Wow, Joanna! That is one huge setup. You have the perfect job!!

would i love to see that set up.

Yes, it sure looks like a lot more fun than my job.

We used to have a wonderful greenhouse/nursery right up the street. I thought it would be a great place for me to get a part-time job after I retire from my profession. They moved out a couple of years ago, abandoned us for a more prestigious suburban location. It's about 30 miles away now. I'll have to come up with a Plan B for my retirement job. Or, just really retire.

Karen

if anyone of you has a local job lot store near them you might to check it out. over here they are selling a 4 shelf mini green house with plastic cover for only $20.00.

never heard of job lot... guess not

too bad. that waxs a great price.

we have BIG LOTS but not job lots.

I found a link for step by step instructions for the PVC lighted plant stand that I use. It is great for a damp basement as you do not have to worry about rust or rot like a metal or wooden stand.

http://www.mygardenguide.com/t... A Light Rack

that is a great layout. i think even i could build it.

very nice!!.. thanks for posting that

thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Lady. Printed out those instructions. Looks like we could use the same set up for shoe racks, toy basket storage for the kids toys in the basement and many other things. One of my DH's Christmas presents this year was a hand held multi tool (lots of different blades) and this would be the perfect tool to make the building of the rack (along with the trellises that I'll be needing) easy.

Here is another good link for a PVC stand:

http://www.tsflowers.com/plant...

thanks mom. i want one of those too. great idea even for constructionally challenged people like me.

>> I struggle every year trying to find something to catch excess water... without loosing too much space...

>> My standard 1020 trays keep getting pinholes in them and leaking all over.

I use a plastic tarp under everything, then I can spray, mist, drip, splash and drop dirt and never care - my seed-start-setup is in my bedroom. I keep an old sock handy for spills. And a CLEAN old sock for wiping excess condensation off the inside of tray covers.

I also will line a shallow, sturdy cardboard box with plastic tarp or a plastic garbage bag. They don't leak!

My light setup is El Cheapo Maximo. My brain had "fair prices for shop lights" permanently set in the 1970s, and I haven't seen any 48" 2-tube fixtures for $10-12 lately. But I drool for a 3-4 bulb HO T5 fixture - with a wide enogu r3eflector, is that enoguh light to cover a 21" tray the long way? Someone suggested that I haunt a Habitat For Humanity retail store.

So instead I have 100W compact flourescent "pretzel bulbs" screwed into a three-bulb pole lamp I already owned, plus two gooseneck desktop lights I laready owned. When I have 3-4 trays going (horizontally, not stacked up) I put 500 Watts on them ... well, what is said to be the lumen EQUIVALENT of 500 INCANDESCENT Watts. The bulbs are very far from the backs of the trays, but I have a backwall relfector and rotate trays and move the bulbs a bit.

One clever thing I did when I splurged on my ONE heating pad for four trays: got some drywall from Home Depot to put under everything. 2' x 2' squares for maybe $5 each. Great insulation!

They direct ALL the heat up, and I use one pad under two trays, and move it each day. Sometimes I gather some of the water-catching plastic film around and over the trays in a partial tent to keep warmer air in. really, that accomplishes little unless you can seal it almost air tight at the top.

(I keep my house cold in the winter, like 60 days and 55 at night; it's poorly insulated and I used to share an apartment with a guy from Maine who claimed that warm houses cause colds.

Even more clever would be to put some thin flat metal between the heat pad and the trays: that would spread the heat around effectively. Like an aluminium baking sheet - My eyes are peeled when i vist Goodwill.

And someday I'll splurge on a SECOND heat pad ... such extravagance!

Corey

I wear a winter coat in 60 degrees. My house is 70* days, around 66* at night in winter.

I just use this cheap heat strip, with a folded towel under it, and a humidity dome. Works for me.

Karen

I like that

My light setup from this past December-January.
This is Room #1


This is Room #2

I sowed 212 tomato seeds and ended up with 208 tomato seedlings, and 65 bell pepper seeds, and ended up with 65 bell pepper seedlings. NO damping off. After almost a week of potting up to 16 oz. solo cups, those last four tomato seedlings just got tossed, 'cause I'd just about had enough of it, and they were the absolute runts of the litter, at about 1am on a work night...

I had a total of 4 growing shelves (concrete blocks & boards). Each shelf had two 2-bulb fluorescent light kits placed side x side, for a total of 4 lightbulbs per shelf. I'm lucky the DEA didn't come knocking on my door, 'cause I'm sure the satellite picked up on my 24/7 lights -- prime candidate for a drug bust!

I used kitty litter trays from the $1 store to hold twelve 16 oz. Red Solo cups each. Those trays are very sturdy, so I could hold one tray in each hand with confidence. I could get 3 trays on each shelf. Do the math, and, Yes, there were more plants than available shelf space. Solution? Run the lights 24/7, and rotate the trays out morning and evening (7am-7pm-7am)

I kept the house cool in the winter, too, like RickCorey, around 55 days and 60 degrees nighttime.

I grew the healthiest crop of tomato seedlings ever this past season. Discovered I enjoy the challenge of growing healthy stock far better than actually growing the tomato plants -- but, don't get me wrong, I'll take a ripe Black Krim, MOMOTORO, or Pruden's Purple, any day!

SEEDLINGS IN CAT LITTER TRAYS


Then, I made a newbie error, and overfertilized my seedlings. Ended up losing almost a 1/3 of the stock before they recovered. But, with some babying, I managed to bring home the most bounteous harvest of all my growing seasons combined since 2008, on my healthiest plants since 2008!

I had a glorious, exciting, and challenging 2010 Winter/Spring season!

THIS DAY'S HARVEST


My plan for the 2011 Wtr/Spr season is to sow seeds December 17th for plant out by February 11, 2012. It's WAY early for our area, but, I've learned that with protection, those plants can (and WILL) maked it! If all goes according to plan, I should be pulling in the last of my long-season, indeterminate, heirloom tomatoes by mid-June.


Hugs!

Linda

good deal!!!

Nice, Linda. But what do you do with all those tomatoes and peppers.???

Karen