Growing under Growlights for a winter garden

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I've been thinking of putting in a growlight garden in my basement for salads, etc., this winter. Any suggestions on what might grow best? I've never grown anything to maturity under growlights -- just to transplant stage...any suggestions would be much appreciated!

-- Tracy Rimmer (trimmer31@hotmail.com), October 01, 2001

Answers

I'm facing some of that myself. I'm in the process of putting up cold frames in the garden for winter greens crops and am going to try some things like radishes and ball-type carrots in addition to salad greens.

I've been following a discussion on growing tomatoes indoors under grow lights. The concensus (and my own experience) is that it is possible with a 16 hour 'day', if you grow the likes of Tiny Tim or Red Robin, some of the compact dwarf plants, as opposed to indeterminate slicing-sized tomatoes. I have also brought in a potted chili pepper that grew outside this summer but didn't do much - - now that it is indoors in the warmth of the sunroom, it's blossoming freely, and other gardeners have encouraged me that it should do well in a sunny location.

Putting up light reflectors (cardboard with aluminum foil pasted onto it) alongside your growing areas to reflect light back onto the plants helps.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), October 01, 2001.


I am curious to know if the cost of electricity (not to mention start- up costs) are worth it in the long run. Note: sprouts will grow on the kitchen counter and make for fine salad greens.

-- Nancy (NAWoodward@lakewebs.net), October 01, 2001.

Nancy, probably not as far as electrical cost if you have a really cheap source of produce, which most of us don't. I look at mine as my only source of recreation beyond my computer in the winter and also find it works better than prozac or anything else to combat the depression I experience when the sun doesn't shine. I have grown all different types of greens, cukes, tomatoes and peppers as well as flowers under mine. I use a water color brush to pollinate. Tomatoes get a bit leggy. This year I am trying cherry tomatoes which will be a first for me. Keep the lights just enough away not to touch things and you get best results. have fun

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), October 01, 2001.

Thanks all. I intend to grow a few things, just to see. The produce in the grocery store all winter is horrible, not to mention expensive. While I do do sprouts I thought it might prove interesting to see what else might do well.

-- Tracy Rimmer (trimmer31@hotmail.com), October 01, 2001.

I used to do sprouts until but stopped because of the mold I was also getting and the links between sprouts and lupus that I was reading. Does anyone know about that?

On topic: I believe your idea is worth it--the price of salad stuff is higher in the winter in the grocery store anyway and you can't match fresh picked taste anyway. Let us know the results...

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 01, 2001.



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