So I've finally got pictures!
Here's the seed starting table. It hangs from the ceiling by chains since the crawl space has an uneven floor. Here are some things to notice in the picture:
* The blue bin under the table is the reservoir for water. As mentioned in previous posts the automating watering system is currently nonfunctional. You can see the tubing traveling from each end of the tray and down to the reservoir.
* The fluorescent lights hang from pulleys (not visible). Normally the lights would hang 2-4 inches above the plants. Here I've raised the lamps so I have access to the flats.
* The watering tray is attached to the end of the table, with a capillary mat hanging into the tray and extending under the flats. There's a heating mat under the capillary mat.
Here's the seed starting table. It hangs from the ceiling by chains since the crawl space has an uneven floor. Here are some things to notice in the picture:
* The blue bin under the table is the reservoir for water. As mentioned in previous posts the automating watering system is currently nonfunctional. You can see the tubing traveling from each end of the tray and down to the reservoir.
* The fluorescent lights hang from pulleys (not visible). Normally the lights would hang 2-4 inches above the plants. Here I've raised the lamps so I have access to the flats.
* The watering tray is attached to the end of the table, with a capillary mat hanging into the tray and extending under the flats. There's a heating mat under the capillary mat.
Here you can see the capillary mat up close:
There's a second table nearby for doing potting. It's only a few steps away.
Here's the setup from the side, showing about 3 1/2 flats currently planted:
Here you can see some pot-paks. Often they come as a standard 10" x 20" set and you can't mix and match sizes. I got the kind you can split so I'd have more flexibility. I've got plant tags for each pot-pak and a thermometer to check the temperature. Finally, notice the wire running to the lower-left seed tray. This is the temperature probe for the heating mat's thermostat. The thermometer has confirmed for me that the thermostat is basically accurate.
Here's what the thermostat looks like:
The heating mat can raise the temperature 10-20 degrees. It's around 50-60 in the crawlspace, usually, so the mat is able to bring the temperature of the trays up to the recommended 70-75 degrees. Most seeds, once they germinate and are transplanted to 3" pots, prefer cooler temperatures again. This is the intended purpose of the 2' x 4' behind the trays. My plan is to have another capillary mat and another pair of lights. I've got the mat and the lights but haven't assembled them yet. Not necessary until I start transplanting.
2 comments:
Gosh, I feel like such a doofus! I didn't know I was supposed to have all that gear. I just stuck some seeds in some soil in the window and they grew!
deb
just giving you a hard time
Yeah, yeah... :-)
That was my original plan. Then I started looking at our empty flower beds and calculated how many plants it would take to fill them. With a porch covering the front of the house downstairs we really only had one south-facing window upstairs available. Even in the window I probably would have needed the heating mat since the window leaks air and the room gets chilly.
So, overkill? Maybe! But next time you come to Seattle I'll give you plant. ;-)
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