My west-facing living room has the best sun in the house. My son built a wider shelf onto the picture window sill, where small flats of vegetable seedlings sit on the long planter box bottom trays. A sheet of plastic was taped to the window to keep humidity in, forming a slanting mini greenhouse out over the shelf. When not starting seeds, it is a good shelf for the aloe plant and pots of herbs.

In the two skylights, we have mounted two pot hanging brackets each. We plan to tie pulleys on the ends, and attach ropes through them to raise and lower hanging baskets for watering and harvesting. We purchased hanging pots with reservoirs for water that one fills from the bottom; these also save work, and are much easier on seedlings or seeds. In two of the pots I have planted Wilau chives, a kind that especially grows well indoors.

Lastly, whenever the little Monitor furnace (or woodstove in the same area) is going, we keep a plastic basin full of water in front of the blower to keep the house humidified. I tried growing watercress in the basin this spring, but had trouble with high upkeep from dead leaves; I think I might root some from the store, plant it in pots, and submerge the pots in the basin. An indoor pond, if you like.

Wish I could have a full greenhouse attached to the house, but the sun is so low in winter here in Alaska that it never shines in the windows for about four months. Therefore, am looking at fluorescent lights to grow plants, mounted on the underside of shelves. I hear that stacking plastic letter trays such as they sell in office supply places are a good method of raising and lowering seeds, seedlings, and bigger plants from the light source.

What ideas have you come up with for utilizing your zone 0?

Fireraven9
"The field's set. Let's croq." Alas 4/28/01

How do tomato bushes pollinate in Zone 0? Also, any suggestions on what type of tree might do well there?

Kat

Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium are better suited for full size plants, but they cost more initially, cost more to operate and are hot. Ideally, you can get a single MH and single HPS and put them on oppisite arms of a revolving unit (Sun Circle?) designed to slooowwly circle over the plants making them think it's brighter all over instead of in just one spot. This should be done in a room no smaller than about 8'x8'.

The MH and HPS have different light spectrums so you can just change bulbs on a single socket on a single, one armed revolving unit as you switch from vegetative growth to fruit production (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc.) but in a room no smaller than 6'x6'.

Remember not to touch the bulbs with your fingers. The oils will shorten their life. A single light will prolly be ok for vegetative growth in non fruiting veggies too and will be cheaper to set up and operate. I forget which is better for what but I think MH is the one you should get first as it's being better for the fruiting. It will support good vegetative growth as well so you may not need a HPS bulb.

Also you can grow veggies in a closet (up to about 6'x6') and just use a single MH (non-revolving) and paint the walls bright white (or use aluminium foil) and add a couple side florescent fixtures to combat stretching and encourage branching. This should get you some veggies for those 4 months of no sun.

Nothing like fresh veggies in the heart of winter.

I tried growing my own starts once for the veggie garden, but it required so much energy for a few plants that I figured a commercial greenhouse would be more efficient than I could ever be. Anyway, I can grow veggies in the winter here, so why waste fossil fuels on growing them inside?

I've concentrated more on collecting rainwater and composting as much as possible. They are things I can do without using any fossil-fuel energy. I'd also like to be off the grid using solar or hydro power, but I don't have control over that here.

I did get the flourescent installed in the window, on an adjustable chain. The hardware store was having a sale on Noon sun type bulbs, so I bought 2. Hope to plant up a couple of interior window boxes this week.

On another front, have been harvesting and drying many plants like celery, chamomile, sage, garlic. Trying out making of herb vinegars. Freezing chopped chives, salmonberries, chopped rhubarb, and salmon. Wild mushroom season starts soon!