Indoor Growing Winter 2016

I didn't know where to post this so I hope this spot is okay ...

I have had a little success with my little indoor growing area. I've got catnip, romaine lettuce and onions started. Onions not so successful. This is the second sowing...
Boxing day I will be starting soil blocks with hot pepper seeds. I ordered all new pepper seeds because mine were having pollination orgies while I wasn't watching and managed to create a bunch of mutant varieties ..

 

Nice one Lori

Good start to the new season

 

Ooh @CanadianLori what are those greeny meshy tray things?

 

I think they are meant to hold knick knacks. I bought them at the pound store and they are perfect for holding my soil blocks until the seedlings are ready to be potted up. Each one holds 4 soil blocks and each tray holds 7 of these green containers. I never counted how many I have since I picked them up over several visits. They allow water to drawn up from the tray instead of having to be individually watered. In the first unit/pic, you will see that the lettuce is under an HPS lamp and in the second the lettuce is sitting under compact fluorescent lights. Just playing to see what difference the lighting makes. Also in the first indoor area the shop lights are LED whereas the other has the older style tube fluorescent. I am waiting for my heat mat thermostats to arrive. I have two 24x48" mats under the trays with the green thingies. I also saved an old waterbed heater which is about 14 x 36.

I just put new Kelsae onion seeds in some of the blocks where the seeds had not germinated. And this morning I also set up some soil blocks with asparagus seeds.

 

All very organised; an impressive set up!

 

Thank you @"M" I did all the wiring myself. Much simpler than messing with an oven. If you get a jolt, it only flings your arm away, not your entire body

I just came back in after playing with the dc wiring and timers in the greenhouse. Should be a good light show tonight after this sunny day charges the batteries.

Tomorrow I'm going to sort out why the surveillace cameras 8&9 have snowy pics...

Love to tinker with just about anything

 

Good set up there Lori

 

That's great Lori! Really interesting and I love the set up. I'd love to get some lamps and heat mats in the future. Just got an electric heater and propogator at the minute. Love the basket ideas but never heard of soil blocks....going to have to look them up...

 

Soil blocks are fast to make, and quick to pot up. No damaged roots. Plus if something doesn't germinate, you just chuck the block back in the bucket to make more

Let me see if I can find a pic.. here's one from last year. You don't need cell packs or teeny tiny pots

here is the maker itself. Takes about 10 seconds to make each set of 4, maybe even less time than that ...

I find it so much easier with these because there is no clean up like with cell packs.

 

Not seen these blockers before. They are sold this side of the pond , in fact GW did an article on them. Nothing on Ebay though .
Welcome to Soil Blockers

 

My Kelsaes
Some tomatoes, drumstick plant, asparagus etc.

The light is making them look yellow.

 

Looking good Lori