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Re: basic gardening 101

> I was also wondering how you started your seedlings. I want to do the same,
> but not sure what kind of lighjt I need and how much. I don't have $400 for
> a gro-light rack set-up. How are you doing it? Thanks in advance for any help.
> 
> Mike in Sunset zone 6

Mike you don't need an expensive light setup to start seeds.  
You pick up an inexpensive set or two of shoplights and for 
each, buy one warm white and one cool white bulb.  At Home 
Despot, you can pick these up for around $1.50 each.  These come 
under a variety of names.  But look at the display and select 
the ones that look the closest. 

What you are doing is covering the light spectrum with 
florescent bulbs.  The really important part is to keep them no 
more than an inch or two above the seedlings.  Otherwise, the 
little plants will get tall and leggy trying to reach sufficient 
light.

Re: soil for seed starting:  sterile soilless medium.  Regular 
soil holds too much moisture and is loaded with diseases and 
other icky things that will murder your seedlings quickly.  

There are lots of good sites on the net that talk about seed 
starting.  Let me know if you'd like a short list.

Best,
Jaime  
jknoble@warwick.net
NW NJ, zone 6/5
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