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March 02, 2011

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Paula H.

Where do you grow/keep your little seedlings? Do they have their own room or are they out in your living space? And do you use grow lights?

Janice Miller-Young

Good question! I should post a picture sometime soon because it is the most unglamorous little set-up... I have to laugh at myself every time I dodge around boxes of stashed, unsorted toys and other miscellaneous items to get to my little seed-starting shelf set-up in the furnace room!

But yes, I have shelves and lights. And a heat mat. Lights are a must if you start things this early - light from a window just isn't enough. Are you considering setting something up?

Janice

Paula H.

At the moment I do not have a good space to set up - which is why I wondered where you kept yours. Sometimes I get things started in May on the kitchen island! I would eventually like to be able to start veggies early.

random bunch of letters

I grow my seedlings in the basement. Garden Retreat sells a very handy light system for about $100. The basement is around ~17C which really helps with keeping the seedlings from stretching.

This is the system:

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-2-Foot-Start-Light-System/dp/B0006856EQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299521803&sr=8-1

I use a self watering tray system from Lee Valley:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=10645&cat=2,44713,40757&ap=1

If you're keen, you can start tomatoes now. You'll have to transplant them to 6 inch containers but you'll have very large plants by the time frost-free weather hits. If you start something like 'Tumbler' now you'll have tomatoes by the end of June.

random bunch of letters

Oh yeah, I have the lights on a timer - you can just get something at CT, HD, Rona, etc.

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