I am thinking of growing several kinds of veggies unger grow lights this winter because here in Ontario in the winter fresh food is very expensive, non-organic and trucked in from California. I have 32' of grow light space which can be moved around. I am thinking of growing herbs, lettuce greens, spinach, cherry tomatoes (Tiny Tim), bringing in my pepper plants, dwarf variety of broccoli and patio cukes. My basement is fairly cool since we rarely use the furnace as we use a cookstove to mainly heat the house. The kitchen is fairly warm which would be great for cukes, tomatoes, peppers and heat loving herbs like basil and everything else can be downstairs.

Has anyone done this and what success have you had?

Thanks.

Silvia

-- Silvia Stoddart (organic_farmer@hotmail.com), August 10, 2001

Answers

Our newspaper did an article last year about an agribusiness program at a high school near here where they grew all kinds of plants aquatically under lights....it went well and then they sold the produce and sold a bunch of plants....

most of the people around here who use grow lights are doing it illegally and growing marijuana! so be careful! someone may be watching you! They try to spot the houses with the grow lights using infra red imaging....

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), August 10, 2001.

i have been growing indoors for 10 years and H.I.D. lites are by far best.

-- don schwartz (donschwartz2002@yahoo.com), August 10, 2001.

I don't know about your area but here in the Ozarks a big change in your electric as for growing lights the police watch because that is how they catch people growing pot indoors. LOL We have a friend on the force and that is what he told us. If you see a big change in your electric you might want to let the local P dept know so your don't have them watching you for illegal suspition and bursting into your front door one night.

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), August 10, 2001.

I've had pretty good luck growing lettuce and herbs like basil under lights. Tomatoes I've grown in the greenhouse have not tasted so great, definitely not worth the effort. Peppers will produce as well. I don't know about broccoli, but make sure you leave the lights on at least 16 hours a day and that the plants are very close to the bulb.

-- Katherine (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), August 10, 2001.