Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Seed Starting Setup

 
Sorry the photos are not great, it is hard to take backlit images with the camera I have.  A number of years ago, I ordered chrome steel shelving for my houseplants and use it to start seeds. I simply hung light fixtures that fit the skinny (T-5) light bulbs on chains, lowered to near the tops of the domes. T-5 bulbs produce more light than standard florescent tubes, but less than the new LED lights (I don't want to buy or retrofit my existing fixtures and the T-5's work well). I set the seed flats on heat mats, which are set on thick cardboard to insulate (the metal shelving would bleed away too much heat from the heat mats). I cover the flats with a dome, and put them in the sunniest part of the room. The lights are on a 16-hour ON cycle with a timer. Right now, I am starting ginger and turmeric plants for the summer garden.

What could I be doing better? Well, LED lights are stronger, so I could be using those. I intend to hang another light fixture above these flats to help.  I also could hang clear plastic sheeting around this shelf to keep in heat and will do that soon.

Happy gardening!

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