@Davidlmo what is your setup like in your basement? I'm looking to start an indoor grow room and checking out what others have done pro/cons. Also when do you start your tomatoes for zone 5 indoors? Thanks!!

Also David what kind of oaks?

I have two seven foot 4 foot wide shelves painted semi-glass white. 5 shelves each. At this point, I have 8 fluorescent fixtures - a mix of T12 & T8 (3 are running now - one with seeds and 2 with plants). Will probably add 2 more T-8s. I also have 2 - 400 watt Metal Halide warehouse lights. Under these I have a ton of tender plants.

I personally do not start tomatoes indoors. Our Master Gardener group will be starting them in about 4 or so weeks in a greenhouse for our April plant sale.

@Kabby - Oaks? ??? I don't start those indoors. Outdoors - the ones I start. I get vthe majority from wholesalers as seedlings and grow them out for 1 - 3 years.

If you meant what I sell at the Farmer's Market:

Black
Pin
Shumard
White
Willow

David yes that was it, oaks that you sell at the the Farmer's Market. I'll have to look up the shumard, I've never heard of that kind.

DavidLMO said:Another year or two, I may try to sell some Bonsai locally. But not likely at the Farmer's market. The typical person there is reluctant to pay 8 $ for a 4 Year old 4 foot Black Cherry or Oak. They would likely gag on my Bonsai prices that I would ask.

I hear ya about the prices and Bonsai prices. My farmer's market is somewhat the same.

Update ......

Yippee - germination of Luffa a few days ago.

I almost got a few luffa sponges here , That is a Huge , Really Huge Vine Are you growing the smooth or spiny type ?
I started some Garden Mustard and Oriental poppies out side ..

Jim D

I don't know.

I tried the smooth ,,got a few smallish , but a good size , the spiny I have heard grows better in the northern zones ,, Really I would not know for sure myself ,
A thought

I started some drumstick allium, deep red petunias, Amish paste tomato, and black cumin. I'm so ready to do more.

Speaking of bringing in citrus, people don't realize how beautiful some of these trees are and that they can be grown indoors over the winter months if the space and conditions are right. I don't grow citrus, but had a "donor" Corsican citron sent me. The cutting was no more than 6" tall and the guy had no idea what it was. It took me 2 or perhaps it was 3 years to grow it large enough to finally flower and grow fruit. Only then could it be identified. I kept that tree around 6' tall and it was a gorgeous tree. The neat thing about it was that it was in flower most of the year. To this day I have never seen a Corsican citron tree for sale. My tree was snatched up by a horticultural PhD working for Mississippi State. He wanted the fruit from the tree just to make wine. I don't know whether he will be successful in doing this but I told him if he did get wine from that juice, he had to promise to bring me a bottle. He agreed. We'll see.