Grow lights

Hello all - I wonder if you could help me to understand your wide use of 'growing rooms'; 'growracks' using lighting tubes.

I fully understand the principle of this growing aid, but how is it that it is so much used in the US of A and Canada, yet not here in the UK.

Would you say that it was just a national thing and comes out of your gardening history. Or is it your better way of producing garden plants without the expense of a heated glasshouse in the garden.

Growers here do use lighting but usually to control flowering in certain commercial plant subjects, such as the pot chrysanthemums.

I have used the 'Phytotron' which contains controlled environment chambers, when I worked at a plant research station. But that was far advanced and for specific purposes not associated with the home garden.

It seems to come down to 'why the grow racks in the USA/Canada on the one hand; and the glasshouse in the UK. on the other.

Question questions - always questions.

Would very much appreciate your views.

Thanks,

Peter.

I don't have space for a greenhouse, so that's why I just use shop lights with grow type fluorescent lamps in them, hung over a table in my basement. Works just fine for growing most plants, such as tomatoes, brugs, etc. after they are germinated upstairs where it is warmer.

Owen

I started many seeds and after they germinated, needed to have light. So I bought a rack with 4 shelves and attached shop lights under the shelves to keep the plants growing. I have to admit that as a beginner I planted too soon, so now I am anxious to plant outside, but the soil is not warm enough to plant outside yet. Everything is kinda in limbo. Hope to be able to plant in the next two weeks. But next year I will start my seeds later, and will have healthy plants to put in the garden at the right time.
Starting with lights is a good thing to get a jump start.
Cecelia

Peter - Many areas in the states have short growing seasons. In order to have tender plants reach maturity (even tomatoes) they should be started early during the winter months. Those that don't have a greenhouse have good results starting them under lights inside.

I know for me the cost of heating a greenhouse through the winter is a big factor. Possibly it's more expensive here than the UK?

Mmmmm.... As for culture, my perception is that England is more "proper" in its methods & thus, the full blown shabang like the Phytotron you mentioned.

Is it possible that across the pond here we tend to be more "make shift" to meet a given need that presents itself? Or, perhaps it's more impatience (Impatiens, get it?) on our part because our frost dates for planting outside run into May and even June in some places.

When can you begin to plant outside without fear of frost killing your seedlings & small plants? For my indoor head start, I created a seedling cart using PVC pipe. Not the most attractive item in our home, but very functional & affordable!

Hello Morph and all who have input to my query about plant lights. I am grateful to you all for your comments.

Ha Ha - yes Morph ' Impatiens' You should by on the stage.
You will have the same set up in your research stations that I briefly mentioned. It is just that here at home we don't seem to hav adopted the grow lights as you have, but I can see that their adoption will vary from state to state depending upon the length of growing season. It has become clear that that is the main factor, plus being more economical than a heated glasshouse.
Heating glass is expensive over here also Poppysue. Perhaps having a fairly long growing season many of us just wait until weather permits outside sowing for many things, rather than pay the cost of heating.

Of course, heating glass to counteract just a few degrees of frost is less costly than that needed to overcome some temps I read of in the gardening forums. I take my hat off to many who garden in the cold north. You rally have to love plants to accept the intense cold and the short season.
What you achieve is a credit to you all.

When our outdoor sowing starts in my area of Yorkshire is dependant upon what we want to grow. I think the best illustration is that most of our vegetables are sown in the open ground from mid to late April. A few of the hardier types a little earlier. Parsnips are an exception as they will not take cold soil and are usually not sown outdoors until May in my area.
They can be container sown in a cold frame but timing is vital, as being tap rooted they will not stand disturbance.

If you care to go to this site you will get some idea of my vege garden (which I no longer have) and notice that I use garden fleece to protect some early crops. I think there is a pic of fleece covering some carrots. These would have been sown around the beginning to mid March. Risk of damaging frost is usually over by the beginning of May.

http://www.dwsn.fsnet.co.uk/-vegegdn.HTM


Believe me Morph, you will be no more makeshift than the English gardener. It's amazing what we get up to in our gardens to save on the pennies.

As far as the enjoyment of home gardening goes, what is 'proper' is what works for you and gives you the results you were hoping for.


Peter.