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Stand Back (Floral and Veggie Explosion)
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jladams4 Just Arrived

 Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Location: Indiana (Map) Posts: 20
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:53 pm Post subject: Stand Back (Floral and Veggie Explosion) |
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Yes it is still winter with 10 inches of ice on the lake! BUT
Stand back! We are about to have a floral and vegie explosion.
As the moon phase indicates today is the day to start all flower seeds, which I have done.
The 21st and 22nd of this month I will start all above ground veggies.
_________________ Lurch
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dooley Official Garden Turtle
 Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Location: Arizona, U.S.A (Map) Posts: 3361 PlantStew: 2 |
| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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That first picture reminds me why we are here and you are there. Dooley
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Desert Rat The Dusty Blogger
 Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 650
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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On the other hand, I remember Blue Lake in the summer and it's a darn nice place. However, when we moved Southwest, we brought a snow shovel with us. When we got to where no one knew what it was, we stopped. Then we got dumb and moved to the mountains.
dr
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glendann Official Garden Angel
 Joined: 19 May 2006 Location: Texas (Map) Posts: 6730 PlantStew: 219 |
| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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Wow you did get lots of seed sowed.I can't wait to see the pictures when they start blooming.I think the 1st picture is great as long as you are the one that took it,
_________________
Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.
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pondlady .
Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Location: New Orleans, La Posts: 1829
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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I agree. As an original Michigander, I love the South. I had a windshield scraper when I moved here. Remember, they used to give them away at gas stations. No one knew what it was. A friend of mine used it as a barnacle scraper and love it. My parents sent cartons of them here and I sold them all up and down the Gulf Coast.
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eileen Moderator & Resident Taxonomist

Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Location: Scotland (Map) Posts: 11159
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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Soon the best bit of sowing seeds will be with you - the very first sprouts to pop through the earth!! Did you make the light box yourself btw as it's much bigger than any I've seen before? Happy growing.
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cajunbelle Daylily Diva
 Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Location: zone 8b Louisiana (Map) Posts: 3004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:52 am Post subject: |
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Nice setup, what type and wattage bulbs do you use. Are they a special plant bulb or can a cool white florescent be used? Can't wait to see them in bloom.
_________________ Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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jladams4 Just Arrived

 Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Location: Indiana (Map) Posts: 20
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 2:13 am Post subject: Seed Starting Set up |
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Yes I made the setup my self but soon found that it is almost not big enough. I us four florescent shop lights with plant and aquarium lights. They have the full light spectrum for growing plants.
It is said that you can also use one cool white and one soft white standard florescent bulb but have to leave on longer.
I leave mine one 12 hours, with the other set up they recommend 16 hours.
_________________ Lurch
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eileen Moderator & Resident Taxonomist

Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Location: Scotland (Map) Posts: 11159
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:36 am Post subject: |
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How much, approximately, did it cost to set up and how much to run it? I've not got a greenhouse and a lightbox would be an ideal alternative for me. Is it possible do you think to make a multi-levelled one? Any help you can give me would be much appreciated.
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jladams4 Just Arrived

 Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Location: Indiana (Map) Posts: 20
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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Eileen ask?
How much, approximately, did it cost to set up and how much to run it? I've not got a greenhouse and a light box would be an ideal alternative for me. Is it possible do you think to make a multi-levelled one? Any help you can give me would be much appreciated.
The four (4 foot) shop lights at Wal Mart were 8.00 dollars (US) each and the plant grow bulbs were 7.00 dollars
each ( eight required). How ever you could use one cool white and one soft white fluorescent bulbs in each light and those would be about 3.00 each.
My set up is 49 inchs x 39 inchs for the base unit with 22 inch uprights. The piece of lexan that I used on the bottom was given to me. I used the lexan to seal the bottom of the unit so that I could bottom water all the flats at the same time. How ever if you used seed starting trays with the clear plastic lids you could bottom water individually. My trays do not have holes in them.
I used pieces of left over 2 x 4's to build my unit. With a little calculating you could build any configuration that would me your needs. (ie) single tier or multi tiered.
I also used deck screws to hold everything together so that I can take it apart to store for the summer.
Other than the cost of the lights I probably have another 15.00 in materials. For the operating cost I have not noticed any large increase in my light bill. Maybe 3.00/month.
_________________ Lurch
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eileen Moderator & Resident Taxonomist

Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Location: Scotland (Map) Posts: 11159
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Oh thanks for all the info J. Not as costly as I had imagined. Guess what I'm going to have a try at making!!!! Now where to put it???
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Shanna Showing Great Promise

 Joined: 19 May 2006 Location: Texas (Map) Posts: 395
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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Wow you have a nice set up there.Bet you can't wait to get'em in the ground:)
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LoreD Just Arrived

Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 25
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:32 am Post subject: |
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If you don't want to go the trouble of building a table, a wooden potting table ($39) at a hardware store works. They are usually about 4 ft wide and the shoplights fit perfectly. I bought screw in hangers and screwed them in the wood underneath the top shelf and placed my seedlings on the bottom shelf. I scrounged around and found some insulated wire things that were being thrown out and placed another shoplight on them so that I would have a shoplight on the upper shelf.
Works great.
LoreD
_________________ It's not what you get to keep in life, it's what you get to give away.
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