I am thinking of trying to raise come green beans, cucumbers, leaf lettuce over the later part of summer and into fall-winter. I want to raise them in my garage with artificial lighting, the garage is heated. What can I plant the gr beans, cukes, lettuce in and get good yields? Where would I find a fairly inexpensive but good artificial plant light?
hopefully you are doing this as a hobby as the timeand expense outweigh any cost savings you may be expecting. You will achieve better result with theleafy crops as the others require probably more lumens -light- than growing lights will provide, plus you neighbors will report you for growing in the garage and the police willraid you at 4 in the morning and after a week in jaill they will tell you they are sorry.
I raise African violets as a hobby, and the only lights you need are plain old shop lights from Target or a similar place. You need to have them pretty close to the plants, but I raise prize-winners with no problem. I’d suggest suspending them from chains so that you can change the height depending on the height of the plants as they grow. I’d use several fixtures side by side (not end-to-end) to give the plants maxiumum lighting. You can wire one to the other, or just use a power strip; put the whole business on a timer, and all you’ll need to do is water!
purchase a product called “earth boxes. follow the directions and buy the accesories to assist you in the convenience of being indoors. they are easy to water and maintain the exact amount needed. i would use portable low wattage bulbs shop lights on tripods that are directional and adjustable. then stand back and watch them grow . i have them and they are reusable year after year. they were developed and patened by an old farmer in fla. and the us govt aquired the rights to them and today use them in water starved countries where it is impossible to grow anything. they also produce larger and more yeild and maintain maximum results in taste and nutrients if you use good fertilizer and follow the directions. i am very satisfied and have used/reused them for 4 yrs only buying replacement covers for each crop.
1st- get an old door and cover it with plastic
2nd – mount a handle on the door and put 4 swivel wheels on it
3rd- attach a couple PT 2×4′s to the door to make sturdy
4rd – get cheap black flowerpots from a local nursery
5th- use manure compost from walmart $1.40/40lbs
6th – get $8 flourescent light fixtures from Lowes
7th – get grow lightbulbs to fit the fixtures from lowes
8th – put the pots on the door turned cart.
9th- grow grow grow
You can use the door made cart to wheel your plants out for watering and extra sunlight. During the winter you can lean the cart up against a wall and it will take up almost no room.
Long plastic planters about 3 ft or better. Blue Lake bush beans will produce every time you pick them. The mor you pick the more you get. Cucumbers will run crazy unless you teach them to climb up something like a trellis. Never heard of indoor winter gardening but let me know how it works.