I've been looking at HD ad Lowe's and reading up on different lights. there's a Philips 2 ft T12 "Natural Light" bulb that is 9,000 lumens and 5000k. Though I can't seem to find a really cheap fixture. There's a single light fixture for $13.98. Would only one of these bulbs work? I've got about 18 tomatoes and 10 peppers. How many lumens would I need for all these seedlings? Theres a Metalux fixture for $18 that holds two T8 bulbs and I could get two T8 bulbs that are 1,400 lumens and 3000k or 1,275 lumens and 6500k. There's also 4ft lights that I could actually get cheaper (fixture as low as $13 and 2 pack bulbs for less than $10 - those bulbs up to 2,900 lumens and 6500k), but I'm not sure about being able to dedicate 4 feet of horizontal space. But I know the light should be right over the seedlings so I might not have a choice?? How many bulbs do you think I need for the amount of seedlings I'm starting? Sorry about all the technical specifics on the lights. I know that the higher kevlin the better for seedlings so if I could get a better idea on the amount of lumens I'd need and how many bulbs (considering that people say that should be right over the seedlings) then I think I could know what's best to choose.

The question really is whether you think you'll get a hard frost (e.g. the moisture in the soil actually freezes to any extent) or not. The tubers will survive in the soil with cool temperatures, just not frost. Remember, they are shallow root plants so you only need to freeze a couple of inches of soil and you'll kill or damage the roots. It would take several weeks of ground frost to kill the tuber (think about what happens at the end of the season.) I too am in Zone 5, and am on the side of a lake (which usually means our temperatures are slightly higher than others) but you are more daring than I. But my reason is that most of mine are 8" tall already and I don't want to have to bother with coverings for frost warnings. Most of my tubers took 15 days to go from nothing to a cuttable sprout. Were they in the ground, that sprout would have had a couple of sets of leaves above the ground and would have been highly susceptible to frost. The up-side of your plan, however, is that even if the above-ground part gets frosted, a root system should get established as well, so a new sprout should come up quickly. Good luck, and let us know how it works out for you. Cheers, Russ

You could start them outdoors, in situ in your zone. Just sow a large number of seeds, right where you want a plant to grow. Cluster them in a 3-4" circle, and sprinkle a very thin dusting of soil or vermiculite over them. Keep them moist, and covered with a homemade cloche (cut the bottom out of a plastic water jug), held down with earth staples made from coathangers. You'll have germination in no time, and a good-sized clump by fall.

Scarlet09, I think the point you are missing is that it does NOT say harvest 'before' December but says harvest 'by' December which I think their meaning is 'all during the month' of December but not into January. I would do small weekly plantings starting mid Sept to mid Oct and keep a diary on which planting date worked the best for you this year so you will know the optimum date to plant next year. That would be the best way to find out what is best for YOUR garden. Gardening in Florida is an experiment for every individual garden and the best way is to keep personal records and also remember Mother Nature has her hand on the thermostat and just hope she's not having hot flashes again this year. Lou