Linda, About the only difference is the size. So, as Dora suggests, you may have more of them on a shelf! The distance from light fixture to top of plant is also less than with standards. You can space your shelves closer together, too. Some recommend the distance for minis should be 6 to 8 inches from light to top of plant. Where as standards 12 or so inches. Also, it is recommended to repot more often than standards. Anywhere from 3 to 6 months. When you repot you usually stay with the same size pot - no need to move into a larger size. You may just use solo cups. Some say they are hard to work with. I guess because they are small. It's just what you get use to, I suppose. Arthritic hands may have problems? I do at times use forceps to take leaves off etc. My knuckle on occasion has broken the leaf above off while I'm trying to pinch a stem or flower off or check the soil. Hope you give them a try. Mac (Week two. One more to go! Maybe Valentines Day I'll have blooms.)

I keep a "first sightings" calendar for butterflies spotted in our one-acre butterfly sanctuary. I started recording first sightings in 2006 and enjoy comparing year-to-year sightings. I find it helpful to have hard data rather than relying on my memory. RESULTS SO FAR FOR 2010: March22 Mourning Cloak March 23 Sulfur (sp.) March 30 Spring Azure March 31 Cabbage White, Anglewing(couldn't get close enough to observe field marking) April 1 Monarch April 4 Tiger Swallowtail April 6 Zebra Swallowtail April 7 Pipevine Swallowtail mike

Charlielittle, thanks for the positive feedback! The white media is perlite. I have found that it works well for smaller crops. The tomato is not being supported very well in it though. I'd transfer the tomato to clay pellets but the roots are way too big now! Gizman, thanks you too! I've been trying to get the suckers as they appear. I'm thinking I'm going to trim the lower leaves/branches as you suggest. Lesson learned, grow determinant tomato species... not hyper indeterminate ones!!! LOL Thanks again, Bill

Wow dan - quite ahead of the group. We just had a frost the other night here. I've started all of my peas in six-packs and will transplant out in about a week. I have about 1/4 of them that have sprouted in six days thus far. As for lettuce - I'm probably behind here. I'm planting one of each of Simpson Elite, Buttercrunch, and Red Salad bowl every week. Now that I seed them in the six-packs and they immediately go outside in the full sun, it doesn't seem like they are germinating well at all.