Question

I will be making a GH of sorts in my cellar. It doesn't get below 50 degrees in the cellar and there is a stand alone shower stall down there. I plan to cover the top with plastic and hang a light in it. With the door closed I'm sure it would be plenty warm in it. I would like to grow a couple of toms in it and a cuke or 2. I would prefer to grow cherry toms if possible. Can you reccomend a variety that would do well in this situation? I will start the plants inside under a light like I do for the Spring. I would also like to grow a few trays of lettuce. I would think it would do well in the cellar at 50 degrees without being in the shower stall GH. What do you think? Also, would I need to put my shop light on it?

I think you're going to have to experiment here...

I'd line the top and sides with shiny aluminum foil to keep in as much light as possible. And is 50 degrees a little cool for tomato plants?

Good luck!

Melissa

There are lots of varieties that will set fruit and grow them at chilly temps but I don't know about ripening. I would choose something that is early or very early since, in general, they function in cool weather more reliably.

Oh, light, as much as you can get. Think about the difference in your eyes if you glance at a light bulb(or something, florescent tube) and if you glance at the sun.

I'll start out with a 100 watt bulb and go from there. It will be trial and error but I think it will be fun to try.

Come back here with your efforts, success, and stories, we can all appreciate what you're doing!

Will do. I'm gonna ask the folks at church to save me their bubble wrap and styrofoam from things they unpack.

I start my plants on a set of shelves with a pair of fluorescent tubes mounted to the bottom of each shelf, directly in front of a South-facing basement window well. I have enough light, but just barely. I don't think you are going to have enough light. For a larger tomato, I think you are going to need several shop lights mounted vertically on several sides. If you don't have a suitable window, I'd try setting something up outside against the south side of the building instead of moving to a dark cellar.

Thank you, Pollen, I didn't want to say 100 watts was much ---much too little light.

I'll give it a shot. Won't cost anything more than a few seeds and a bit of electricity. I think it will be a fun project none the less. Keep me busy in the winter.

Compared to a bulb, fluorescents give more light for the same number of watts - but less heat. I think you might need light more than heat.

Well, Cajun, just get going and see what happens. I know you don't want to spend a lot of money right off.

Oh, how close the bulb is to the plants counts, too.

I have a 4ft shop light and I can get another one for $10 or thereabouts. I'm gonna give it a try.

CajuninKy - if you're starting from scratch, you might want to try some LED lights. I've never done so, but I have "heard" that they put out a lot of light for the small amount of electric they use.

Personally, I already have a room set-up with shelves/tubes. I used to raise African violets. This past weekend, I began to clear the shelves, as I plan to set some seed next spring under those tubes. I didn't do that last spring, and the first set of seedlings that grew in the garden became a slug feast!

CajuninKy, the so-called 'potato leaved' varieties have a shorter growing season. However, for cold resistance you might like to try 'Sub Arctic Plenty'. It was originally bred so that American troops in Greenland could grow fresh toms. A number of stockists have it.

I agree that a 100watt bulb is far too low. You need lots of light.

Pat George

Thanks George. I'll try to find some of those toms.

I saw one in Totally Tomatoes catalog. It was bred for Greenland or somewhere similar. I was thinking of trying it here in the winter.
I'm growing Oregon Spring right now, it doesn't mind chilly temps and cloudy weather.

Thanks Cala
Two more I need to check into. Did you trade for your Oregon Spring seeds?

Cajun ~ there is one DGr that has Oregon Spring seed listed for trade http://davesgarden.com/community/trading/search.php?search_text=PFPID:23506 and a couple on the Sub Arctic Plenty http://davesgarden.com/community/trading/search.php?search_text=PFPID:57124. You might dmail them.

I bought the seeds from Territorial Seeds.

CajuninKy, I had a friend who grew some tomatos and such in her basement with much the same set up you are describing. She used a heat mat from an old water bed and set out the plants on that (with lighting overhead). The water bed warmer was water proof (of course) and cheap as she got it from a yard sale. Just a suggestion.

I'll also second Calalily's suggestion of Territorial Seeds. They have a "for the greenhouse" section in their winter catalog.

Good luck to you!

Sounds interesting. What about air circulation? You might need a fan as well.