Help - indoor grow lights/germination station or outdoor HF green

12 years ago

I have gone back and forth and back and forth and back and forth about which one would be the best bet for me. I really do not see myself needing a 12 month greenhouse. I do like to use my old seeds. I would love a set up to start my vegetable seeds and also to propagate several of my other plants. I usually plant 40 tomatoes, 18 peppers, eggplants, melons,..... so I would love a way to get them started early. Can anyone provide any help with this decision? I have a place for a greenhouse like the HF 6x8. Would this be overkill? can I start seeds early enough in it. I could run power out there for some of my heating mats that I use on the kitchen counter for my seeds.

Thanks

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ralleia
12 years ago
What kinds of indoor space do you have available for seed starting versus your outdoor space?

If I'm growing seedlings indoors for weeks, I prefer to use the unconditioned basement rather than conditioned space to grow seedlings. The warmer conditioned spaces encourage the seedlings to grow faster, which is a no-no without LOTS of light, which is difficult to provide.

So growing under lights in cooler temps (like an unconditioned basement) typically lead to sturdier transplants than growing warm under lights.

Before I got my 480 sq ft hoophouse put in I used a very sturdy low cold frame that I put about fifteen steps out my back door. Mine looks very similar to this:

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The outdoor mini cold frame was *EXTREMELY* useful in hardening off plants prior to transplanting them out. I also had a small heat mat out there to put the more cold-sensitive plants on top of if it was just too cold.

I think that the short cold frames retain heat in the right places a little better than the tall ones with tops that are too high off the ground.

My frame is about 4 feet by 8 feet and was totally indispensable until I got my big hoophouse. I think this year I'll get the little cold frame in operation again because it's a shorter trip than making the way to the big hoophouse for setting out and bringing in transplants.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I like to use a combination of a small indoor growing space (at cool temps and under fluorescent shop lights) and a small outdoor cold frame (with a little heat mat if needed).

You will always need to harden off plants prior to transplanting them out permanently, and a well-made polycarbonate cold frame allows you to do so at much lower risk to your plants!
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Help - indoor grow lights/germination station or outdoor HF green

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ralleia

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