Hi niftynabber, Thanks for your interest. The space from each shelf to the bottom of the bulbs is 8 inches. The wooden risers are actually my wooden transplant flats that I simply tip upside down. They are 2 1/2 inches tall. With the 2 1/2 inch tall 1020 black plastic seed flats sitting on those risers the space from the top of the 1020 black plastic seed flats to the bulbs is 3 inches. This system allows me to get the newly seeded flats closer to the bulbs. I remove the risers when the seedlings start to touch the bulbs. The light fixtures are permanently attached in the shelf framework. The shelves are nonadjustable and are an integral part of the framework of the unit. Nothing is adjustable on this unit. By the time the transplants outgrow that 8" space the weather is usually nice enough here to keep them outside in my growboxes/coldframes. They then get the benefit of real solar power and get acclimated to outdoor conditions. I will be posting a photo series of my growbox/coldframe soon. They really need to be tied in here with the light shelves because they comprise half of my system for starting and growing bedding and starter plants. I assembled the first one today and took pictures of the assembly process. I just need to upload the photos and write descriptions. Transplants will start going into this first growbox tomorrow, weather permitting. BTW I start and grow around 2500-3500 plants yearly without a greenhouse. The fuel cost to heat a greenhouse up here in Minnesota is prohibitive IMO. My fuel cost: ZERO. More details about the light shelves are in my response in the "Post Your Grow Light Setup" thread originally posted by GW member "horseflysgarden" in this forum. It is a long thread with lots of pics so if it turns out to be a hassle for folks to access I will reprint my response here. -Tom

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Welcome to the forums Danny! It is a topic of debate but most agree plants require a period of darkness. Several people I know in the same situation as you black the room out during the day for complete darkness. I use black garbage bags. Let us know how you do and we would love to see pictures SCG from the better side of Canada, BC!!!

PRO MIX! PRO MIX! Has gotten more expensive & gotta go back to my old neighborhood to get it (30 miles away!) but there's lots of goodness in a bale...and my not so big car will hold 2 bales! SO happy the day I got home & found my husband had delivered 2 bales in front of the shed!

I don't really follow many of the rules when it comes to starting plants from seed indoors. I mix different mediums with a few containing fertilizer, I figured outside soils contain nutrients so why not a seed starting mix, and has worked quite well. My mix is usually made from seed starting medium (peat or coconut), potting soil (usually miracle gro) with fertilizer, vermiculite, and a little jobe's granulated plant food. (chicken manure). I tried using a little cow manure and compost but they were full of weed seeds and other potential problem so I use Jobe's now. I use capillary wicking mats raised off the trays sitting on PVC utility tiles I cut down and with legs made from PVC pipe. This makes watering so easy from below and only requires filling every week or so. I plant the seeds in 1 1/2"-2" cells and transplant into 3" and 4" pots when roots are large enough, and not based on the plants size. My goal is to plant outdoors when roots fill out the 2nd pots without becoming root bound so timing is critical. Root bound plants may never grow right and cause delays so if you're in doubt dump a plant into your hand and check the roots. Below are the components used for the wicking trays. Standard tray, the white wick mat's bottom, to the right is a mat right side up sitting on a tile. Exposed tile has the lines in it and the PVC legs are visible on the left. I'm not sure if you can get the capillary wicking mats locally. Below isn't the goal you want, this size should of been in 6" pots. This was from a few years back and I planted to soon. Using heat mats will germinate sooner than what is listed on the package. I didn't want the flowering yet and picked them off, and also slightly root bound which slowed establish after planting. I've had tomatoes germinate in 3 days using heat and wicking mats and over the years have adjust planting times. Peppers grow slower than tomatoes but go out last, so a start date should be selected for each item you want to grow. I also start my determinate processing tomato's like Celebrity and Roma later because of space, and prefer harvest later in the season for canning. I live 20 miles north of Minneapolis and have some seed packs I don't plan on using in the freezer. but not sure it's worth the drive. I try different seeds every year looking for the best (doesn't everyone?). You can shoot me an email at kevin9408@yahoo.com if interested. One tomato you may want to consider is Mountain Magic, you won't find them in stores and are starting to sell out online because they're so good and hardy. 300 - 400 tomatoes, 2 oz's in size and produce till they freeze out while other plants have turned to dust. They've been the most disease resistant tomato plant I've grown so far, almost fool proof. No more cherry tomatoes for me, I love these things and also grow them for 3 other people. I guess I could give you a couple of seeds but be warned if you become hooked the seeds cost around 50 cents each or in bulk $2700 per ounce!