Dixie Due to circumstances last year I did not start my toms and peppers Feb, was only able to do it mid April. By that time it was pretty warm even outside and after soaking my seeds germinated in 3 days, in one week they were big enough to go outside in cold frame and during that summer I had early tons of toms and peppers. Morale of the story- it is only benefitial to start toms and peppers early if you can give them lots of light and warmth during that period. If you not able to do it easily, save yourself trouble- start them later, possibly in warm house instead of basement- after all you might not be able to find time for 3 months but for couple of weeks you can find nice warm spot even if you have to rearrange furniture ;) You would not notice difference in your seedlings development. 2 weeks of nice warmth will do same job as 3 months of barely adequate basement temps. I also use old electrical blanket and believe me when I set it on medium high my soil is getting hot to touch... BTW those blankets will be on sale now in big box stores...

oops---I meant SIGHT!

3-year old thread...com'on folks--all construction pricing is local. It's a combination of materials, labor, overhead and profit. And guess what? These change regularly each year! How can any web site anywhere know the difference between Peducah and Kalamazoo? List to Millworkman!

I have HEPA air filters in multiple rooms of my house but it is still very dusty. I thought it was because the windows were open earlier in the year, because this is a dusty environment (Sierra Nevada mountains) but the windows have been closed for a month. There isn't forced air here, so it isn't the ducts. I vacuumed an entire bag's worth of dirt out of the carpets the first two months I lived here with a brand new Miele vacuum. I fixed the dryer vent which leaked. The dust still appears overnight! Help! I like the idea of a filter before the box fan although I am going to have to come up with something more attractive than duct tape to make that work in my bedroom!