It's amazing how many things you can grow in your basement. Basement? What? Huh? Yes, your basement. Every January my husband starts to garden in our basement. It is easy to do and we get to enjoy delicious veggies all winter and spring. To start your own garden in the basement, try easy growing veggies, such as bush beans, cabbage, lettuce, spinach and small cucumbers.
What you will need:
* tables
* hanging shop lights
* T-8 fluorescent light bulbs
* chain
* pots
* organic seeds
* organic potting soil
* organic fertilizer
* watering can
* light timer
How to do it:
* He starts by planting organic seeds in organic potting soil and biodegradable peat pots. He places the peat pots in reusable plastic greenhouses and then places the greenhouses in south facing windowsills throughout our home.
* Once the seeds sprout and are an inch tall, he transplants them into 4-6" pots and puts them on a table in the basement. They are placed under fluorescent T-8 light bulbs that are suspended from the ceiling on a shop light. (He suspends the shop lights with an adjustable chain, which is adjusted to always be 2" above the plants.) He plugs the lights into a timer. (he uses our holiday lights timer.) The plants get 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness to rest.
* He waters the plants once a week. Once the plants are 4" tall, he starts fertilizing them with organic fertilizer. (See the instructions that come with the organic fertilizer that you purchase.)
*At six weeks he transplants the beans and cucumbers into 8-12" pots. All other plants can stay in the 4-6" pots.
* At 2.5 months, he starts to water twice a week.
After 3 months you will have amazing veggies that you can harvest and enjoy all winter & spring long.
Would you consider gardening in your basement.
Send me your pics?
Enjoy!
that's such a cool idea. wish i had thought of this earlier.
ReplyDeleteHi Becca Greene, Thanks. Well, keep it in mind for next winter. We do it every year and just harvested the lettuce. xo
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