My Garden, The Grow Room


Coming close to the time here in Boston to set up my grow room. Last year I visited Home Depot and left spending a small fortune, but the items I bought should last a decade or better.

First I bought several 6’ plastic folding tables at $45 a piece, then a 4’ Lithonia four lamp shop light for each table at $50 a piece. Make sure to purchase T8 Deluxe Daylight lamps for them as they approach the light quality of the sun (about $4.00 per lamp), more so than other florescent lights. Then to control the lighting I decided to buy a $20 digital timer by GE so I could forget about the lighting once set up. I also bought some cheap plastic sheets to make a tent to control the temperature better.


This year should be interesting, my basement where I set up last year is a total mess with construction going on, hopefully things will work out. My wife just bought potting soil and three inch pots. In last years photos you’ll see we used smaller two inch pots in trays but later transplanted them into 3" pots, trying to avoid that this year.

Still working on my diabetic friendly seed list.

Looking great! All those veggies. Three inch pots will work out well. Too early here in Maine. A foot of snow coming. I do look forward to having parsnips come spring. you leave them in the ground over winter. Nancy

I'm from the Boston area too, and looking at about six inches of new snow out my window with more to come. Just looking at your great efforts makes me realize I could be doing the same. I was going to sow the seed directly into the garden, but it might be too late for some things that need cooler temps by the time the soil is ready for planting. I think growing a garden is important, but I haven't worked hard enough at it like you to make it completely successful.

All that snow could be gone in a few weeks,then spring planting. Also I look forward to walking with out ice and snow. I have low vision, not DM related. I walk a lot. Nancy

Hi Cary, the photos are from last year, when it was 70F on March 19th. I think if you start peas and lettuce up to April 1st you'll be ok (I hope so for me). Everytime my back yard finally is bare - it snows again!

Hi Twinchick, started my seedlings way too early last year and had to transplant due to crowded roots, and the outside beds not being ready. 3" pots are indeed the way to go from the get go imo. You can see the 2" flats have room for 50 plants each, they might be good for early veggies like lettuce and peas (they didn't hold up after transplanting a 2nd time).