My Basement Growing Area
jimnpa (zone6a PA USA)
13 years ago
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joshy46013
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agobluebonsai101
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my 'secret' basement growing area
Comments (5)We're in Muncie. East Central Indiana. Yes, it's fun growing things in the winter, and the Victorias more than pay for themselves. But they are just like small kids or baby birds, they require so much care when they are little like that. They are big enough to ship out now,and they are easy to take care of now. I did have the state police show up and wonder what I was growing down there a couple of years ago. I don't blame them. Anyone with a greenhouse business selling bananas and tropicals in Indiana--and with a light like that in the basement? I'd wonder too. I know they went home disappointed though! You should see the moochy little shebunkins/comets in the living room tank, they were in my daughters' room all winter--but she needed the space for her pet guinea pig. They were spawned in my water lily sales display last summer and when we tore it down for winter they were only about an inch long so we brought them in last November. They were getting fed by her four or five times a day all winter and they practically jump out of the tank to be fed anytime anyone walks through the door. With us and our three girls and their friends and everyone else coming in all the time, that's a lot of begging!...See Moregrowing seeds in my basement
Comments (2)But I want to set up a grow rack in my basement for next year. There is no heat in the basement. What would I have to do. I do have one of those small green houses with a plastic cover and 2 4" grow lights and a few small fans. You can use your plastic greenhouse of course and keep in mind that your lights will generate some heat too so closing the plastic at night retains that heat very well. You can also add to it 1 100 watt incandescent light fixture (the cheap clamp on ones work well) for additional heat. Incandescents put out much more heat than fluorescents do. Include a thermometer to monitor the temps inside the tent. You can build an inexpensive additional tent simply by using a set of shelves, more 4' fixtures and draping a plastic sheet over it (painter's drop cloth or the 3-4 mil rolls sold at Wally World work great. Add reflective mylar sheets (camping dept. at Wally World foil survival blanket $1.95) to bottom, back, and sides to double your light exposure. The secret to success is enough lights - the more the better. Here is pic of one of my set-up in the greenhouse (not heated) before I had all the plant trays etc. in and the lights on so you can see the mylar and the tent. 4 4' fixtures and 3 2' fixtures for each shelf and a small fan for each shelf. Each self also has a clamp on 100 watt incandescent lamp. It can be 25 degrees outside, 35 degrees in the greenhouse and 65-80 degrees inside the tent with this set-up. The main problem with basements is mold and mildew so the use of fans and carefully controlling moisture levels is vital down there. Clean the immediate area well first with a 10% chlorox bleach solution - floors and walls. Good luck with your set-up and enjoy your seedlings. it does get addictive. ;) Dave...See MoreI have a greenhouse in my basement. The plants are growing !
Comments (2)Ambitious indeed. You will have an interesting jungle when the squash start growing :-) I have grown under lights before, but never had much success until this year. I have created a couple of YouTube videos chronicling my work. Have a look if you have a mind to... Here is a link that might be useful: Garth's YouTube channel...See MoreWhat's growing on my basement wall?
Comments (3)I agree--whatever it is, there's a water issue behind it. Is this an exterior wall? Or is there any plumbing behind it? Our kitchen had some mold growing on the cabinet and under the kitchen sink. I sent in a sample (tape test) to a mold testing lab that I'd found online to identify what it was. It think it ran me around $15 per sample....See Morecindeea
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