Thats a lot of light. I just bought a temprature controlled plug for my 12X12 shed for this winter. I want to keep my pot plants alive; it kicks in at 35 degrees and turns off at 45 degrees. What type of heat would you use, lights or other?

Im actually doing this in an insulated garage so i wont be heating. Besides, my first trials are strawberry and lettuce, 2 cool temp loving plants.

My objective is to develop an economically viable of producing crops indoors with no sun. Im right about to plant the first 4 organizers which will be strawberry (they have already received their necessary 300 hours of chilling outside and thus are ready to flower).

Lettuce trials have for objective to produce marketable mini heads (im starting with little gem lettuce) in 30 days.

In order to accomplish this, i will need to populate the system with very well established seedlings. So a separate seedling area is also needed.

Stay tune ill post a pic as soon as ive transplanted those strawberry plants!

Khaled

I hung up the first 3 sides temporarily to gain a visual idea of how it comes together distance between bulb and shoe organizers is about 26-27 inches which gives us great lighting levels.

When using a 1000w high pressure sodium, we get about 9500 lumens at 28 inches. With a metal halide lamp, we get about 6500 lumens. These light levels will support any kind of crops, including fruiting crops.

Next step is cleaning the shoe organizers and refilling them with fresh fertile soil. Im also starting 100 little gem lettuces to be transplanted as seedlings in the system 3 weeks or so from now.

Khaled

@Charlie: im not too familiar with how pot grows, the cheapest way to keep a plant alive is bring it indoors, heating a shed may turn out expensive, thats if theres power in that shed in the first place.

High powered lamps do provide some heat, but far from enough to compensate for harsh winter temperatures. A space heater or small electrical heating device will be needed. These dry out the air very quickly, so watch out for that.

Good luck!

Khaled

Phase 1 is done with 6 shoe organizers and 120 plants sites.

So far weve got about 50 strawberry plants, plus some pansies, chamomille and thyme, the remaining pockets have yet to be planted ( any suggestions?lol)

The opposite side of the shoe organizers is currently occupied by pepper plants and one eggplant.

Khaled

Use an oil-filled radiant heater - they are way more economical than the other types and won't dry the air. They do need to be kept above freezing at all times though. IF the power goes out, the oil may freeze and damage the heater if it gets cold enough. I have no idea what the freezing point of the oil is in those.

They also tend to be safer than the other types of space heaters. Some of them even have sensors to shut off if they get knocked over, and sensors to automatically come on or shut off at a certain temp - though they aren't usually all that accurate. Within +/- 5 F.

How did this turn out thus far? Nice idea.

I, too, am curious to see pictures.

I was wondering how the plants would react to having light from below instead of overhead like normal vertical gardening. As well, curious to how the plants farthest from the light made out, where they shaded due to fall out and growth?

SCG