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Old 10-02-2003, 10:55 PM
Sunflower
 
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Default Mail order plants Any problems?


"Dwayne" wrote in message
...
Sunflower makes a good point. In my case however, I don't have a good
source of indoor light, and don't have the room to build a good lighting
system for small seedlings. Mine all get tall reaching for more light, it
is too cold to take them outside during most days, and I planted most of
them too soon and the roots got all balled up in the pots.


If you have room for one of those ubiquitous plastic shelving units that are
sold at Home Depot's everywhere, you have room for a seed starting operation
with supplied light. All you need is the shelving unit (the 18" wide X 36"
long one lets you get 3 flats of 72 on one shelf) and 2 plain cheap
florescent shop lights that hang from the chains. (If you want to start more
than 216 plants, all it requires is 2 more $9 florescents for one of the
other shelves.) Florescents are cool lights and you can place them
practically on top of the seedlings to keep them from getting leggy, and
move the lights up as the seedlings grow. If you grow them on the cool side
(below 60°), with a fan to keep the stems moving around a bit in the breeze,
you'll end up with stocky, well proportioned plants. If you time things
right, (usually start them 6-8 weeks before the last frost date) you should
be able to harden off the seedlings for a week to 10 days and have them go
right into the garden after the last frost date. For seeds that may need
additional heat to germinate, you can place them on top of the hot water
heater or use one of those "heat boxes" powered by a incandescent light bulb
and then transfer them under the florescents to grow on. (Or, you can buy a
real heat mat designed for seed starting. It'll pay for itself.)

I started over 864 perennials this way for MG project one year, (as well as
my own veggie garden seedlings) and as long as I bottom watered and kept a
fan on, I had no problems keeping them compact and healthy. You can do a
LOT in a 18" X 36" space!

Sunflower
MS 7b