participate in the forum I am happy for you to share your videos, but as things stand it seems that you're just here to promote your channel...

 

[Captain Belly]

@Captain Belly if you participate in the forum I am happy for you to share your videos, but as things stand it seems that you're just here to promote your channel...

Thought I had relevant content. I'm keeping to the subject. I do have a channel with over 200 videos, but I wouldn't dare drop non-relevant content in order to promote. Youtube is the present and future for learning. I don't want to offend anyone with my videos...... i mean..... it's what I do (other than my full time job as an RN). I have other videos that I would like to share in relevant topics now and then. If I shouldn't, then please let me know and I will gladly not share my DIY content.

 

[Becky]

I have other videos that I would like to share in relevant topics now and then. If I shouldn't, then please let me know and I will gladly not share my DIY content.

Members of this community are permitted to share their own content (eg videos or links to their blog) as long as they are here to participate and not just to promote their content. I'm sure that you can appreciate that a new member who posts two new topics and both of them are to share their video comes across as spammy, I meant no offence. I have to be careful otherwise the forum would become a miserable place to be

 

[Captain Belly]

Members of this community are permitted to share their own content (eg videos or links to their blog) as long as they are here to participate and not just to promote their content. I'm sure that you can appreciate that a new member who posts two new topics and both of them are to share their video comes across as spammy, I meant no offence. I have to be careful otherwise the forum would become a miserable place to be

I do sound VERY shady when you put it that way. Ok.... thanks for the response.

 

[SQWIB]

I do the same thing, going on my 4th year, initial startup cost was a bit, but being able to choose what I want to grow and order seeds is priceless, plus I share and save seeds with others.
I would say I would break even on expense in a few more years.
I use a custom built shoplight using fluorescents and leds,10 bulbs in led's and fluorescents.

I even found a spot to grow 64 -72 more plants at no additional cost.
This is an adjustable shelf under one of my 6500k led shop lights.

 

[Captain Belly]

Wow! Nice set up. I see you do the fan (stress) too. One of the main reasons I do this is to make sure I have Tomatillo plants.... those things are almost impossible to find around here.