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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Growing lights

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  • From: Richard Robinson <rrobinson AT nasw.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Growing lights
  • Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 21:08:52 -0400

On Sun, 9 May 2010 02:27:14 +0000, Michael Libsch wrote:
> I am working on my supplies list for next year- I hope to lease some land
>and
> start a small farm. I would like to ask for recommendations about how to set
> up growing lights for vegetable starts- what types have you had success
>with?
> I would also be interested in any heat mat recommendations.

Lowe's sells a cheap 4' T8 fluorescent fixture that I am using for starting
seeds. They are quiet and seem reasonably well built. The only drawback so
far is that for some mysterious reason they only come in black. I put
aluminum foil behind the lights to get more reflection. I use one utility
bulb and one grow light in each. They do give off heat, enough that my
insulated basement room with 18 or so fixtures is in the mid- to upper-70s by
midmorning. (and the tip about starting seeds on top of the fixtures is spot
on--it works great.) I built a six-foot wide room, with two-foot wide growing
shelves on either side and two-foot alley in the middle. It has worked very
well this spring. Each shelf holds 4 1020 trays. I am using a rubber heat mat
I am not very impressed with. I don't think the heating is even at all. I'd
be interested in brand recommendations from others.


--
Richard Robinson
http://www.nasw.org/users/rrobinson/






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