On Sat, 21 Mar 2009 11:31:12 -0700 (PDT), BuckK
wrote:

Greetings,
I started a small vegatable garden two years ago. I had been buying
plants that someone else had started and are ready to be transplanted,
but it's pretty expensive. This year I'd like to start my plants from
seeds. The temperature here in the northeast is still below freezing
at night. The only space I have avaiable is my basement. Is there
any good online info about lighting?

Thanks!


I have no idea about online sources, but do check at your local
library. Plants successfully germinated under fluorescent lighting
include asparagus, brussel sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower,
cucumbers, eggplant, and radishes. Onions and tomatoes grow
exceptionally well. Broccoli, most herbs, root crops, squash, melons,
and peppers are much better with natural sunlight, perhaps on a sunny
window sill. A simple setup should include at least 2 shoplights (2
four-foot florescent tubes each) with chains and timer. Select lamp
fixtures with large reflectors. BTW, African violets and begonias
are outstanding under lamplights.