Just wanted to update you all since you were so helpful with your advice. OK - so I did a few things since two weeks ago. First, I began giving the plants 24 hours of light instead of 14-16. Because the lights only have the ability to move up and down, I was not able to rotate the lights to different locations. I did, however, begin rotating the flats in order to give any plants that were getting leggy (or in general just having trouble growing), so that they were closer to the lights. Second, I bought some mylar film and stapled it to some wood frames that I built in order to keep as much light in as possible. As you can see in the photo, the Mylar is nearly as reflective as a mirror, so I think it has been helping quite a bit. I also purchased a 90 watt LED hydroponic grow lamp. It wasn't cheap but after it first blinded me, I think it was well worth it. I began moving some of the higher growing corn over to it because the corn was getting taller than the fluorescent lights and leaning severely toward it. I'm hoping they will correct themselves with the new light directly above them. I have attached pictures of several levels of my flats and also a picture of the grow lamp that I bought.

This is what I do and I have some plants that are 9"-10" tall with multiple leaf sets with 1/4"+ stems growing in 3" pots by the time I plant out. 1.) Sprout using heat mats about a week or two earlier than recommended and grow in my unheated basement (55-60 degrees, but fairly stable). They grow slower there so I need more time, but the growth isn't leggy. 2.) Keep lights as close to the plants as possible and keep lights on for 14 hours. 3.) Add a very small amount of organic fertilizer after about 5 weeks from sprouting. 4.) Occasionally, use a fan to generate a small breeze on them. 5.) Put them out on my protected porch as early as the weather will allow to let them get some wind and indirect sunlight (take them in at night if temps get too low) - this starts the hardening off stage as well. For me, this usually happens about 7-8 weeks after sprouting. These steps, along with good seedling care practices (not overwatering, etc.) works well for me. Due to the relatively constant strong breezes I get around my garden, I need sizeable tough plants or they won't last a week after planting out. Mine aren't as stocky as some of the hot house grown ones you see at the nurseries, but it's a lot less money than buying all the plants I need (and probably not getting all the varieties I'd want) and hey it works.

Well this is from another transplanted dixie chick (from Louisiana) who HATES SNOW and hibernates once the temps go down into the 40's. Since moving to yankee land I have learned to leave the dead stuff on a lot of my plants b/c it protects the root system and keeps freezing moisture from getting down into the root ball. Also any seed left on the plants provides food for the birds over the winter. This particularly helps plants such as salvias, agastaches, bee balm and plants with hollow stems (I grow a lot of plants of the south and southwest). I did have to cut my coneflowers back this year because a storm that blew through here a few weeks ago flattened them. If they don't come back it is no biggy as I probably have a hundred more that reseeded. I do pull out all the annuals after the first killing frost but all my salvias and agastaches are still going strong and with the recent rain they are blooming like crazy. Perennial vines I leave alone until spring and then trim them up if necessary. If I have hardy plants that 'disappear' over the winter such as hostas, bleeding hearts and lily of the valley and daylilies, I do put markers where they are located so I don't dig them up in the spring when I start planting. Penny

Well first Black Kow isn't widely available all over the country so one would have to consider shipping costs. Second, growing tomatoes in 50 lb. bags of many different mixes isn't all that unusal. Tim, who posts here regularly, does it by the hundreds of bags in his "tomato production plant". He uses ProMix BX last I read and is exceptionally successful. That is the same mix that I and many others here use and routinely recommend. You'll find many of his pictures and set-up photos posted throughout the forum here. It is just another form of container growing so will have those same limitations and problems. But at least a couple of them can be controlled by using a drip irrigation water system and some weekly fertigation. And you do save the cost of the container itself. Securing a cage or stake might pose some problems but you could drive the stake right through the bag into the ground below. And yes, I would still apply a thick layer of straw mulch all over it to keep it from drying out so quickly - especially in your zone. Theoretically any variety would work but I think the determinates or the bush varieties would do better. I now grow only determinates in all my containers and leave the indeterminates for the in-ground gardens. Personally I'd wait till spring to do it. I'm just way too hot here right now and the containers plants are much more stressed by the heat than the in-ground plants. You are likely even hotter or at least as hot. But give one a try and then you'll know if you want to do more of them next spring. Good luck. Dave