58 is too cold.. not only for germination ... but for vigorous growth after ... at the link above ... he is struggling with too much heat.. you need to find the happy medium ... pun intended.. lol ... could you tent the lights ... so that the heat generated by the ballast.. is trapped.. and increases the heat .. without burning down the house.. lol ... i ran my lights 16 hours on.. 8 off... running them at night.. for the heat ... the alternative.. is a heat mat plus tenting ... from the hydroponics/brew store ... there are simple 72 degree mats .... that are not all that expensive.. surely you dont need one with a thermostat ... perhaps running the mat when the lights are off .... the tent can be a dollar store plastic paint tarp and a few staples.... your variables are: HEAT LIGHT WATER .... nothing more.. nothing less... perfect each.. and you cant lose ... and sterilize your media first .. it avoids weeds.. and more importantly .. fungus/molds/mildews/ and vermin [fungus gnats, et al] link: http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Soil/sterile.htm and wash everything first in 10% bleach ... trays.. pots.. tools.. trays.. etc ... its easier to prevent a problem .. rather than cure it ... think of it all as an operating room.. and clean ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: random heat mat article

Ask around, offer to help at the CSA, with anyone with a large garden - be a little leery of the old-timers' advice - some of it is spot on for local conditions, some is just plain wrong, and some has been disproven in recent years. Try helping at local nurseries - you will get plant and small business info at the same time - DON'T ask questions at the busiest times, but many owners/managers are happy to share their knowledge. Ask the local healthfood store where the local growers/suppliers are, ask if they ned any help - it CAN mean being out in the hot sun on a 95 degree day! Check out your community college for growers classes, organic or otherwise, take the classes and talk to people. Be careful of the ones that talk well, but don't do, and the ones who boast - they may just be happy and surprised at how well they are doing, and may be talking up a LOT more than they can produce. The ones who look the grungiest may be the most successful ones. Cultivate a healthy degree of scepticism, along with an open mind and willingness to try almost anything once. You don't need a degree, but you DO need some experience in small business practices - for the IRS if for no other reason. Take classes, talk to people about what they do - even if they are producing widgets - the practices, inputs, etc. will be the same at the bottom, even if the names or exact procedures are different. As said above, you probably won't get rich, but you may have a rich life!! Be willing to start small, work hard, maybe have a day job to support you while the "real" business grows, and above all - WORK HARD! You can begin on a small level, by producing veggies or flowers from your parent's back yard - with permission, it goes without saying. See if the managers at tlhe healthfood store will share what they NEED more of, and the pricing - then break it down and see if the return is worth it - some things are expensive to grow. Even if you only break even, if you don't have to go out and buy a lot of equipment - you are learning. Go to the local farmer's market, and see what is there, what is selling, and what is selling out early. You might be able to get a learner's job, no money to speak of, but lots of experience! It's a bit late for this year, but you could see what the requirements are, and try for next year. It is farming, just on a small scale. Again with permission, and if local zoning allows, try for raising eggs or meat chickens - the latter you will have to process to sell, so see what the market will bear, and what local health regs are. If you have access to enough land, maybe try for milking goats, and maybe, if there is an Hispanic or ethnic community nearby, raising kids to sell for meat. BEFORE YOU DO ANY OF THESE, READ!!! If you have little animal experience, read, and then get hand's on experience with someone to mentor you and look over your shoulder - they aren't as easy as a bicycle! You can do any and all of these, just start small..., and be careful.

Follow up - I went through all the steps. Lime, potassium sulfate, de-thatch with a verti-seeder and straw blankets where necessary to control erosion (if we ever get and rain again). To help build up the organics, I used spent beer mash from my friend's micro-brewery. Since it's wet it isn't really easy to spread around. I mostly flung it with a shovel, so the coverage isn't real even. It smelled kind of funny for a couple of days, but doesn't seem to have hurt anything. I may do another application in the early spring. I used a blend in the front yard and mostly tall fescue in the back shady yard. Water, water, water and more watering. Watering 6,000 sq feet in a royal pain in the arse! I just couldn't do the recommended thrice per day, but I usually got two waterings in, until things started sprouting. By far, the best water came on too few occasions from Mother Nature. She really knows how to soak the yard evenly. Low and behold, the dirt is now covered with green grass (and a few weeds) it looks great and we are pretty pleased with the results. I have mowed it once (at the tallest setting) and may mow toward the end of November to mulch the leaves. Click o the link below to see where I am now. Here is a link that might be useful: My most recent post about winter prep & weeds

D - I just started wintersowing this year and it couldn't be easier. If you go to the Wintersowing forum, at the top of that page you'll see a link to "FAQ" ... that's going to answer a lot of your questions, from how to prepare your containers to what types of seeds are good for wintersowing in your region. Don't worry, you don't need to build or get frames. After you've checked out the FAQ, please come back if you with any questions - I'm sure lots of folks will be happy to help you out. Diane