You might view this as the next step up from Beth's indoor cucumber garden. Note the 8-tube T-5 fluorescent fixture lighting the plants and the mylar reflective material lining the surrounding area to optimize the effectiveness of the light. This is right out of the marijuana growers playbook.
A forum member's question: Your 8-tube fixture looks very similar to the Sunleaves Pioneer lights. Is it that one? With all that foil, are your temps very high? I worried about being too hot for the tender seedlings. The setup looks good, and it would help if you explained what we're seeing in your photos. I know several folks here would like the specifics on the lights you're using.
That is a setup on a smaller scale with a 175watt MH plus an 85watt CFL last year when I was still in Fort Worth. I grew 2 tomatoes and a bell pepper plant until the dreaded BLIGHT got them. I am now in Brooklyn and have a basement that I am reorganizing for plant use. I ordered a set of T5s and can hardly wait until I try them over what I currently have. I will also be adding a "raft" of lettuce in a SIP I'm putting together. My daughter did the same in a closet in her apartment. This is something that nearly everyone who has a basement, spare bedroom, even a large closet can put together. The urban dweller has SOMEPLACE, even it is the concrete slab that New Yorkers call "backyards"...
To grow enough of your own food is a blessing considering the cost of tomatoes and other veggies at the local stores! OY!
Posted by: oldgrowth | March 22, 2010 at 03:29 PM
LEDs would solve the heat issue...and consume much less energy.
wonder how many LEDs do you need to replicate that setup?
indeed, mylar works wonders.
Posted by: littlefish | March 23, 2010 at 12:00 PM